New Leaf Growth on Masdi veitchiana seems strange - is this normal?

[cirillonb]

Ross,
Interesting. I had a premonition it was salts/fertilizer and have gone 50% for the Masdies. I'll go for even less. Thanks.
Nick

[Ross]

For what it's worth, any fertilizer at all makes my Drac lotax drop it's flower buds. I get similar response from my Masdies. Dracs leaves don't pleat so much, but buds blast. The Masdies all pleat when I use too much fertilizer.

[bcub30]

The plant is telling you it needs more water at the roots. I had several do this when i wasnt to observant with watering.

scott

[RosieC]

Thanks everyone.

I'm going to try a combination of more water and less fertiliser.

Of course if it works I won't know which change worked, but I don't really care if I can get it to grow correctly.

[RosieC]

Well the good news is that the newest leaves are seeming to come out more normal looking.

I've got a simple analog humidity metre next to the plant now and it seems to be ranging from about 65% to 89%. That's got to be pretty high, seeing as I could see the mist in the air outside the open window when it was at 89% this morning.

I havn't fertilised again. I'm worried how damp the moss is staying though in the humid enviroment it does not seem to have dried out at all in the last week.

[RosieC]

Even better news is that there is another new leaf starting that I noticed this morning.

That's the 9th new leaf since I bought it in August

[Masdyman]

I have had this happen at times the reason i don`t know .Massies usually produce so many new growths when they get going it isn`t a problem to lose a few so i haven`t really picked up on any reasons why it might happen .
I am feeding @ 100ppm N for 3 waterings then plain RO the 4th .

[RosieC]

Thanks Keith,

I can see what you mean about 'so many new growths'. It seems to have lots of leaves growing all the time and it's only a small plant.

They were all doing the same thing except one which converned me.

I've currently got it in arround 60% to 90% humidity, I'm keeping the moss a bit damper, no fertiliser, and it's arround 12C - 15C over the last few days.

So far the newest leaves are looking good but I'm keeping a close eye on it.

[Weebl]

Personally I drown my Masdevallias, They are in medium CHC with a little perlite and are watered every day with my mounted orchids. I have personally never had this issue, and never seen negative consequences to my watering regiment, only robust root growth.

[Masdyman]

I water mine every few days in summer here in the UK , but in winter alot less often so when the mix is just starting to dry so they are kept just moist.

I have a 10c min and 5 c min section which doesnt always drop to this but will at times on the darkest/coolest days in winter .