Masdevallia - General Questions

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Hey, Royal.

Ever think about growing intermediate to warm growing Masdevallias instead of the cold to cool growers?

Masd wendlandiana is one.

IOSPE PHOTOS

Masdevallia impostor is another.

Note: Jay Pfhal has a different set of temperature ranges for what he calls cool - this plant is not cool growing. It is an intermediate grower and can tolerate warmer temperatures as well (nothing over 90 F though).

http://www.orchidspecies.com/masimposter.htm

[stefpix]

I am growing 2 Masdevallia hybrids, they are doing fine, lots of new growth but no blooms. tehy survived the hot + dry NY apt winter. M. Gold Dust and M. Dawn Glow.
Almost doubled the size since september [I think].

Some of my Phals and Dendrobiums bloomed but not these. the leaves are nice.

I saw one with huge red flowers that looked amazing, I think might have been M coccinea. The most attractive ones to my taste are the cool growing ones though.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by stefpix

I think it is unrealistic to consider rain water pure and clean.

I can't find where anyone made this claim. Maybe I missed it.

Originally Posted by stefpix

On the topic of rain water...
How can people recommend rain water especially when living in an urban area over tap water?

I think the use of rainwater has less to do with purity, but more to do with low total dissolved solids. Usually water from municipal sources has significant mineral content that are basically salts. Rainwater is condensate, so it contains very little TDS.

I'm sure that pollutants can be detrimental, but if acid rain kills plants than there would all already be gone.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Hey, Royal.

Ever think about growing intermediate to warm growing Masdevallias instead of the cold to cool growers?

Dude, I live in Texas. The thought of growing cool growers never even entered my mind. Well, maybe for a second.

[stefpix]

well in textas if you live with AC you could put a cool grower in some glass or plexi container with a cover and find ways to raise humidity in it and probably you would be fine...

[DelawareJim]

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Thanks Tindo and Dana. I knew I could count on the OB to get tips you can't find on a website or culture sheet. Is water quality an issue for you?

I picked up a Masdie cosmia last December at my local orchid society raffle. It was my first one and I put it in my east facing kitchen window and watered with 120ppm MSU as soon as it dried out. I found water quality was an issue, at least with this one. I burned the roots and found after getting advice from Cyan and Terri (aka Quiltergal) that it was much happier when I stopped using MSU and used only R/O or rain water. When I checked it this morning, it's putting up 7 new leaves now.

Cheers.
Jim

[Grandma M]

I have been growing these babies for only about 6 months. I use tap water and use MSU fert at 1/4 strength about every 10 days. At this time they are all doing well and producing new leaves and several have rebloomed.

Growing in spag does not work well for me so I use my own mix of 1 part CHC, 1 part perlite, 1 part spag, 1 part charcoal, and about 1/2 to 3/4 part tree fern. I try to buy only warm or intermediate growers because I grow mine in my home under lights.

I am far from being an experienced Masd grower, but so far they are all doing well. Possibly it's just beginners luck.

Marilyn

[DelawareJim]

Hey Marilyn;

Your mix sounds interesting but in a way not surprising. Al Pickrel of Al's Orchid Greenhouse grows a lot of his Masdies in regular 4-inch plastic pots in LECA and waters his every day with well water. He is fortunate enough to have low TDS.

Cheers.
Jim