Windowsill Masdevallia?

[Sekhmet]

Hey Guys,

I am relatively new to these more "exotic" orchid species...I have been growing phals for years, and have just recently started branching out.

My question is this. There is a gorgeous Masd. Celtic Frost on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380240074244&ssPageNam e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

That I am really tempted to buy. I don't have any special growing equipment, so this would be a "houseplant". Should I purchase it, or is it just going to sit on my window sill forever (something I fear my Dracula lotax is going to do)?

[Carl Austin]

Most Masdevallias won't grow very well (if at all) in the same environment as Phalaenopsis. There are a few species and hybrids that will flourish in warm temperatures but I don't know if Celtic Frost is one of them. I suspect someone else will weigh in shortly.

Carl

[Duane McDowell]

The Masd. Celtic Frost certainly is lovely. However, it's probably not a great windowsill plant... If I were recommending a first windowsill masdevallia, I'd recommend something like infracta, kuhniorum or floribunda. They will do pretty well in a windowsill, and they're quite tolerant of errors. Masd. rolfeana and Masd. herradurae can do pretty well in a windowsill, too, but they are maybe a little trickier than the first three. A hybrid that I've seen on Ebay recently that is really easy to grow and bloom successfully is Masd. Hampshire Prolific (Copper Angel x floribunda) - (in the interest of full disclosure, it's a hybrid I made many years ago when I worked for Klehm Growers). It's not showy, but it would be a great one to build confidence with. The issue with Masdevallias for the most part is moisture more than temperature. So long as they don't get much over 80, even the real "cool growers" will do ok. The problem comes if they get dry. They really hate it, and will die. The "cool growers" are more sensitive to this than the more warmth tolerant varieties. You can offset some of this by putting the pot inside a clay pot that's an inch larger than the growing pot and lining the space between the pots with sphagnum moss which is always kept moist. It will keep the roots cool, which really helps.
Your Dracula lotax might do all right if you NEVER EVER EVER let it dry out. The clay pot trick will help with this, but then you'll probably never see many flowers, since most of them come out the bottom of the plant...

[Sekhmet]

Hi Duane and Carl,

Thanks for the info! I live in Seattle, which is an area that stays below 70 degrees F most of the year, so I am not particularly worried about keeping plants cool most of the year. I think with the sphag-pot trick, I could keep the plants cool for the small part of the year it is above 80 (although it is rarely above 80 in our house. I noticed there was one a "Sunset Jaguar" on Ebay...would that hybrid be too sensitive?

I also tend to my orchids every day (misting), so I am easily able to assess how wet a plant is. My D. lotax has been growing happily for months, but hot months are just around the corner, so I will pick up another pot and some sphag.

I was also told that the D.lotax bloomed from the top/side, and not out of the bottom of the pot....I specifically bought it because it is more warm tolerant..grr. Maybe I will switch it to a small mesh pot with sphag. Would it be "too wet" to set it in a small dish of water (the mesh basket?)

Thanks again, you guys are lifesavers! I hate killing orchids (haven't killed one in years) but want to expand my genera, so this has been a huge help!

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[Duane McDowell]

Hey, looks like Drac. lotax DOES bloom from the top. Sorry about that!
Masd. Sunset Jaguar is an awesome hybrid. Give it a try.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Since in Seattle, WA it doesn't get above 70 F, you'd do well with Masdevallia solomonii, Masd davisii, Masd selenites, Masd coccinea, Masd ignea, Masd vietchiana, or Masd cyclotega outdoors provided it doesn't snow.

Basically the high altitude ones that occur somewhere between 2,200 m to 3,000 m.

Dracula lotax grows intermediate to warm.

There are cooler growing Draculas that do not appreciate temperatures above 80 F.

[Sekhmet]

Well, it does get above 70 F, but only for a few months in the summer. Also, I am not really able to grow much outside, as I am a renter, which is why I am most interested in indoor Masd.

If My house typically stays in the 60s, but often drops lower in the winter, and I use a cooling method like the double-pot/sphag moss, do you think I will be able to get a Masd. to do well and flower indoors?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Okay, as now I'm a bit confused...I'm going to try and simplify this as much as possible.

I'm going to categorize Masdevallias as they truly are - a diverse group of mid to high elevation plants from the Andes, with the occasional lowland species sprinkled in.

There are really 5 temperature groups of Masdevallias.

1. Cold to cool growing. (plants found at roughly 2,300 m to 3,000 m)
- temperature range: about 36 F - 75 F

2. Cool to intermediate growing. (plants found at roughly 1,800 m - 2,300 m)
- temperature range: about 45 F - 85 F

3. Intermediate growing. (plants found at roughly 1,200 m - 1,800 m)
- temperature range: about 55 F - 85 F

4. Intermediate to warm growing. (plants found at roughly 500 m - 1,800 m)
- temperature range: about 60 F - 95 F

5. Temperature tolerant. (plants found in a wide range of altitudes)
- temperature range: usually 45 F to 95 F

Not all Masdevallias need to be grown cool in order to survive and thrive.

Now I'm going to ask - what are the extremes in temperature in the growing area you want to put the would-be Masdevallia in?

So far all I know is, 60 F and 70 F fall somewhere in the range of the temperature extremes. What is "absolute" warmest and what is "absolute" coldest?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Masd Sunset Jaguar 'Nightbreed' is temperature tolerant and blooms readily.

BTW, in my opinion, the two most difficult temperature groups of Masdevallias for most people to grow belong to those that are in the cold to cool group and the intermediate group, due to their restrictive temperature ranges.

[Sekhmet]

I would say that, in my home, the absolute coldest it would ever be in winter would be 50F, the hottest EVER (and this is for very short periods during heat waves) would be 85.

The average temp in our house is probably between 65 and 75F 95% of the time.

I think I am going to try one of the Sunset Jaguar, the "Solar Place" (at least, that is what it is listed as on Ebay, although I may go with Mountain Orchids)...is there a variety of tolerances within the different "Sunset Jaguar" grexes?