How i cultivate Masdevallias .

[Masdyman]

This may be of help to some but if not hope it is of interest anyway .

Masdevallias like other orchids have 3 different temperature zones but differ somewhat as follows
cool 5c min ,Int 10c min, warm 15 c min .

I have approximately 130 species and about 100 hybrids and this is how i grow them .
I have been growing them in CHC with nothing else added for the past season and must say i am very happy with the CHC, to aid drainage & to help me learn when to water with CHC i burnt holes around the lower half of the pots with heated 22mm copper tube !This has worked a treat .

What i do is have two zones in winter so the greenhouse is split down the middle one side 5c min ,the other 10 c min .There are not many warm growing Masdevallia but i do have a enclosure in my 10 c end which is heated by air warming cables for a warmer growing area if needed .
I set the Min temperatures and let solar gain do the rest which i have had good success with here in the UK ,in winter i have to be careful if there are long continued dull days.So i have to be careful when/how much i water , so very occasionally i turn the heat up for a short time whilst i am in there tending them .
Basically i set my min temperatures and try to avoid extremes ,so in summer try to keep the max temperatures to 30c so open up the doors & windows all summer so the humidity drops .

This is where the hydrofogger comes into play and keeps humidity around 50-60 % min ,the fogger is placed closer to the Masdevallias .If the temperatures are on the high side in the day they will normally recover at night without any fuss .
Masdevallia love fresh air so whenever i can i will open the greenhouse doors ,even on a nice day in winter to exchange air .I have 5 circulation fans running 24/7 and would like to add a extractor fan when money permits !

I only use RO water and use the MSU feed at every watering @ approx 75ppm N,i also add humic acid every two weeks to my feeding regime, i also monitor and alter if required the PH to 6.0-6.2 . I mist /mist feed them most days in summer in the morning and sometimes again at the end of the day if it has been hot .
I shade when the temperatures start to creep up in late spring ,as growers we just know and get that feeling when the time has come .
Some in the UK put them outside for the summer but i like to control what they get and keep the pests at bay as much as possible .If you are fortunate enough you could have a shaded growing area for them outside all year round .
I believe in prevention rather than cure so periodically spray with Physan and a bug killer.

Masdevallias can suddenly drop all there leaves !which is a alarming sight ,this has happened to me once with one of my very first Masdevallia and the cause was it got heat stressed on a summers day .They can recover from this and usually throw out new growths in no time if you are lucky.
They are no different from any other orchid on the pest front so being vigilant is the key.
This is how i grow them and hope it has been of interest ,obviously we are all in differing climes but the temperature zones and culture are all aims we are trying to achieve for the best results as possible .
Happy Growing !