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 !

[Bolero]

Thanks, it's interesting to hear how others grow theirs.

I for one have stopped using CHC, I don't recommend it. I found in the first year they grew ok but the root growth was no where near what I get with Sphagnum moss and long term I am not sure how well it works and I have some strong doubts. That doesn't mean it won't work but my Sphagnum moss is amazing and I would recommend that above all else for Pleuro's. Now this is just my opinion and CHC may well work for others just as well.

[billc]

That's very infomative. Thanks for posting your culture. Like Bolero said, it's good to see other grower's experiences with their plants.

Bill

[Masdyman]

Originally Posted by Bolero

Thanks, it's interesting to hear how others grow theirs.

I for one have stopped using CHC, I don't recommend it. I found in the first year they grew ok but the root growth was no where near what I get with Sphagnum moss and long term I am not sure how well it works and I have some strong doubts. That doesn't mean it won't work but my Sphagnum moss is amazing and I would recommend that above all else for Pleuro's. Now this is just my opinion and CHC may well work for others just as well.

Hi , i have never got on with sphagnum , i have never chosen to use it but if i buy any plants in it just don't don't do it for me .I don't know whether it is because i feed regular and causes the sphagnum to break down quick.
This just proves that we have to choose a potting mix to suit your own liking/conditions .I have never had better roots than this before ,my Massies roots have gone nuts this year.I have found a really good source of CHC which is very low in TDS from the start so washing it over & over is not critical .I do wash it anyway and add calcium & Magnesium to get the cation exchange going apparently !

[xristie9]

I use live moss from the garden ... works without any problems my masdevallias are blooming and growing

[RosieC]

Great info thanks, especially as I'm also growing in the UK so have similar conditions.

I do get on with moss for Masdies. I don't like it at all for most of my orchids but the Masdies do well in it (so far). This will be my first winter with them in the greenhouse though so I'm going to have to keep a close watch on how that goes.

[Bolero]

Absolutely, it will all depend on the environment. I think because I like in a very dry climate it suits my plants but England would be very different to my conditions.

[Masdyman]

Just to add a update to my culture info ,one thing to be careful with Masdevallia is if the conditions are right like in the UK at the moment ,damp ,wet ,humidity high and dull then Botrytis also known as grey mold can strike within the tightly congested crowns/old spikes etc .This has happened with mine in the last week very quickly brought on i think with me spraying my whole collection with a bug killer and not drying out quick enough .I do battle with keeping the humidity down in Autumn/winter where it is above 80% most of the time,condensation is a constant at this time as well .This is where i think a very large extractor fan would help a lot which i cannot afford at the mo ,so if anyone is looking at one they don't want here i am .

The result of this is Masdevallias suddenly dropping leaves like when they get heat stressed ,fortunately only one plant has lost some so far ,but i am thinking of spraying with Physan when the weather picks up and laying off the watering .Maybe i should have sprayed them and turned the temperatures up for a couple of days to dry them quickly .
Good or bad i will follow up culture here .

[Bolero]

No matter how long I grow them I find out new things all the time. Just when you think the culture is ok then something comes along to ruin it for you.

[Masdyman]

Well that nice day came today Europe won the Ryder Cup , i got to Physan my collection