Masdevallias in flower right now

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

I usually end-up having to steak some of my masdie hybrid blooms because they are too heavy. Probably why they don't occur in nature. A flower that breaks off as it get mature is no good to anyone.

The one I'm going to have to stake is a veitchianna species. It's spikes are always long and sag down to the bench. This time it has 10 spikes all just opening and they are just starting to sag as they open. I don't think it's just hybrids that do it (or I'm doing something wrong... but the plant seems happy/healthy enough otherwise).

[Bolero]

Ok, they are staked to keep them off the foliage. They would not break but the caudae would be folded back if lying on the foliage. I used to just let them swin in the breeze but the flower shape was affected by the air moving the flowers around (and hitting each other). I have been advised by other judges to stake them so I have started doing that. They can stand upright but in the wind and in the car on the way to a show they move around a lot.