Are Masdevallia's Dracula's?

[greenpassion]

I am totally new to Masdevallia's-as a matter of fact, I just bought one on line, and it's not even here yet. What attracted me to them aside from the unique flower, is that I read they are cool growers, (I keep my house at 60 degrees thru winter) and they like lower light levels. That said, I found this other orchid called Dracula, and it really looks like a masdevallia. Guess I need to do more reading....

[glengary54]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

I am totally new to Masdevallia's-as a matter of fact, I just bought one on line, and it's not even here yet. What attracted me to them aside from the unique flower, is that I read they are cool growers, (I keep my house at 60 degrees thru winter) and they like lower light levels. That said, I found this other orchid called Dracula, and it really looks like a masdevallia. Guess I need to do more reading....

greenpassion - The short answer is no, they are two different genera. That being said, they are quite similar in care and culture, the Draculas, for the most part put out a pendant flower spike while the Masdevallias for the most part have an upright flower spike.

You are on the right track, you need to do as much research as you can before you invest a ton of money on a genus you may or may not be able to grow. Good Luck.

[Paul Mc]

I would like to ask you one question though. What is the temperature of your house when it is not winter? And what kind of Masdie did you buy?

Different Masdie's like different temperature ranges, so you need to be sure that the one you bought will match the temperature your house will be in ALL year long, not just in the winter.

Further, you need to ensure that your home can sustain the humidity needed for your Masdie or devise a method to keep your Masdie in the proper humidity.

You might want to check out the thread about fish bowl use and Masdie's at this link.

[Paul Mc]

Oh, and I agree about not spending a lot of money too soon before you have mastered a genera or specifically know how you're going to keep the appropriate culture for the genera.

Take it slow and cheap at first. There is nothing wrong with wanting to expand, just really do your research and find out what others have to say about it. Keep in mind where they reside though as, for example, Floridians will not have the same culture techniques as New Yorkers. Always keep the author's location in mind when figuring out your own culture techniques.

You might even want to join or visit your local orchid society to get questions answered - and who knows - you might become an addict like the rest of us!!!! ROLF!!!!

[littlefrog]

I believe Dracula were once a section of Masdevallia, so your guess isn't really all that off the mark. Depends on how old your taxonomy is.

Just like masdevallia, there is a range of temperature conditions for draculas. Most do like it cool and humid. There is at least one that I can't remember the name of that likes it warmer. I don't grow them myself, but they are really neat.

[Paul Mc]

As littlefrong said, they "were once a section of Masdevallia" but they have since been branched off.

However, as with Masdie's, some Drac's can withstand higher temperature ranges than others, and are more tolerant of various culture "habitats."

Just be sure to do your "due diligence" research before committing to purchasing anything. After all, as orchid fanatacs, we'd hate to see one die, lol...

P.S., I've seen my fair share die. One orchid retailer once told me (great guy), you aren't a true orchid grower until you've killed more than you can actually grow. THANKFULLY, I've only killed maybe 4 out of 70 thus far, lol...

[Paul Mc]

Oh, maybe I should mention this, just so it's on the record, I was knocking on wood as I wrote this!!!!

[littlefrog]

I've always told people you aren't an expert until you've killed your weight in orchids...

[greenpassion]

In response to Paul Mc's response to me, this is the info on the Masdevallia 'Tribbles' I bought.

"A cross of two species Masd. tonduzii x strobelii. Lots of small yellow flowers. Frequent bloomer - this plant frequently is in bloom 10 months out of 12.
Masdevallia's make great orchids for people who tend to overwater, or have lower light conditions. They also like it cooler than most orchids, so don't treat them like you would a Cattleya or a Vanda. That being said, they are a VERY easy orchid to have bloom, and a great orchid for a 'newbie' or beginner grower!"

As far as humidity goes, my indoor/outdoor thermometer says the humidity level is generally around 45% to 52%. Is this ok?

[greenpassion]

And...my house temps in the summer are around 70/75 or so... I just read posts about growing these in glass bowls, first placed in a net basket, then inserted into a glass bowl with hydroton balls at the bottom, then angel moss on top of that. Has anyone tried this? I should probably go out this weekend and find some of this stuff. Don't know when the masdie is going to arrive here.