Masdevallia amabilis - Page 2 - Orchid Board

unterallgaier · #11 12-06-2011, 04:38 PM

Wunderful, Rosie! What are your growing conditions? Do you cultivate it under sunny conditions (like Jay says)?

RosieC · #12 12-13-2011, 06:50 AM

Thanks everyone. Sorry for the late reply, real life has been getting in the way of Orchid Board recently

I grow this cool, and as humid as I can. Probably not as cool or as humid as it would really like, but obviously enough. It lives in my greenhouse which when I built it I expected to be in a quite shaded spot (being wedged between two houses) but I've found it actually gets quite a lot of light in the morning and in the summer is in sunlight right around until 2pm. I use a shade cloth, but I've noticed than my masdies grow more compactly that the leaves they had when bought and I've been advised that's due to higher light. They seem happy though

I have a Dryadella Zabrina whose leaves go red in the same spot and I was told that really that's an indication it's too bright for other masdies. However because they seem happy I have only moved the Dryadella.

In the winter the greenhouse goes down to 5C (with a heater to stop it going colder). It can get up to about 25C on hot summer days but is more often arround 19C in the summer which is really too hot for these (I think). That's why I have them in pourous clay pots and ensure they are always at least a little damp (although not sodden). The evaporation from the clay helps cool the roots which help them grow in slightly too warm conditions.

I do what I can to keep the greenhouse in the humid range, but it's difficult at times as I don't have a misting system. In the summer I throw a bucket of water over the floor every day, and allow all the watering water to just run away over it. That helps a lot. I also mist the area where the masdies are every morning in the summer but that will only have a temporary effect. It seems enough though as these guys seem happy.