Getting very frustrated... - Orchid Board

The Orchid Boy · #1 10-10-2013, 12:46 AM

I have a Masdevallia Angel Tears & I love it, except I can't get it past high spike stage... It has around 50 leaves/growths. It grows very vigorously, producing leaves and roots non stop. It also produces spikes non stop...

The spike grows as tall as it will get and then it should be the bud's turn to develop but it will just blast before it does anything. At first I thought it may be too little water, and I was partially correct. Does it need more even?

It is potted in a slotted clay pot with moss and dries out quite quickly but for over 3 months I haven't let it totally dry out. Suggestions? The leaves all look perfect, no burnt tips.

silken · #2 10-10-2013, 12:55 AM

I have a Masd. Highland Fling. One parent is Masd. Copper Angel, same as yours is. I had tons of bloom spikes that all blasted when well developed and I struggled with it for a long time. Other Masdies bloomed fine so I'm not sure if it was something in this one's lineage that made it difficult or what. I read that uneven moisture or humidity is the culprit. I felt that it was always moist in the pot but my humidity wasn't always real good. I increased that by putting the plant near a fogger and that seemed to help. Not sure if that's any help, but it sounds similar to what was happening to mine.

RosieC · #3 10-10-2013, 11:31 AM

My first buds on veitchianna did the same. It was suggested to me that it was heat. After a couple of tries it tried flowering in the autumn instead of the summer and was successful. I don't know if that is actually related or not, as once it got going it has started blooming most of the year... though it does rest briefly in the summer.

Copper Angel which is a parent of yours is it's self a child of veitchianna and veitchianna is one of the cooler loving Masdies. I'm just wondering if your Angel Tears has inherited the cooler loving requirements of veitchianna when compared to other Masdies.

Clay pot with moss and never drying out should help reduce the temperature around the roots, but what sort of temps are you growing in?

stonedragonfarms · #4 10-10-2013, 03:04 PM

Ditto on what the others have said; for me veitchiana and her crosses bloom best when they have cool nights (into the 40's) and relatively cool days (mid 70's for a high); they also need fairly strong light, 1100fc on the low side and humidity around 60% minimum, though I'd shoot for something nearer 75%rh; pair all of this with a steady flow of air and you should get great blooms...
Just my 3c,
Adam

RosieC · #5 10-13-2013, 12:13 PM

I didn't say what temps, but like above mine go into low 40s a lot of the winter, and mid 70s is the high but they probably spend most of the summer and even spring in the mid 60s.

I didn't realise high light was good, but mine do get high light, though rarely if at all direct.

I actually have much lower humidity than mentioned above though. Mine ranges between 40 and 80 but spends most of the time around 50/60. I have trouble controlling humidity. This has not seemed to be a problem provided I don't ever let the moss fully dry out.

The Orchid Boy · #6 10-15-2013, 12:58 AM

I was slacking off a little and letting humidity reach down into the upper 40s/lower 50s. I've increased humidity and so far a bud is finally growing more. My temperatures hardly ever get to or above 80F, with lows usually in the lower 60s. It does depend on the time of year though...

jeremyinsf · #7 10-17-2013, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Orchid Boy

I was slacking off a little and letting humidity reach down into the upper 40s/lower 50s. I've increased humidity and so far a bud is finally growing more. My temperatures hardly ever get to or above 80F, with lows usually in the lower 60s. It does depend on the time of year though...

That is probably far too warm. Are you trying to grow this plant indoors, under your lights?