Advice needed from Dracula experts

[mrobert]

I would like to add dracula to my collection. Is it a pipedream to believe I can grow these indoors without a greenhouse/cool house?
I live in Carmel California.

Will keeping these plants cool enough be my biggest hurdle in successful cultivation?

Any suggestions on beginner draculas is appreciated. Are any species/hybrids significantly easier to grow than others?

I have lots of luck with restrepia and masdevallia, and utterly fail with dendrobs and vandas.

-Thanks Mateo

[mrobert]

Really? Nothing??

[Ross]

Mateo, there are Draculas (like lotax) that will grow just fine in low light, orchidarium, high humidity, and there are others that will want higher light, drier conditions, etc. So the answer is - it depends on what you want to grow. I would Check Jay's website at Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia under Dracula for the growing conditions of various species or even Andy's Orchids at Andy's Orchids - Orchids Species - Orchids - Species Specialist - Orchids on a stick because he is located not far from you (I think - Encinitas) and has lots of Draculas for sale. His growing is mostly outdoors plus a few greenhouses.

[mrobert]

Thank you Ross. As a matter of fact I probably will buy from Andy's as he'll be in Santa Barbara this Saturday (w whole lot closer than encinitas).

I've narrowed my "must haves" down to lotax, vinacea, felix, diana, and chestertonii.

[gmdiaz]

Sure do think that chestertonii is glorious.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by mrobert

Thank you Ross. As a matter of fact I probably will buy from Andy's as he'll be in Santa Barbara this Saturday (w whole lot closer than encinitas).

I've narrowed my "must haves" down to lotax, vinacea, felix, diana, and chestertonii.

Did you see my post Dracula lotax Mine has been in bud or blossom for months now and is in a orchidarium under 90+ percent humidity 60-62 F at night rising to low 70s day. During summer temps are much higher and it doesn't bloom - it just grows.

[MZHMD]

I grow a number of these in a mixed collection of pleurothallids in an "indoor greenhouse" - one of those things that consists of a clear plastic cover stretched over a steel pipe framework. The greenhouse stands in front of a window and has a four-foot fluorescent light over it as well. There is a "mist-maker" (an ultrasonic thingy that puts out LOTS of mist) in the greenhouse with a fan behind it blowing the mist over the orchids. They either hang from suspended plastic gutter guard mesh or are standing over a plastic tub on on eggcrate, so the water from frequent waterings (and the mister drips) doesn't end up on the floor of my familyroom. This cheapo orchidarium works well and supports Pleurothallis, Restrepia, Masdevallia, Scaphosepalum, Stellis and Dracula species. At the moment there is a Masdevallia tovarensis in bloom and a Restrepia brachypus, a Dracula inaequalis, a Dracula vampira and a Scaphosepalum swertifolium all in bud. I grow most of my pleurothallids in sphagnum (fairly loosely potted), a few that are more fastidious in bark. I used to use all osmunda but you can't really get that any more. I use RO water to water with and in the mist-maker. The mister is on a timer - one hour on an two hours off during the day and one on/three off at night. This works pretty well and the greenhouse + plants cost about what a weeny orchidarium would have set me back.