Maxillaria variabilis care ?s
 

I got a new Maxillaria variabilis, it’s very small and potted in sphagnum. From what I gather about 45 degrees Fahrenheit is a minimum temperature and it likes bright light without sun. How wet should I be keeping it? How good is packed sphagnum as a substitute: would bark be better? I have trouble with Phals in sphagnum under my growing conditions but Paphs do fine.

How does it stack up against Maxillaria tenuifolia in terms of care? I’ve found M. tenuilfolia to do fine outside as long as it doesn’t freeze, with morning sun, and grown relatively moist in bark. I’m gathering M. variabilis is a bit more delicate.

I grow Max variabilis in baskets with sphagnum. So they stay a bit on the damp side, but not soggy. They are ramblers, so they mostly don't stay in the basket anyway - new growths just come from the older ones, with roots exposed to the breeze (which tells me that the sphag doesn't need to be packed, air is important, the sphag is mostly providing ambient humidity). Sphagnum is easier to work around the roots, which aren't long and the plant isn't all in one place or direction, than bark. Mine grow outside - night temps can get into the mid 30's F but it warms up during the day. Same as Max tenuifolia. Not delicate at all. By next winter it won't be so tiny and will manage outdoors in winter just fine.

Thanks Roberta! That makes things easier. I’m thinking I’ll pull it out of the flimsy plastic pot, leave its packed spag in place, put it in a small clay pot with some unpacked spag, and hang it by my M. tenuifolia outside once nights get a bit warmer so that the change in growing conditions isn’t too much of a shock for it.

Sounds good to me.

If it stays too wet for too long you can either water less or another growing option is to use a net pot and grow it in moss.