Dracula Care (Roezlii and Ophioceps)

[cantrell]

Hi, there. I recently received a Dracula Roezlii and a Dracula Ophioceps as gifts, and I've been scrambling to build a terrarium every since (see attachment). Unfortunately, they didn't come with care instructions, and although I've found plenty of Dracula care instructions online, I haven't found anything specific to the Roezlii and Ophioceps. Additionally, I've emailed the greenhouse from which they were bought, but I haven't heard back.

Anyone have any advice on...

• Daytime and nighttime temperatures?
• Daytime and nighttime humidity levels?
• Light requirements?

Thanks!

Christian

[DeaC]

Start withInternet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia if you haven't already or perhaps don't know of this great site. I myself don't have dracs but dabble in some warmer growing masdevallias and find them easier than the one drac which expired some time ago.

[cantrell]

Thanks DeaC. Great resource! I found most of what I need. In case others come across this post through a search, here you go:

Dracula Roezlii

• Light: Full shade.
• Temp: Cool (58°F - 60°F night average).
• Seasons: Spring and fall.

Dracula Ophioceps

• Light: Full shade.
• Temp: Cold (50°F - 55°F) to cool (58°F - 60°F night average).
• Seasons: Spring and fall.

[Tindomul]

How are you going to give them those temps. I always like to see how people keep their plants cold.

[rbarata]

How are you going to give them those temps. I always like to see how people keep their plants cold.

That's a very good question. I belive you (Cantrell) live in North VA, right?
Your climate is cooler than mine. Altough, maybe I can extrapolate your technique to my temps.

[cantrell]

Hi, guys. Yes, I live in Northern VA, just outside of DC. The temps here aren't fantastic because they vary widely throughout the year. Very hot summers (even at night), very cold and dry winters, and everything in-between.

Because the weather is so inconsistent, I'm attempting to do everything artificially. I've attached an updated photo of my setup (which is still changing constantly), but I'm starting to get new growth on the Ophioceps, so I must be doing something right.

I have them under a 24W grow light during the day with temps inside the terrarium around 80F. My understanding is that they can handle temps this high as long as they have sufficient humidity, so I have a fogger which keeps the humidity between 90% and 100% for most of the day.

At sunset, the light goes off and I let the terrarium cool naturally for a few hours to about 75F, and then I put a steel bowl full of ice inside. I fix a metal grate on top of the bowl, and on top of that, a computer case fan which pulls the cold air up.

The ice and the styrofoam insulation allow the ambient temperature to reach about 58F. I've used an infrared thermometer to verify that leaf temperatures are about the same as the ambient temperature while the roots (or at least the baskets) are about 4-5 degrees colder at around 54 or 55F.

As the ice melts, the temps slowly creep back up. In the morning, it's usually about 68 degrees (ambient). That's when I remove the bowl, turn the fogger back on, and wait for the light to come up to warm everyone back up.

As I've said, the Ophioceps seems to like it while the Roezlii still seems to be making up its mind (it’s no worse — just no new growth yet). I'll keep making adjustments until I see them both respond favorably (or until they die -- whichever comes first). I'm not worried about them spiking yet. Right now, I just want to make sure they're going to live and grow. Once I've got that figured out, I'll see about getting them to bloom.

I'm mostly in a stage of learning. I'm trying different lighting and cooling techniques as well as different materials (I completely insulated the terrarium the other day which, as expected, raised temps during the day and allowed them to stay cooler for longer at night). At the same time, I'm designing an entirely new system based on what I’m learning. I experimented with thermoelectric cooling (a Peltier device), and since I’ve built a couple of high-performance PCs, I’m drawing on what I’ve learned about cooling CPUs and GPUs. Over the holidays, I’m hoping to build an entirely new system which maintains colder temps for longer, and that’s almost completely automated. I’m happy to take care of them manually, but I have to travel occasionally and nobody else in my house wants that much responsibility.

I’ll continue to let everyone know how the process goes. And if anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Best,
Christian

[No-Pro-mwa]

Sounds like your doing a good job.

[estación seca]

"From that fateful day when stinking bits of slime first crawled from the sea and shouted to the cold stars, "I am man!", our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our mortality. But tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens. We shall mock the earthquake. We shall command the thunders, and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature herself!

I.... AM.... FRANKENSTEIN!!!!!!!!"

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by estación seca

"From that fateful day when stinking bits of slime first crawled from the sea and shouted to the cold stars, "I am man!", our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our mortality. But tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens. We shall mock the earthquake. We shall command the thunders, and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature herself!

I.... AM.... FRANKENSTEIN!!!!!!!!"

AWESOME QUOTE!!!

[cantrell]

Another good quote that these Dracula orchids bring to mind: