Help!! What do you plant Masd,s in?

[Grandma M]

I have purchased several new Masda,s and I need help. They all seem to be potted differently. I would like to repot them, all is the same media, and all in the same type of pot, different sizes of course. I feel it would be better to have them all alike so they can all be treated alike.

What media do you suggest? I never do well with pure spag. A spag mix would possibly do for me. What type?

What type of pot do you suggest? Should I use clay pots, plastic pots, or mesh baskets? I have some of all three now.

I tried growing them about 3 years ago, knowing nothing about their needs. I lost them within the first year, possibly because I was growing them too warm.

PLEASE, I need help to know how to treat these correctly. Hopefully I can keep these alive, my track record is not the best.

Marilyn

[mollycart1]

Marilyn, I am sure someone could help you take care of your babies. I love them and would like to grow them, but I am certain I kill them.

Good luck.

[Donald]

I have mine in slatted clay orchid pots in equal portions of sphag, perlite and small bark.

[s.kallima]

A mix with bark, perlite, charcoal and sphagnum could do for you if you don't like pure sphagnum (which I prefer). But you have to adjust the size of the medium particles depending on the type of Masdevallia you have. For the Masdevallia with thin roots (usually these also have less coriaceous leaves), very small bark+perlite+charcoal (a few millimeters). For the ones with coriaceous and big leaves (and thicker roots), use coarser mix.

I have good results with regular clay pots (the ones without coating, they "breath" better), the bottom half filled with clay pellets (hydroton), and the top half filled with live sphagnum (you can buy it in stores selling carnivorous plants). The sphagnum stays alive as long as you use very low fertiliser concentration (30 ppm N once a month, which is also good for Masdevallia). And because the sphagnum is alive, there is plenty of air going through, the roots love it. When the temps are high, I keep a saucer with half an inch of pure water in it, so the clay pellets wick up the water and feed the sphagnum as needed.
In winter, I remove the saucer, and just water once a week.
I have to trim the top of the sphagnum regularly because it grows faster than the plants, it grows back without trouble.

Good luck with your plants

[Donald]

skallima: That's an interesting combo. I think I'm going to try it out when it's time to repot.

[Grandma M]

Thanks, s Kallima. I'm going to follow your info.

I noticed some of mine have some tree fern mixed in also. Should I add a bit of that to your mix? I have a little bit of that in my garage.

Tomorrow I will go to my Son's greenhouse and pick up some clay pots. Do you use the regular depth or do you use what is called an azalia pot? He has both.

Thanks for your help.

Marilyn

[s.kallima]

I use regular depth (mine are 4 inches tall by 4 inches diameter on top). Tree fern is good to aerate the mix and prevent it from becoming too compact. It can"t hurt (but I don't think it is necessary).

[Bolero]

I just use sphagnum and perlite, I don't see that charcoal makes any difference in the mix but I haven't analysed what effect it might have.

I think just shagnum and perlite in a plastic pot is fine. I have about 60 plants and they grow well in it.

[Lagoon]

Sphagnum moss and bark work really well for masdies. I liked doing the sip method as I do for some of my phrags during the summer months.
Now, I use a more popular mix(lol) peatmoss, bark with some perlite, sometimes I can be abit wild and toss in some charcoal

Apparently charcoal helps with sourness of the media and prevents root rot.

[Bolero]

Yes the charcoal prevents sourness of the media but I haven't had Sphagnum go sour before. If you repot each year which you reallu have to with Masdevallias then charcoal won't impact on the plants from what I've seen. I tried it and didn't notice any real difference in the media or the plant growth.