Tsubotaara Melinda Marie 'Blue Fairy'

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The fan-growing Pescatorea relatives behave as though they are swamp things. They are epiphytes, but they must come from areas where it rains three times a day and always stays wet.

People don't water them enough, then the plant turns wet and brown from the crown up. The grower thinks it has a fungus, but it doesn't. This is lack of water, not fungus. They can die within a few days of going dry just once. This also happens if they are in S/H and the reservoir goes dry.

Shannon, you grow your Phrags in dishes of water. If you grew this kind of plant the same way, you would have success.

Well I wish I would have known this at the time. But I still do think it had something as 3 other orchids setting by it all came down with something. I ended up having to throw all 3 out. Oh no, there was 4 and I do have one left a Paph that sets by my aloe Vera plants and no other orchids. It still has brown splotches on the leaves but did bloom for me this year.

[Dollythehun]

I'm resurrecting this thread. My plant is in moss mix, a ceramic pot and drizzled with water every morning. After months of doing well it must have gotten dry once. Leaves are yellow mottled and the new leaf is slightly pleated. Air circulation picked up because I got a new fan. I highly recommend sitting it in water. Mine is getting ready to bloom but, will soon be leafless.

[Hawaiian Sunshine]

Managed to acquire a plant of Melinda Marie in bud. A coupe of the buds opened and now I get to enjoy the flowers. The challenge will be to keep the plant alive. I'll be following closely the advice in this string of thread.

Tsubotaara Melinda Marie 'Blue Fairy' by Mel Waki, on Flickr

[Dollythehun]

I got this in bloom and it had bloomed twice under my care. The foliage is grow one, lose one.
I had it in the north facing greenhouse window with my phals. Then I moved it to the light cart, on the edge. More like I'd grow and Oncidium.

From the former discussion, you'll gather try like to be wet. In fact, two or three of the four parents grow submerged most of the year. Then there's a dry season where they are only damp. I'm attaching the chart WW and I were studying.

So, when flowering is over, I'm going to put this back in clay, potted in small bark and some snipped moss and charcoal (Sorry Roberta.) I'm going to report a couple of relatives the same way, ( relatives of the plant, not people.)

It's interesting to me how easy (but crummy looking) Zygos are. Their contribution to the parentage must make this cross growable at all. Anyway, if someone's more successful, please share (Selmo, you still out there?)

[Dollythehun]

Bump

[Selmo]

Dolly, I am still here. Haven’t had a lot of time lately to post. Still check in every few days just to keep up on all the latest info. The Tsubotaara, it seems that everyone gets them in bloom. It blooms then and maybe the second year but after that nota. I have about the same growth pattern as you. Grows one or two leaves then loses one or two leaves. Have not found the sweet spot with this one. But the parent information does added an interesting twist to it. Maybe in the aquarium for a few months. I have not given it a dryer time, have just kept it wet all year. Temperature and humidity may play more of a roll in success with this one. Have to find that right combination to make it thrive. Thanks for the information and happy growing

[Dollythehun]

Good to hear from you! I was hoping that opening this thread again would give us some new information. High humidity is a problem for me, although it's not generally low. Maybe a tank?

[isurus79]

Mine is struggling as well

[WaterWitchin]

Yes, Dolly and I have been having quite the conversations about this particular plant. My "theory" after looking at parentage was the trickiness of the "dry season." Drier, never dry out completely, consistently moist. What the heck is that supposed to mean?

Has anyone attempted literally keeping it "swampy" (like a phrag sitting in water) for most of the year, then pulling it out of "swampy" for three or so months and just keeping it moist?

A difficult cross to figure out, that's for sure. But look at those blooms!! It would make me keep trying over and over again. (I'd never seen it prior.)

And it also makes me want to try growing the Agnisia cyanea (spelling?) which I'd also not heard of or seen. Why do these plants have to have such difficult to remember names?

[Dollythehun]

Roberta and I have also discussed this. The Angisia is the problem child; the Zygo the easy contributor. Perhaps she'll chime in.

However, if it struggles for Steve and Selmo, I feel fortunate mine's blooming and/or alive.