Quarantine seems successful
So a couple of weeks down the line and both plants are not giving me any concerns (yet).
For the quarantine I have been keeping them in a small, slightly broken, indoor glass house. It is near a small south facing window, but there is a draft and shade cloth has been provided which is folded over on days when the sun is out.
To drop the temps by a couple of degrees Celsius I have used Ice blocks in a bag and loosely covered the glass house with a plastic sheet at night. The Ice block rests on the home but underneath the plastic sheet at night, the block is left on the side during the day and replaced in the evening. The plastic cover is also removed through the day. Night time temps seem to average between 13 - 15 C (55 - 59F) and day time temps between 16 - 18 C (60 - 64 F).
Both plants are growing. The Masdevallia is shooting up more new growths which is pleasing, and the new growth that were already there when the plant was purchased are also doing well. The Porroglossum is holding it's own, it's new leaf has nearly fully formed and seems healthy enough, though it is slower than the Masdevallia.
For their permanent home I am currently making up a small indoor greenhouse, which will also house an indoor fountain. It is made up of left over plywood and old photo frame glass. Should be able to get it finished this week (including the protective coatings) should all go to plan. The fountain will sit in a box and the greenhouse will rest on top of that structure, so that the base of the fountain will not be seen. With any luck I should be moving them in next week.
The mini greenhouse will be relatively light weight and thus transportable. The fountain box will not be a permanent attachment, just a stable base.
Photo 1: The mini quarantine home
Photo 2: The glass frames and the fountain to be used in the indoor greenhouse.
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