Dracula gorgona accident... too wet/fertilizer??

[KennyS]

After returning from a week of vacation, I saw something less fun. My Dracula gorgona deteriorated rapidly and only in 1 week. Before this there was nothing wrong and everything went well.

I had misters installed before I left because I saw it was going to be very hot that week. I have two barrels: 1 with fertilizer (25ppm N) and 1 with RO water. The fertilizer turns on for 35 seconds in the morning. The RO water turns on 1x 20 sec and 1x 5 sec during the day.

All orchids have done well in the week of absence except for the Dracula. I only have 1 Dracula.

Many variables have changed before and during departure and that may not have been very useful.

- The Dracula normally did not get a fertilizer because everything was hand watered. In the new situation, the Dracula did get fertilizer.
- With the misters it gets wet several times a day compared to 1x in the old situation.
- I couldn't get the temperatures down in the evening because I wasn't there (constant temperature of 77 degrees F).

Can any of you identify from the photos what could be the cause? I have never experienced this before

[Roberta]

First thing that I think of is heat... you have had plenty of that, Dracs don't like it. THose leaves really look toasted.

Too much fertilizer could also be an issue... A society speaker who is a superb grower of Draculas and Masdevallias (lives in a nearly perfect climate near the coast in San Diego, California) mentioned that she feeds Masdevallias once a week, Draculas once a month. So apparently they're really light feeders. (Mine get fertilized with everything else, but I don't get around to the job more than every 2 weeks at best for any)