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Mas'd terrarium
This is my first time growing orchids and I am still working out what is involved. I have 3 so far: 2 Masdevallia (barleana and rolfeana) and a dracula erythrachaete.
I have been reading up and these are mountain orchids. My room is south facing and around 18 degrees pretty much 24 hours with little airflow so I will be giving the plants some assistance to get the right conditions. I plan to increase humidity by putting them into a small glass case about 50cm long, 30cm wide and 40 cm high. Aparently they like good air flow, will an 8cm pc fan be sufficient? I can put in more then one. My room doesn't get cold so heating likely won't be an issue but as they are mountain plants will I need to cool them at night? my room stays the almost same temp at night as during the day. At the moment they are sitting in a makeshift humidity tray out of direct sunlight while I sort out a long term solution. What medium would be best? I was thinking orchid potting mix with a layer of spagnum moss on top but I notice that the guy I bought them off had them planted directly in moss with no potting mix. All healthy small plants with around 6 leaves (around 10cm long) on the mas'd and about 3cm long on the drac. Not sure how old they are but aparently flowering size (according to the seller). |
Welcome to the OB. :)
Masdevallia barleana is the cooler growing one of the 2 species of Masdevallias you have. I don't recommend this species for a beginner. It needs to be kept around 75 F - 80 F at the very warmest at any given point throughout the year! Ideally, this plant should not experience temperatures in excess of 75 F, 80 F is actually pushing it to its limits. Masd. rolfeana can take it a bit warmer. 85 F - 90 F will not hurt this species. Dracula erythrochaete is actually a cool to intermediate grower. The temperature range it does best in is around 50 F - 90 F. These are not the best beginner's orchids, imo. Particularly since you've never grown any other orchids before - as you claim. You are free to ask any questions you may have for however long you feel it takes for you to get it right, but should you not succeed, I recommend and encourage you to put the endeavor of growing these 3 species aside for the time being and try growing some easier, but still highly exotic species. Later on, when you feel more comfortable with what orchids are about and how to get the basic maintenance of these plants down, then I can recommend at least 2 of the 3 species you mentioned, (namely Masd. rolfeana and Dracula erythrochaete). Should you ever need to compile a list of orchids that are best grown by a beginner, all you need to do is ask. If you are still intent on growing Draculas and Masdevallias from the get-go, then all anyone can do is provide a short list of species within those 2 genera that people feel should be good introductory species. In the meantime, I have to say I have currently not had any success growing Masdevallias or Draculas in an enclosure yet, that may be something you may want to be a bit more persistent in asking about with other members here who also grow Masdevallias and Draculas. Growing Masdevallias in straight up moss is a common practice as they need to have a lot of moisture around their roots. Same goes for Draculas. The difference between cultivating Draculas and Masdevallias is that most people use net pots for Draculas, and clay pots for Masdevallias. Clay pots tend to keep the roots of the Masdevallias cooler than the ambient air temperatures. They also dry out faster. Net pots provide a lot of air movement to the roots of Draculas, but they dry out much, much faster than any other pot out there. They are much akin to growing plants in a wood slat basket. The reason why people use the net pots is because they are smaller, and fit the plant's roots closer. Orchids need small pots to facilitate proper moisture/air levels to their roots. Too wet, and the roots rot. Too much air to the roots, and they desiccate. If you are ever in question as to how high up in elevation these orchids come from, a good starting reference point would be to use Jay's Internet Orchid Encyclopedia (Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia). He will usually have the elevations of where these orchids are reported to come from. Be forewarned though, that even Jay puts up a disclaimer that the info on his website may not always be 100% correct. So, to be certain, you may have to cross reference certain information for certain plants. It would also help to post pics if you have any specific question regarding the plants, it makes it easier than describing it, since those who are new to orchids don't always get the terminology for orchid anatomy correct. |
Thanks for the tips.
Should I try to get them attached to something to provide better airflow if I can get the humidity high enough? I got these three more as an impulse buy then anything, they were conveniently sized and cheap. Didn't realize they were difficult, I probably should have joined the board earlier. Hopefully I can keep them for a month or two at least. If not I will try some easier species. My room doesn't get anywhere near 75, wouldn't get above 70 but I will still try to cool them as much as possible. |
70 F is just fine. You don't need to go cooler.
There's a trick to increasing humidity... Grow more plants around each other. They don't have to be orchids. Draculas usually have flowers that are pendulous, (hangs down). You may want to think about that. Like I said, if you have any questions, please post pics and ask. There's no shame. If you want to do the temperature variation between day and night, just kick them outdoors at night... |
Masdevallias and Draculas in general, should not be allowed to dry out completely for very long. In fact, ideally, they shouldn't dry out completely at all. Allow to dry to dampness before watering again.
With Dracula species, you'll find that they don't tolerate tap water with high dissolved mineral content as well as Masdevallias can. They easily develop the unsightly leaf tip die back. Worse case scenario is that they can die from excessive dissolved salts in the water. One way to remedy this is to use rainwater, RO/DI, or distilled water. |
I am a chem student so I have access to plenty of distilled water which I am using.
I have noticed that the leaves on the Rolfeana are drooping slightly which could be a sign of low humidity. Currently all three are sitting in a plate topped up with water as I have read this is better than watering directly. Apparently I'm not allowed to post photos, maybe a new user limitation |
The water needs to drain completely out of the pot. Because of how wet these orchids need to be grown, sitting them in water will rot their roots out very quickly.
These plants grow on trees. Here're some links to some YouTube videos that show you how they grow in the wild: Finding a home for Dracula.mov - YouTube Orchid collecting expedition to Los Cedros Reserve, Ecuador January 1993 - YouTube |
Sounds like King has pretty much summed it up pretty well. I would like to say though, that putting these three species in a tank with a small pc fan will greatly increase you chances of success. These species like lots of humidity and air movement, all of which can be achieved in the controlled environment of a small tank with a lid. You'll probably want to get some type of lighting system as well. Check out the Terrarium section of the forum for tips and ideas on this. Welcome to the OB and be sure to ask lots of questions! We love those here on the OB!
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Gah! now im parinoid! how quick is "very quickly"? They are sitting over the water so the roots don't touch it. I think the idea is to have water evaporate and rise up around the plant.
how do i keep them humid, will get a temporery tank in a few days, will they be alright till then? sorry for all the panicked questions, didn't realise what i got myself into. on a happier note, i have found a fellow newbie successfully growing masd in a tank which bodes well. aparently pc fans and ice is the way to go. i was going to leave the tank for a week till i could get a proper one but after hearing how happy her orchids were i think putting them in a tank asap. she got six new growths in a week! sorry for all the errors, typing on my phone. |
As long as the pot itself isn't touching water, I guess it could be alright.
Should the water be wicked up by the pot and the potting medium on a consistent basis, the roots could rot within a week. They have very fine roots. Many Pleurothallids are known to be fast growers. This is part of their appeal with many orchid growers as well. Several Pleurothallids will become specimen sized plants in about 1 - 3 yrs. |
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