Masdevallia Tangerine Dragon

[Dorsetman]

An acquisition last Autumn ( Fall to you ! ) , when I started to add pleurothallids to my collection. In general they seem to be cool growing , and whilst there are exceptions, it is necessary to pick and choose a bit to get ones which will fit into my Vanda,Cattleya etc conditions. Evidently this one does, since it is growing nicely and this is the second batch ( a third spike is growingand maybe even a fourth) on quite a small plant.

[mazlani]

Very nice!!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Now that is a cool masdevallia. I love the name and the blooms look like dragons!

cheers,
BD

[waldo]

very pretty. Masdevallias are some of my favorite orchids.

[mauraec]

Lovely, Geoff. How cool does your greenhouse get? We are having trouble with a couple of masdevallias, even when they're in the coolest spot and hanging on a water-seeping "cool" pot.

[virtusvelox]

Beautiful...I'm guessing size from picture to be about 8 inches. Thank you.

[Dorsetman]

Lovely, Geoff. How cool does your greenhouse get? We are having trouble with a couple of masdevallias, even when they're in the coolest spot and hanging on a water-seeping "cool" pot.

It's still down to 15 degrees at night - which is the thermostat setting - and occasionally ( like when I left the door open on a frosty night recently) down to 12. I think its not getting too warm which is more important for the Masdevallias - I can usually keep to 30 max except in say July and August , and even then it only exceeds that if we have an unusually warm spell . Living within a mile of the sea has the effect of avoiding the worst of the cold in the winter, and avoiding the worst of the heatr in the summer - after all there are trillions of tons of that sea water , never ( or only once in a hundred years) falling below say 4 or 5 degrees in mid-winter, and likewise never getting much above say 12 or 13 in summer - and moreover I live only 200 yards from the river which is still tidal for 20 or more miles inland, so that too will have an effect ( also to a very minor degree on humidity - the best for that was when I lived in Stratford on Avon - Shakespeare's town - and my garden ran down to the river , but that's another story).

[mauraec]

Thanks Geoff - oh dear - in order for them to get that cool (about 59F), I'd have to put them outside. I wonder whether the drop in nightime temps would be sufficient - right now, daytime temps are running from 68 - 80 (30 Celsius is about 86F). Do you think putting them out in the shade provided by the balcony overhang would help rescue them - or is that a bad idea?

[giovannarosa]

Quite lovely, it is still Autumn to me since I was a former British subject.

[Dorsetman]

Thanks Geoff - oh dear - in order for them to get that cool (about 59F), I'd have to put them outside. I wonder whether the drop in nightime temps would be sufficient - right now, daytime temps are running from 68 - 80 (30 Celsius is about 86F). Do you think putting them out in the shade provided by the balcony overhang would help rescue them - or is that a bad idea?

I really don't know Maura ; they like high humidity and semi-shade or at least not too bright. Maybe if you put them out there and sprayed regularly ? but I'm guessing about conditions which are unfamilar to me !
There used to be a specialist nursery who gave a lot of good advice about this group ( Look for "A Masdevallia Cultural Guide"...) located in Indianopolis or somewhere very close - ( they don't visit UK any more because of CITES bureaucracy perhaps) maybe you can find them on the net' - I can't mention names but if you are stuck, PM me.