information

[jbigio]

Hi all
The last of the plants for the members that have signed up for the growing project will be going out on Monday. If anyone else would like to join, just pm me for details.

Some points that should be mentioned; first the correct spelling of the name is Masdevallia herraadurae (shame on you Kevin you missed that one). The plants are native to Colombia found at elevations of 220m to 1000m Because of this vast difference in the elevation it has adapted to different growing conditions and as such it has been classified as an intermediate to warm growing species. However warm is a relative term, the ideal range for growing this species is listed as follows: Day time between 55f to 78f with night time temps between 50f to 65f. I crack a window at night to achieve the drop in night time temp and grow all my Masdevallia near the window and over an AC vent which controls the temps in the summer. Mine are all grown in moss and I don’t let them dry out completely. I wait for the surface of the moss to change color then water. Hope you all enjoy this project and you get hooked on these orchids.
Joe

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by jbigio

it has been classified as an intermediate to warm growing species. However warm is a relative term,

I sometimes hear people say various massies are "warmth tolerant" meaning they can tolerate some intermediate temperatures but I know of no one who claims any massie is actually a warm grower. The standard cool-intermediate-warm temps are s follows:

Warm: 80-90F day - 65-70F night
Intermediate: 70-80F day - 55-65F night
Cool: 60-70F day - 50-55F night

Originally Posted by jbigio

the ideal range for growing this species is listed as 55-78F day - 50-65F night.

That puts it solidly in the cool category up to the lower end of intermediate. The temperature ranges are not as relative as some think they are. If you hear anyone claiming this is a warm grower, feel free to diplomatically correct them.

[jbigio]

I have to disagree with you Kevin the temp chart came from one of the most complet works on Masdevallias "Masdevallias Gems of the Orchid World by Mary E. Gerritsens & Ron Parsons" as well as my conversations with Lynn from Lynn's Orchids a well known and respected grower and hybridizer.

[Brooke]

When "they" say warmth tolerant, don't they mean they can take "brief" periods of higher temps during the day as long as they get lower night temps?

Brooke

[jbigio]

What I take It to mean is that as long as there is a drop in nighttime temps, then yes they can adapt. The reality is you don't want to push the envelope to the extremes but rater stay in the mid levels. This is fairly easy when they are grown indoors. As for outsid or greenhouses that I will leave to those who grow that way since I don't.

[kmarch]

So you're saying these folks have come up with a whole other warm-intermediate-cool chart that is for only massies?

the numbers i gave are pretty much standard for orchids in general. You'll see these ranges in pretty much all orchid growing guides, varying slightly by maybe 5 degrees here and there.

[jbigio]

Kevin apparently this is a representation as to what the ideal growing rages are for the different Masdevallia species. The list they have by species is extensive and I find their work to be impressive. This is a truly wonderful book on Masdevallias but like any two experts I'm sure others will disagree. I tend to follow their guidelines and have had good results. This is also the accepted temperature rages for Masdevallia used by most members of the pleurothallids association so I'm told. So after all that does this mean you or anyone else should change what works for you of course not. this is a guide not a rule. who is to actual say which guide is right and which is wrong, if what you do works for you them do it if you would like better results then try it.

[kmarch]

My only concern though is that the terms "warm" "intermediate" and "cool" are not relative terms and they carry with them specific temperature ranges (which I've given above) which are generally accepted by virtually all orchid experts and which many growers are dependent on as a frame of reference. To then re-write all this and to have genera-specific meanings for cool, intermediate, and warm is to invite much confusion and disappointment: imagine the hobby grower who hears that Masd. ____ is a warm grower and thinks, "Gee how wonderful, it will grow nicely with my Vandas." What's wrong with using the accepted ranges and just saying that the various massie species and/or hybrids are cold, cool or intermediate growing?

[lmartiny]

Well, I know one thing! I will definately have to figure out something for our hot summer months in FL. (If I keep it alive that long)

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by lmartiny

Well, I know one thing! I will definately have to figure out something for our hot summer months in FL. (If I keep it alive that long)

humidity, air circulation, and shade - I'm not the massie expert on the forum but I have definitely noticed that my masdevallias always perform better (even in hot summer months) if I keep them moist, out of the sun, wiht as much humidity as possible (I used to use an evaporative humidifier), and with a constant breeze (as from an oscilating or other fan).

[jbigio]

Well i can see that point but the same can be said for all the changes in names it causes confusion yet its done. just because something is comfortable doesn't always make it right but the reality is no matter what you or i say the experts will print there findings and the rules will change and we as hobbyist need to do our research and then deiced what course we want to follow.

[kmarch]

I take your point but a name change won't kill your plant, growing a cool or cold growing Pleuro in warm or hot conditions will. Best to stick to the standard, accepted temp classifications.

[fred]

I will chime in on this one for a sec
I grow all my masdevallia's in an orchid house.
now being in an orchid house what works for me to grow my masdevallia's very well is
good air movement ( fan going 24/7 ) grown under 70% shade cloth all year round
what I find with the humidity... even on our hot summer days I water the floor sometimes twice a day because it gets very hot even in the orchid house.

my masdevallias are also grown close to the floor because of the heat also I grow all of the masdevallias in sphagnum moss and I keep the sphag moist at all times.

I have added a photo of the growing space in my orchid house so you can see
the bottom self has my masdevallia's and Sarcochilus orchids growing on it.
no direct sun light comes through the laser light

[jbigio]

Fred what are the temp ranges in the GH

[fred]

good question Joe I have not got my converter anymore into Fahrenheit

but here goes in winter the GH gets to 0 Celsius at night to about 12 to 13 C
this time of year the nights are on average 8 C to 12 C day time temp up to 20 C
summer time nights 14 C at night day time temps 28 C to 38 C

[jbigio]

lets see one c = ....... dived by the square root of x subtract pi ...... its 3000 degrees!

[jbigio]

Originally Posted by fred

good question Joe I have not got my converter anymore into Fahrenheit

but here goes in winter the GH gets to 0 Celsius at night to about 12 to 13 C
this time of year the nights are on average 8 C to 12 C day time temp up to 20 C
summer time nights 14 C at night day time temps 28 C to 38 C

your converstion
0 C = 32f
winter 12C = 54F to 13C = 55F
Now 8C = 46f 12C = 54F to 20C = 68F
Summer 14C = 57F 28C = 82F 38C = 100F
Your temp ranges would agree with the temp chart I posted

[fred]

0 C = 32 Fahrenheit
8 C = 46 Fahrenheit
12 C = 54 Fahrenheit
13 C = 55 Fahrenheit
14 C = 57 Fahrenheit
20 C = 70 Fahrenheit
28 C = 82 Fahrenheit
38 C = 100 Fahrenheit
Temperature Converter - Fahrenheit, Celsius (Centigrade), and Kelvin
sometimes the orchid house gets warmer than that but not very often

[kmarch]

Where's the temp chart you posted?

[fred]

I can honestly say that the Tasmanian weather is ideal for growing masdivallia orchids
cool growing conditions my opinion only.

[lmartiny]

OK guys. "enuf"
Thanks for all the info.