Masdevallia Care :D

My Masdevallia

Masdevallias or the "kite orchid" is one of my favorite orchids.  They range from bright purples to bright yellows, and can be grown easily in the Bay Area.  Most of the orchid nurseries in the Bay Area have masdevallias because they love the coastal climate.  They can even be grown outside for landscaping!!! I wouldn't suggest this if you live more inland like me, but if you live in San Francisco, Pacifica, or Oakland....it's worth a try. Even living in a coastal climate, they may come as a challenge, but here's what I've picked up from experience.

Temperature:  They love it when the temperature is around 70 degrees during the day and cool to about 50 degrees at night.  Still, they're fighters.  They can tolerate 80 -85 degree temperatures, if humidity and shade is given, for at most four days.  They won't like it, but they'll tolerate it.  Keep it cool!

My Fish Tank Set-up

Humidity: They love humidity!  They love humidity so much that I have to keep them in a fishtank!!! Placing my orchid in a fishtank allows it to consistently get 80%-90% humidity throughout the day and night.   I have pebbles at the bottom with just enough water to fill up halfway. Growing them in sphagmum moss also boosts up the humidity.
Light:  I grow them in an East window.  Still, they'll do as well with a west window, but I find growing in a west window makes it a little more difficult to keep the orchid cool.  So, I usually grow them in a west window during the winter. They like a bit of shade, so I grow them wayyyyyy in the back behind my larger orchids.  They are just fine and dandy.
Watering:  I water my orchids once a week because they're in a three inch plastic pot with sphagmum moss.  They should be kept moist! I once lost two leaves because I forgot to water it for a day.  Like any orchid, they'll die of root rot if watered too much.  So keep them moist.
Repotting: I hate repotting masdevallias.  Still, we have to do it because masdevallias love fresh medium. I always re-pot my masdevallias in the spring where I see fresh roots overflowing the top.  Use sphgamum moss if you can only water the plant once a week or live in a dry area.  Use a fine bark if you have time to water the plant twice a week (for fresh bark medium) or once a week (for older bark) or live in a humid area.  Be careful of the fragile roots of the masdevallias.  My heart sank every time I accidentally broke a light green root-tip, but it is unavoidable.  Still, masdevallias are strong and can take a beating if you give them a nice rest period. The last time I repotted my masdevallia, it took me about 2 hrs using tweezers to pull away the sphagmum moss to repot them...it was torture.

Little Masdevallia Spike

Flowering: They can flower any time of the year.  Unfortunately...I haven't been able to keep any of my flower spikes.  The spikes abort so easily.  If kept too dry, they'll abort.  If kept too wet, they'll abort.  If kept too hot, they'll abort.  So I recommend, if you see a spike coming up...it means you're doing something right and don't change anything.  Still, I've got a spike going....hopefully it won't abort.  Oh yeah...a spike emerges between the leaves and can grow an inch in a matter of days.

May Bloomers!!!

FINALLY!!!! Orchids take forever to go from just a tinsy-itsy spike into a gorgeous bloom.  These little buggers can really push a person's patience.  Still, the final product is well worth the wait.
Check these babies out!

Dendrobium Amethystoglossum

This dendrobium amethystoglossum had ten spikes that took about three weeks to bloom.  After two weeks of watching the flowers bloom one-by-one, I can finally enjoy the plant at its peak of beauty.  Only a week has passed when the little flowers began to drop. Sigh...it was lovely while it lasted.

Epicattleya Rene Marques 'flame thrower'

Epicattleya rene marques 'flame thrower' is one of my strangest orchids and easiest orchids to grow.  I bought this tall plant around January in full bloom, when the flowers dropped, I cut the spike to the next node hidden behind an ugly dead sheath.  After a month, the node started to grow epicattleya buds, and now it's in full bloom! Yippeee!!!

Tolumnia 'pretty n' pink'

Above: My darling little Tolumnia 'pretty n' pink'...This is one of my all-time favorite orchids because it's so cute!!! It is planted in a 1-in clay plot.  I waited an entire year for this little baby to bloom.  This plant drove me crazy with impatience.  But after moving this little plant into full sun for 6-hours in the morning, it finally grew a spike to give me these lovely little flower. This orchid really love managed neglect.  The more you care for it, the less it grows for you. One of the easiest orchids to grow for a humid environment.

Paphiopedilum 'Napa Valley'

A Paphiopedilum 'Napa Valley' that I got from my local Trader Joe's.  Even though Trader Joe's is not a fancy or reputable orchid nursery, the grocery store contains a lot of affordable orchids that are orchid nursery quality.  When this darling finishes blooming, I'll most likely re-pot it into a bark mix....sphagmum moss scares me.

Hello!

Hi all,

My Little Tropical Forest

I am a sophomore in high school who is in love with growing orchids.  I have a grand total of two years of experience with growing orchids.  I live in the Bay Area where the coastal climate allows me to grow cool to intermediate orchids. My orchids are situated in an east window on the second floor of my house.  My first orchid was a simple NOID phalaenopsis that I bought at my local farmer's market, and I have been addicted since.
I have a growing collection of 24 orchids.  Instead of spouses whining about my many orchids, my parents whine about where I'm going to put my orchids.  My number three rule in life is: There's always one more room for one more orchid. :) I wanted to share my failures and successes with orchids, and a couple of tricks that I picked up along the way.  I hope you will find my blog entertaining and informational.  Enjoy!