I have decided to start a little experiment testing potting media with Masdevallias. I happen to have two lovely Masdevallia tovarensis orchids that need to be repotted, so they have been volunteered for the project.
I plan to place one back in sphagnum moss, like they both have been cultivated for the past year and a half. Then try placing the other one in volcanic rocks and semi-hydro culture. Then I can follow their development and see which one does best, if any difference. I will share my findings here as the experiment moves along.
Why do this?
A lot of people love to grow orchids in sphagnum moss, and I do too, but only to a point. I do not like that, being damp all the time, the medium breaks down so fast. This is a problem for plants that are sensitive to bad potting medium, which Masdevallias are. You basically have to repot them once a year when you grow in moss. The picture on the left shows a comparison of fresh moss and what it looks like after 1,5 years in Masdevallia culture.
On top of that, my recent battle with the Sciara hemerobioides (dark-winged fungus gnat/sorgmygg) revealed that the nasty little fliers prefer moss to any other medium I use. That’s why I decided to start this experiment.
Day 1
Masdevallia tovarensis #1
Potted in fresh New Zealand sphagnum moss with a few bits of EpiWeb tossed in to help the moss remain airy and not too compact.
Masdevallia tovarensis #2
Potted in red volcanic rocks and will be grown in semi-hydro culture. A layer of leca on the bottom to ensure good drainage.
Experiment notes: Both plants are from the same grower having been cultivated the same way (by me) for a year and a half prior to starting this experiment. Both are in similar shape, size and have comparable root systems. During the experiment they will be grown side by side on the windowsill under additional lighting.
I am very interested in how your S/H project worked with the Masda. I’m considering puting a couple of mine in leca. I’m afraid to try it because I don’t want to lose my plants if it does not work. I sure would like to hear how it is going for you.
I found you on the OB forum and just LOVE your blog.
Marilyn Morton (Grandma M on OB)
Hi Marilyn (I love your name!). Thank you!! 🙂 Nice to hear that you like my blog. I will look for you on OB. I actually took my Masdevallias out of semi-hydro a little while ago. The roots were perfect, beautiful, but for some reason the leaves were not in as good a condition… I really do not know why. Check out this post on my evaluation of the s/h project, 160 days in. In theory I think s/h would be ideal for Masdevallias, but my (very small and inadequate) test did not show positive results. I would love a discussion on this to try and figure out why. Although… both Masdevallias in the experiment are setting buds right now. 🙂