Masdevallia Siberian Garden Gnome

Masd wendlandiana x Masd decumana

It was my first attempt in hybridization and seed propagation. A development speed was just overwhelming: pollination in January 2011, flasking (dry seedpod) in May 2011, seedling deflasking in February 2012, first bloom in April 2013, hybrid registration in May 2013. First blooming hybrid - sure it was registered with "bells and whistles"!


Second photo was taken in May 2013. Looks like now, in winter, it is too cold in my greenhouse for this hybrid and it has only sporadic blooms with low flower count.

About paretage: Masd decumana is a popular cold growing species with rather small size of plant (hard to get a specimen size).


Masd wendlandiana is a rarely presented in collections masdewallia from hot lowland forests. Bakers data references up to 92 F day and up to 72 F hight temperatures in natural habitats. It is a prolific grower quickly covering an entire surface of the growing substrate.


The hybrid shows good warmth tolerance. It produces new growth and blooms better at the room temperatures than in the late-fall-winter-early-spring environment of my greenhouse.

 

Thank you all. Hybridization of Masdevallias has been just an experiment for me. However, one who try hybridization and or seed propagation, should begin with Masdevallias. A short duration from pollination to a new the generation blooming will be encouraging.