Welcome to OrchidsForum.com. We are a friendly online community for Orchid Growers all over the world. If you haven't joined yet we invite you to register and join our community. Hope to see you on our forums!

Yellowing leaves on Masdevallia

Discussion in 'Issues, Disease and Pests' started by Zack, Nov 15, 2012.

Tags:
  1. Zack

    Zack Will work for plants Supporting Member

    Messages:
    236
    Likes Received:
    23
    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    My Masdevallia sanctae-inesae that I bought in May from Ecuagenera has seemingly been healthy; it's been putting out plenty of new leaves and roots and has successfully bloomed. Until recently, there's been the occasional leaf that will become yellow and drop. But now, it appears as if most of the leaves are beginning to yellow.

    Conditions are as follows:
    - 69°F max daytime, 52°F nighttime (just yesterday changed to 71°F day and 55°F night)
    - misting twice daily
    - computer fan running for ~12 hours in intermittent intervals
    - potted in sphagnum moss

    About a couple of months ago, I reduced the amount of time the fan runs. Would anyone like to confirm or refute my hunch that this is an air movement problem? As well, what measures can I take to minimize the damage to my plant?
     
  2. Interdependence

    Interdependence Member

    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    14
    Location:
    A.C., New Jersey
    Leaves that turn yellow and drop typically means to me that it's too wet. I'd either adjust the watering or put the fan back to the original setting.

    Just out of curiosity, how are you getting a 52 degree nighttime temp? I'm assuming that since you are running fans that you are growing either in a terrarium or small greenhouse.
     
  3. Zack

    Zack Will work for plants Supporting Member

    Messages:
    236
    Likes Received:
    23
    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    I using a wine chiller as a terrarium. I'll adjust both the fan and the watering and see how it goes.
     
  4. Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    13,729
    Likes Received:
    3,528
    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Zack, what is your plant on/in? I grow it mounted on cork and water most days. But the plant is just dry between waterings and think it likes that short wet/dry cycle. Do you water you plants or is the misting what you use to water? Are your leaves dry before the temperature drops? I never turn my fans off.
     
  5. Zack

    Zack Will work for plants Supporting Member

    Messages:
    236
    Likes Received:
    23
    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    Watering is done via a misting system that uses deionized water. It's in a terra cotta pot with sphagnum moss, which is probably retaining too much water. It likely didn't completely dry off before the nighttime drop. I cut down on the amount of time the mister runs each day and changed the timer on the fan so that it's running all day, except for brief periods after misting. I certainly hope all of this helps, since this is one of my favorites. Also, after the bloom finishes, I'll be putting it on a cork mount.
     
  6. Interdependence

    Interdependence Member

    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    14
    Location:
    A.C., New Jersey
    I'm assuming its a modded out cooler then. Sounds like an awesome project. Hmmm...

    It took me a bit to figure this out, but if I'm correct- then you and I have a mutual friend ; )
     
  7. oisifml

    oisifml Active Member

    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    78
    Location:
    Maisons Laffitte France.
    How are the roots?
    I have found out the hard way that some masdevallias grow better with a top layer of sphagnum moss and a bottom layer of fine fir bark and symthetic moss ( the type you use to fill up pillows)