Ok....I'll admit I'm very impatient! Last October I bought a Masd. Redwing.
This is the first and only Masdevallia I've tried to grow. Even though the
vendor had some smaller ones in bloom I took the largest plant he had.
(First clue the siblings were blooming in October last year)

When I got it home I moved it from the 2 1/2 inch pot to a 4 inch clay pot
(the evaporation cools the roots). In May-June it sent up one spike that
dried up before it bloomed. I attributed this to the warm weather.

The plant resides about 2 feet from the swamp cooler and when it gets warm
the leaves have lots of cool damp air movement.

In 10 months the plant has more than doubled in size with about 6-8 new
leaves. Not a mark on any leaf!

So...when do these bloom? Should I expect blooms on mature growths? new
growths? last year's growth?

Good Growing,
Gene

I have a Masd Redwing that sent up a spike in June or July here in teh east
bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its reluctant for me too, but then I'm
not trying very hard to bloom it. Its bloom is always smaller than the
others I've seen, so its a disappointment for me. That said your clone is
probably better than mine, so don't toss yours out. I know I've seen them
in show displays in Feb/March, so maybe that's when they bloom in real life.
So there you have my total knowledge on the flowering times for this plant.
Sorry. I'd go with Feb/March.

Otherwise the vendors here grow it in claypots too, for the reason you
state. I just moved mine into very fine bark from sphagnum moss. I htink
the moss had gone sour, because it immediately put out new growths. It
blooms from the new leaf axil or any previously unbloomed leaf axil. Mine
are close to the misters and swamp cooler, too. I have a Masd floribunda (no
relation to yours) that seems to bloom once it fills the pot. Maybe that's
our problem.

K Barrett


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:PjGGi.1539$re2.249@trnddc02...
Ok....I'll admit I'm very impatient! Last October I bought a Masd.
Redwing. This is the first and only Masdevallia I've tried to grow. Even
though the vendor had some smaller ones in bloom I took the largest plant
he had. (First clue the siblings were blooming in October last year)

When I got it home I moved it from the 2 1/2 inch pot to a 4 inch clay pot
(the evaporation cools the roots). In May-June it sent up one spike that
dried up before it bloomed. I attributed this to the warm weather.

The plant resides about 2 feet from the swamp cooler and when it gets warm
the leaves have lots of cool damp air movement.

In 10 months the plant has more than doubled in size with about 6-8 new
leaves. Not a mark on any leaf!

So...when do these bloom? Should I expect blooms on mature growths? new
growths? last year's growth?

Good Growing,
Gene

Gene,

Masdevallia Redwing can bloom at any time. The M. infracta parent brings a
measure of warmth tolerance, but the plant is still going to be unhappy if
nights are consistently above 60. The fact that yours has grown many new
leaves means the nights aren't TOO hot, but they still might be too warm for
good blooming. With Masdevallias, night temperatures are more important that
day temps. Cool nights allow the plant to recover and recharge for the next
warm day.

Try putting it outside in the fall - it can take temps down to 48 with no
ill effect. That might produce a nice flush of blooms for you.

Good luck!

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:PjGGi.1539$re2.249@trnddc02...
Ok....I'll admit I'm very impatient! Last October I bought a Masd.
Redwing. This is the first and only Masdevallia I've tried to grow. Even
though the vendor had some smaller ones in bloom I took the largest plant
he had. (First clue the siblings were blooming in October last year)

Thanks to all of you,

I will be more patient and give the plant some chill. That probably
explains why it bloomed in the late spring because the GH got cooler than
normal when I turned the heat off for the season.

With all the new growth I'm holding out for a nice show......eventually.

Good growing,
Gene