#pleurothallids

Pleurothallis lappago (syn. Kraenzlinella lappago)

So I'm experimenting with some cool-growing orchids, Masdevallias (Masd. Pinocchio 'Cheyenne' and Masd. Redwing, both hybrids). The pinnochio came with a flower stalk which was very exciting because it wasn't sold as being in spike! Since I've had them they've been doing relatively well, with only a few very minor blips here and there (snow mold, a crinkled leaf). The pinnochio has also started putting out a new leaf under my care and I couldn't be more proud 🥺

That being said, they're not the easiest plants or orchids to care for. In the summer, at least where I am, your main goal is just to baby them enough to keep them alive. They don't tolerate sun or high temperatures very well (for the most part). And they need a diurnal temperature drop of 10-15° (50-55° at night) in order to flower, which is impossible in terms of atmospheric temperate without a super expensive setup. However! Many growers without such setups recommend double-potting, with the outer pot being terracotta (clay) and a layer of evenly moist sphagnum moss in between the two pots, to keep the roots cool. Ever since I double potted them they've been doing remarkably better!

Other than that, my job is to keep up their humidity in the terrarium. If you keep the humidity high they can handle temperatures that aren't ideal. I've tried using ice packs to lower the ambient temperature, but they don't do much at all. Since finding that, I just put them up against the pots to keep them cooler, which is a fair trade off imo 🤷‍♂️