# Mastersianum- What Makes Them Difficult??



## Happypaphy7 (Aug 30, 2015)

I love the flower of this species, but I realize that they are not commonly offered and they are not so cheap. Not that expensive, either. 

I have read quite a few negative things with regards to their growing habits.
There were basically all negative. Slow, tough, dies easily....

So for those of you who have tried and had no luck, what went wrong?
What did you do/how did you care for it?

and of course, those of you who are successful, what do you do?

Thanks in advance!


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## 17andgrowing (Aug 30, 2015)

Following this thread closely.


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## Paphman910 (Aug 30, 2015)

They are warm growers and need very low TDS water to do well. See thread:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3273


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## Paul (Aug 31, 2015)

I have no trouble with my plant, growing it for years now. It's now starting to clump a little (3-4 new growths). Big fat roots in the pot.
I grow it in pure orchiata power, quite a big pot (13cm) because of the big roots. I water frequently, with about 300µS/cm EC (most of the time municipal water with no fertilizer). twice a month I fertilize with rain water + 15-5-1 NPK fertilizer (with MgSO4) or rain water + kelp extract fertilizer NPK 2-3-5
medium light and temperate climate (15-30°C)


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## fibre (Aug 31, 2015)

Sounds as this species is easy to grow, Paul.


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 31, 2015)

Thanks for the input.

Not a whole lot of responses, but I guess it's pretty much the same as other plants.
You just have to get a good willing plant.


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## JeanLux (Aug 31, 2015)

fibre said:


> Sound as this species is easy to grow, Paul.



I have a 2 growths' plant since one year! So, at least short term, not too difficult  !! Jean


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 31, 2015)

Good for you!
I hope it continues on doing well for you.

I was looking at OZ compot, which is rather pricy, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend that much on something that I might lose in a year or two. lol


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Aug 31, 2015)

Happypaphy7, Don't forget that if you contact John directly he'll knock off 15% as it won't be an e-bay purchase. That brings the price down a little.


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## Stone (Sep 1, 2015)

Paul said:


> I have no trouble with my plant, growing it for years now. It's now starting to clump a little (3-4 new growths). Big fat roots in the pot.
> I grow it in pure orchiata power, quite a big pot (13cm) because of the big roots. I water frequently, with about 300µS/cm EC (most of the time municipal water with no fertilizer). twice a month I fertilize with rain water + 15-5-1 NPK fertilizer (with MgSO4) or rain water + kelp extract fertilizer NPK 2-3-5
> medium light and temperate climate (15-30°C)



Paul, do you use nitrate or ammonium for this sp.? And can we see a picture?


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## The Mutant (Sep 1, 2015)

I'm on my second one. My first one succumbed to last year's abuse, but I hope I'll be able to care for my new one better. As violascens grows without an issue, albeit slowly, I can't help but think that mastersianum should fare fairly okay as well. We'll see how the new one does.


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## naoki (Sep 2, 2015)

I killed one, it didn't do anything for a year or 2 and eventually died. I don't know why, but I'm guessing the temp was too low.


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## Bjorn (Sep 2, 2015)

I have two plus a compot (20?) soaking wet, relatively hot 17-30C high humidity (RH>80%), not too well lit (leaves not yellowish) fertiliser at 100ppm TDS (150 microS) Ammonium/nitrate N: 2/1 total 15ppm.
Grows steadily but not very fast. LS now approx 10inch.


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## Brabantia (Sep 2, 2015)

Bjorn said:


> I have two plus a compot (20?) soaking wet, relatively hot 17-30C high humidity (RH>80%), not too well lit (leaves not yellowish) fertiliser at 100ppm TDS (150 microS) Ammonium/nitrate N: 2/1 total 15ppm.
> Grows steadily but not very fast. LS now approx 10inch.


I am always a little uncomfortable when I read that several among you have good results with so low concentration in nitrogen. With which frequency do you make your fertilyser distributions?


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## Bjorn (Sep 2, 2015)

Brabantia said:


> I am always a little uncomfortable when I read that several among you have good results with so low concentration in nitrogen. With which frequency do you make your fertilyser distributions?



Always


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## Brabantia (Sep 2, 2015)

Bjorn said:


> Always


So you maintain around the roots a constant level of 15 ppm nitrogen as if you cultivate into a dynamic hydroponic method? Do you adjust the pH of your fertilyser solution?


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 2, 2015)

Bob in Albany said:


> Happypaphy7, Don't forget that if you contact John directly he'll knock off 15% as it won't be an e-bay purchase. That brings the price down a little.



He never replies to questions. Rather frustrating!!!
These compots obviously have pictures but there are sometimes listings with only flower pictures but no plant pictures. 
Plus, I don't like their policy of barefoot shipping. 
My messages have never been returned.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 2, 2015)

Brabantia said:


> So you maintain around the roots a constant level of 15 ppm nitrogen as if you cultivate into a dynamic hydroponic method? Do you adjust the pH of your fertilyser solution?



It does sound very strange, doesn't it?

I believe in it though because I once went one entire year without fertilizing at all, yet my Paphs, phals, oncidiums, dendrobiums all grew and bloomed fine. 
Now that's just one year. 
I do tend to fertilize little, both in quantity and frequency.


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## Bjorn (Sep 3, 2015)

Brabantia said:


> So you maintain around the roots a constant level of 15 ppm nitrogen as if you cultivate into a dynamic hydroponic method? Do you adjust the pH of your fertilyser solution?



No, no pls do not misunderstand its not hydroponics. All my irrigation water has nutrients added at approx 15ppm N. I spray with a garden hose and the pots are left standing in shallow water, say 3-4mm(which disappears before next watering). A bit like the treatment I give phrags. as a matter of fact they grow together with some fischeriis and an andrettae below are a couple of pics showing the plant. It is quite big and seems to get close to flowering now?







imgurl


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## Stone (Sep 3, 2015)

Bjorn said:


> No, no pls do not misunderstand its not hydroponics. All my irrigation water has nutrients added at approx 15ppm N. I spray with a garden hose and the pots are left standing in shallow water, say 3-4mm(which disappears before next watering). A bit like the treatment I give phrags. as a matter of fact they grow together with some fischeriis and an andrettae below are a couple of pics showing the plant. It is quite big and seems to get close to flowering now?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Such a beautiful plant yet if I tried a mix like that with moss etc. the roots would be rotten in no time!


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 4, 2015)

Oh, wow~ You are the plant master! 
I love looking at your plants. 

BTW, is this typical size of this species? It is bigger than I thought.

Mike- I think he uses very open mix, but the moss just grows on top of the potting mix rather than being part of the mix inside the pot.
I could be wrong, but that's how I remember about his growing technique.

What are all those paphs underneath your hand? makes me curious.


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## Bjorn (Sep 4, 2015)

Mike, he is right, its moss growing on top of a basically bark based mix (the one of Lance Birk) At such low TDS and so moist conditions as I have, the moss comes spontaneously.
The plamnts below my hands are mostly superbiens and braemii with a posibility of some dayanum sneaking in. A bit uncertain of the braemiis since I have not seen them in flower yet.


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## Bjorn (Sep 4, 2015)

Think that mastersianums can get quite big. The picture is a bit misleading though, it is a bit smaller than it looks but still pretty big. What I particularly like with this species is the thick, "fleshy" leaves. Never had one in flower but think this one is ready.


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## Rick (Sep 19, 2015)

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28653&highlight=mastersianum

Ever since I cut the feed way back these have been doing well for me. Back in my high K days they were stumpy slow, disease prone. and short lived (even though I eventually got one to bloom).

I managed to get a compot off of a flasking and got a few to go from flask to bloom in under 3 years with a leaf span about 14 inches.

I haven't been getting much clumping, but consistent new growths after blooming. 

Also weird is that every bloom spontaneously produces a viable seed capsule. So hopefully I'll be getting back some new seedlings to play with.


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## Rick (Sep 19, 2015)

Here's my two biggest plants. The one on the left is 14" leaf span, and did not bloom this summer. The plant on the right bloomed this summer, and is holding a capsule (that I did not pollinate). They are not holding old post bloom growths, but the plant on the right is just starting a new growth.

They responded nicely to the lemon juice trick as far as greening up goes, so maybe that will improve clumping capability.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 22, 2015)

This is way off topic, but I'm curious what in lemon juice makes plants greener?

I don't think lemon juice or greening up has anything to do with clumping of plants. I believe it is mostly in the gene. I find some plants clump and others don't no matter what you do.


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