Zygopetalum mackaii is native to South Brazil from the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo in the north to Rio Grande do Sul in the south...
Zygopetalum mackaii also called as Mackay's Zygopetalum, Eulophia mackayana, Zygopetalum intermedium, Zygopetalum mackaii var cochleatum, Zygopetalum mackaii var parviflorum, Zygopetalum mackaii var pictum, is a species of the genus Zygopetalum. This species was described by Hooker in 1827.
IDENTIFY ZYGOPETALUM MACKAII
Zygopetalum mackaii is native to South Brazil from the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo in the north to Rio Grande do Sul in the south. They are aboveground plants growing in rare forests, on mild slopes covered with shrubs, grassy plains or meadows near forests, at an altitude of 1300-1700m.
It is a medium to large sized, cool to warm growing, terrestrial species, which reaching 36-58 cm tall, with globose to conical, 5-8 cm high and 3-5 cm in diameter pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3 apical, plicate, elliptic-lanceolate, 30-50 cm long and about 5 cm wide leaves.
Mackay's Zygopetalum blooms on a lateral, racemose, 90 cm long, 5 to 10 flowered inflorescence with fragrant, waxy, long-lived flowers occurring in the fall and winter. The flowers often open simultaneously. The outer and inner petals of the perianth are often curved inward, but on the tops they usually curl outwards. They are yellow-green with large irregular patches of red-brown or maroon color. The large, flat lip is white with nerves in dark red to almost blue, radiating from the base. This vein may be covered with small hairs that are the same color as the nerves along their entire length, although in some plants these hairs are almost absent.
ZYGOPETALUM MACKAII CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Zygopetalum mackaii needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. They require relatively bright lighting and even healthy plants do not bloom if they have insufficient light. With proper lighting, the leaves of plants should be light green. The yellow shade of the leaves indicates too strong lighting, while soft, weak and dark green leaves indicate insufficient light.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. In summer, when the average temperature is 21-23 ° C at night 13-14 ° C , with an amplitude daily 8-9 ° C . During the winter rest of the average temperature should be 16 ° C , and the average night 8-9 ° C , with an amplitude variation during day approx. 7-8 ° C .
Humidity:
Mackay's Zygopetalum needs the humidity of about 80% for most of the year, in winter and early spring, falling to about 75%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Zygopetalum mackaii are usually grown in pots filled with a relatively coarse, airy and well-permeable substrate. You can use pine bark or a mixture of bark and moisture retaining additives. Some recommends a mixture of equal parts of fine and medium gradation of pieces of pine bark with the addition of about 10% coarse pearlite. Since these orchids have rather large and extensive roots, large and deep pots are also recommended for their cultivation.
Repotting should be carried out when new roots start growing (at this time new growths usually grow up to half the height of an adult plant) or immediately after flowering.
Watering:
Rainfall in the period from spring to early autumn is moderate to strong, but in late autumn and winter weather conditions are somewhat drier. During active growth the substrate of the cultivated plants should be constantly moist, but in autumn watering should be gradually reduced. However, these plants should never be dried.
Fertilizer:
During the period of strong growth, the plants should be fertilized every week with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use fertilizer with low nitrogen content and high phosphorus content in autumn. It improves flowering in the next season and strengthens new growth before winter.
Every few weeks, the substrate should be flushed to avoid the formation of mineral deposits, especially when high doses of fertilizers are used, it is necessary to normally water the plants to dissolve the accumulated salts. After about an hour the substrate should be rinsed with water equal to twice the volume of the container, rinsing throughout the whole year is important especially where the water is highly mineralized.
Rest period:
In winter, watering for Zygopetalum mackaii should be reduced so that they are to some extent desiccated between the next watering, but must not be allowed to dry completely. Fertilization should be limited or should be completely abandoned until spring, when stronger watering resumes.
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