Macroclinium confertum
Also known as: The Compressed Macroclinium in the subfamily: Epidendroideae
General Information
The Compressed Macroclinium is a miniature sympodial cold to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae.
Plant Description
Sympodial. Grows to 5.5cm. Each new growth has a single lance shaped leaf that grows to 0.6-5.5cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 0.5-0.7cm
Substrate(s)
- Coarse
Care Notes
These orchids like to be watered regulary, especially during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered daily or even many times a day.
These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.
Climate
Grows at high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 5mm to 305mm per day, heaviest in September and lightest in February. Humidity ranges from 68% to 85%, highest in October and lowest in March. Temperature ranges from 11C to 23C, highest in May (13C to 23C) and lowest in January (11C to 20C).
Watering
These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.
Potting
These plants are quite forgiving and will do well repotted ever 2-3 years. The mix should be coarse, well draining, and allow space for air to move and for roots to grow.
Alternatively, these plants will also do well mounted to tree fern or cork slabs, or mounted to trees.
Best time for repotting or mounting the orchids is the end of winter when new growths start to appear. Avoid repotting during hot weather,
