Tips for Growing Paph Bellatulum, Niveum and Rothschildianum

[Cach26]

Hello everyone, happy growing!

I want to buy some Paph Niveum and Bellatulum (Species) in the future.

But I really don't know if my growing conditions are adequate, I live in a country with a tropical climate

Night Temperatures of 18C (64 F) and Day Temperatures of 25C (77 F)

I grow Lady Slipers hybrids outdoors, with 50% shade in a bright location. Most of my Phrags have a bright apple green leaf color

I water every other day, in a medium substrate (2cm) half bark, half terracotta (in the case of Paph and long-petaled Phrags I add 10% small charcoal)

Foliar fertilizer with 200ppm once a week. I add Thricoderma to the Medium once a month, and alternate with foliar applications of Bascilus Subtilus

With these conditions, can I grow these species?
Should I add calcium? (I only find calcium pebbles for chickens)
What can I improve to grow them?

 

[big923cattleya]

Niveum and bellatulum are in the Brachypetalum group basically from SE Asia. So many of them grow on limestone cliffs, in the leaf litter with water slowly cascading down the slope.
They grow in fairly low light and like it moist, not swampy, but never really dry. They are often subjected to monsoons yet have a drier winter season. These areas have relatively high humidity and they enjoy limestone pellets or other limestone chips in the media or mix.
I grow mine in small plastic pots, my mix is seedling orchiata, seedling perlite and charcoal. They often flower in the spring or later. Many species have markings on their leaves. Since they grow near the Equator they really do not experience winter. They grow with a dry, winter period that might be slightly cooler.

Rothschildianum is a very large plant, one of what I call the strap leafed Paph. group. They do grow in some fairly good light including periods of sun. I grow them in medium orchiata, charcoal, perlite but I personally do not add limestone. They are not really hard to grow but they usually have to take several years to get mature enough to bloom.
Good luck and other members should respond.

 

[Cach26]

Niveum and bellatulum are in the Brachypetalum group basically from SE Asia. So many of them grow on limestone cliffs, in the leaf litter with water slowly cascading down the slope.
They grow in fairly low light and like it moist, not swampy, but never really dry. They are often subjected to monsoons yet have a drier winter season. These areas have relatively high humidity and they enjoy limestone pellets or other limestone chips in the media or mix.

Okay, could you say that they grow like a Phrag Besseae In situ?

I grow mine in small plastic pots, my mix is seedling orchiata, seedling perlite and charcoal.

I use dry Eucalyptus Bark, (I think it is Eucalyptus baueriana), when the tree is dead, the bark becomes dry, but once it is well moistened it compacts a little and makes the plant stable again, since it allows good development. of roots.. I also use a pot with holes like the one in this video

 

[big923cattleya]

They do not grow anything alike. One is Southeast Asia and warm. Besseae is from the west facing slopes of the Andes in Columbia maybe, not sure about country. It grows much cooler.
I am sorry but I have no experience with Eucalyptus bark.
Besseae in my conditions gets a bit more light. I use chopped sphagnum moss in that mix.