Barbata culture

[Jim Toomey]

and?

 

[Rick]

and?

I haven't got back into it yet,but the short answer is....

Forrest litter generally has more than enough nitrogen in it at any given time to more than meet the needs of plants in a local stand, but phosphorus is limited (sometimes severely), and plants within a stand become very efficient and competitive in its use.

From my own conjecture at this point. The MSU fertilizer NPK balance, which was based on what was found in an orchid, may represent the minimum that it has evolved to get away with rather than what may be optimal or extra-beneficial.

 

[papheteer]

I use to have a similar problem.

I found that barbata in general only want a small amount of light compared to every other paph I have. They also want higher humidity.

So I have been moving them to the darkest, dampest, breeziest, and often coolest parts of my GH (these areas still get into the mid 80's).

Typically the humidity stays >70%, and in the morning and evenings it gets over 90%. This may be the easy part for you in Malaysia, but definitely cooler and darker should help.

The group as a whole is more associated with the forest floor than exposed rocky areas and cliffs, so they are often in deep forest duff that can be somewhat acidic. This is where the fine tuning with bone meal instead of limestone or oyster shell may be important. Bone meal will buffer the pH a bit, but not as much as lime or oyster shell. But it will supply a lot more phosphorus to promote root growth and flowering in lower light conditions.

sorry to bring this old thread back. But I do have the same problems with them too. I only had the hybrid barbatas. So do these things apply to the hybrids as well?

 

[PaphMadMan]

sorry to bring this old thread back. But I do have the same problems with them too. I only had the hybrid barbatas. So do these things apply to the hybrids as well?

Absolutely.

 

[paphioboy]

Update: I currently have success with hybrid Maudiae types (Maudiae coloratum and Holdenii alba), and callosum, but still am reluctant to try more difficult species. Hookerae and appletoninum are growing, although rather slow...