Find Phrag A Paph

[PHRAG]

I have resisted buying paphs up until now. I NEED to try to grow one. But I don't know how, and I am too lazy to Google.

This is what I need from you...

List one paph that I should buy, and why you think I should buy that one.

Tell me how to successfully grow the paph you select. Don't copy and paste someone else's culture sheet in here! I want to know YOUR tips for growing.

Post a picture if you have one that you took. Put a link to a picture of one if you have to, but don't steal anybody's photo.

Please list only two paph suggestions per person. I don't need five hundred choices. Remember, I will be a first time paph grower and don't need another tricky orchid, so make your choice an easy grower.

Ok, what is in it for you?

The person who convinces me to buy their paph will be the recipient of a gift certificate for $35 to the vendor I buy the paph from. If that isn't enough to entice you, you are independently wealthy and don't need the gift certificate anyway.

In the event that you are not living in the U.S., and win, I will send you the $35 and you can buy whatever you want. I will also hand deliver the money and spend two weeks sleeping on your couch if that is ok with you.

You are free to suggest a vendor who sells the paph you are trying to get me to buy, but that in no way guarantees I will buy it from that vendor.

The cutoff time for the Find Phrag A Paph challenge will be Thursday, June 15th at midnight and I will announce who gets to go shopping on Friday, June 16th.

I reserve the right to change these rules ever-so-slightly if need be. I will be the only judge of the winner, so none of this
:sob:

In the event the suggestions are just too good, there may be more than one certificate/prize given.

Now get suggestin'.

 

[kentuckiense]

I can only suggest one, and that's because I only have one Paph that I can actually say I'm growing.

My suggestion: Paph druryi

Why?

1. I just find its geographic distribution to be darn interesting! Check it out:

2. It's pretty, duh! The flower is glossy yellow with black/brown striping here and there. I find the non-fully-open stance to be pretty cool, too. Here is mine:

3. Grow it like a cactus and it'll be happy. I water it every week to ten days and give it light alongside my 2 Phrags. 1 mature growth, 1 new growth, and two very new growths just peeking out.

4. Pretty compact!

5. druryi is Steven Seagal's favorite Paph.

 

[PHRAG]

Zach wins the second place prize...

A copy of Steven Segal: Songs from the Crystal Cave.

You are still in the running for the grand prize though. But only because your growing region chart is so technical. This is the kind of information I need people!

 

[Heather]

Thinking about this....stay tuned....

 

[likespaphs]

what are your growing conditions?
are you interested in multifloral or, well, i'm hesitant to call them unifloral as they sometimes make two flowers, but you know what i mean...?

 

[PHRAG]

My conditions are intermediate/warm with plenty of humidity. I have some high light loving plants, and some shade lovers too, so I am equipped for alot of different cultures. Just not too cool or super bright light.

I can't tell you what I like because that would be cheating. Plus, I don't know.

 

[lienluu]

John,

I have some Brachys you can have if you'd like.

L

 

[PHRAG]

Thanks for the generous offer Lien, let me look up what a Brachy is and I will get back to you.

 

[lienluu]

Thanks for the generous offer Lien, let me look up what a Brachy is and I will get back to you.

Here is one:

Actually, I was going to send you that particular plant if you want. As well as some others if you want them.

 

[bwester]

Somehow I feel this may make me want to get more paphs.

 

[bwester]

ooooooo, I want one

 

[kentuckiense]

Here is one:

Actually, I was going to send you that particular plant if you want. As well as some others if you want them.

Quite pretty! What is that one?

PHRAG, you should take lienluu up on that offer!

 

[bwester]

What exactly are "brachys" by the way?

 

[lienluu]

Somehow I feel this may make me want to get more paphs.

http://slipperorchid.org/brachypetalum.htm

"The subgenus Brachypetalum is confined to mainland Southeastern Asia from southwest China south to northern Malaysia and from Burma east to Vietnam. All of the species are found growing on limestone or in calcareous places.

The four species of the genus subgenus Brachypetalum are characterized by their pale yellow, cream or white flowers usually variously spotted with purple. The lip is ovid and rather thick in substance while the staminode is flat and essentially tridentate at the apex. The leaves are markedly tessellated above and usually purple marked beneath.

** Paph. bellatulum (Rchb.f.) Stein
** Paph. bellatulum album
** Paph. concolor (Lindl.) Pfitzer
** Paph. godefroyae (Godefrpg-Lebeuf) Stein`
** Paph. godefroyae var. leucochilum (Masters) Hallier
** Paph. leucochilum album
** Paph. niveum (Rchb.f.) Stein

Related species are:

** Paph. ang-thong Fowlie (See Paph. godefroyae)
** Paph. ang-thong album
** Paph. leucochilum (Rolfe) Fowlie (See Paph. godefroyae, var. leucochilum)
** Paph. niveum var. ang-thong"

 

[bwester]

They're absolutely beautiful.

 

[kentuckiense]

PHRAG, it's really all about confidence. Next time you're out, you just need to walk right up to a Paph and strike up a conversation. Don't look at the ground or play with your keys, just look that Paph in the staminode and tell it you'd like to get to know it a bit better. You know, talk about your job, what your hobbies are, etc. Also, make the Paph a bit jealous. Tell it about how you're always having over tons of hot Phrags and they seem to enjoy your company quite a bit. It's all in the presentation, my man.

Zach

 

[bwester]

My vote is for Paph. malipoense. Simply because it has a cool fragrance that is alot like raspberries. Though I personally dont have one, my friend says its amazing.

 

[PHRAG]

Lien, if I can ever get through my four thousand emails, I will pm you about the paph offer.

The rest of you, this is still a contest and so far the only two entries are Zach and Blake. There is prize money on the line here oke:

Or maybe you are all waiting until the last minute? Very stealthy :ninja:

 

[Ross]

If you're looking for something that's high in 'wow factor' , looks good even when not in bloom, and would complement those beautiful red besseaes with a splash of yellow, I recommend Paph Norito Hasegawa. It is much easier to grow and bloom than its parents, Paph armeniacum and Paph malipoense, which require cool rest periods to bloom.

Paph Norito Hasegawa has compact growths of beautifully mottled leaves that are a joy to look when the plant is not in bloom. In bloom, the dramatic, bold, yellow flowers are perched atop stems that are generally 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. I have had the flowers last at least three months under cooler conditions (under 80 F). I grow my Paph Norito Hasegawa in the house in relatively dry conditions : generally 40-50% relative humidity. I give my mature plant the same light that Chick Ackers recommends for mature Phrags: 2000-3000 fc. As for watering, I tend to grow my Paphs on the dry side and Paph Norito Hasegawa thrives under these conditions.

When purchasing, I strongly recommend buying at least a blooming sized plant, because Paph Norito Hasegawa tends to grow slowly as a seedling. It took me three or four years to get a small seedling to bloom, which is far too long to wait for your first Paph to bloom. Once your plant is an established multi-growth plant, it will bloom reliably and often. The plant pictured, in fact is in bloom, again, with one bloom having just fallen, two more blooms open, and another growth in bud. All things considered, Paph Norito Hasegawa has many strong points: It is compact in growth; has colorful, dramatically presented flowers; is easy to grow; and looks great even when not in bloom!

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

This is easy...Let's see a Phrag do this:

Seriously though, rothschildianum is actually pretty easy to grow in my experience. Keep it moist in an airy mix with good humidity and light intensity you would give a large non-besseae type phrag. The only thing hard to give this plant to make it thrive is time, so avoid that and buy a blooming sized division.

This was the nail in my coffin...

Jon
________
MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT