Hi from Germany

[Beth]

Hi all, just joined the forum, and can't wait to join in the fun

Orchid growing experience? Limited, so far. It all started harmlessly (hah!) with a Phaleonopsis "Roxanne". Lovely, and has been blooming since March. So, a month later I bought another Phal. No name, just pretty in pink It's still in full bloom, too.

Next, I bought a book about orchids, and that did it. Zygopetalum, Cambria, dend. nobile and kingianum, Acacallis, Oncidium "Sweet Sugar" and Beallara quickly joined the ranks.

There is no decent flower shop in my area, so I usually buy online from reputable sellers. I only had one problem so far - ordered orchids for some 90 Euro from a shop and received a bunch of dead leaves. Aargh! At least the seller returned my money

I desperately want some paphiopedilum - when I was a kid, they were still growing in the wild and I was fascinated with the shape and colors. The problem with online shops: no advice from the seller. So, if anybody has a few tips about which paphs are good for the absolute beginner... I have a lot of time on my hands, so looking after the plants is not a problem. Only, I don't want to torture them to death

So, enough rambles from me... thanks for having me here!

 

[Clark]

Hi Beth form New Jersey, US.
The weather sucks here also if human, though good for Phragmipediums and
Poa pratensis.

 

[JeanLux]

Hi Beth from Luxembourg !!! Welcome to the club! In Germany you have quite a number of excellent orchid nurseries! Just have some surf in this forum and you will discover a lot of good sources! Jean

 

[Beth]

Hi Beth from Luxembourg !!! Welcome to the club! In Germany you have quite a number of excellent orchid nurseries! Just have some surf in this forum and you will discover a lot of good sources! Jean

Thanks Jean - if I start looking, I start buying. Dangerous! :rollhappy:

Ah well, as long as I buy the dog-food first, huh?

 

[Beth]

Hi Beth form New Jersey, US.
The weather sucks here also if human, though good for Phragmipediums and
Poa pratensis.

I just put my cymbidium cuttings outside... hope they won't drown! All the orchids seem to enjoy the constant change from hot and sunny to misty and rainy. Lots of new growth on most of them... nice for a beginner like me I actually get the feeling I'm doing something right (with lots of help from the weather god)!

 

[Clark]

We are in the same boat or on the same page.
The inside of my house is like jail for my plants.

 

[Beth]

We are in the same boat or on the same page.
The inside of my house is like jail for my plants.

Just make sure there are no escape attempts

 

[likespaphs]

howdy

 

[NYEric]

Welcome from NYC. If you are looking to buy native [to Germany] slippers there are a couple of good sources of cypripedium in Germany.

 

[biothanasis]

Hello Beth and welcome to the forum!!!!!

 

[Kavanaru]

Hallo Beth, Willkommen in ST!



Here you can get some info about the Paphies (I would not recommend Cypries for beginners!). Once you have gotten some ideas here, you can write to the vendors (Röllke, Asendorfer und Schwerter are good addresses, and they are always willing to provide some help!) and get their opinion about the plants they have. (Note: Asendorfer hat good plants but mainly seedlings!)

 

[Beth]

Welcome from NYC. If you are looking to buy native [to Germany] slippers there are a couple of good sources of cypripedium in Germany.

Thanks Eric! Where can I find some links? After the disaster with that one shop (Orchideen Lucke, for those who want to know) I'd like to try somebody reliable

 

[Beth]

Hallo Beth, Willkommen in ST!



Here you can get some info about the Paphies (I would not recommend Cypries for beginners!). Once you have gotten some ideas here, you can write to the vendors (Röllke, Asendorfer und Schwerter are good addresses, and they are always willing to provide some help!) and get their opinion about the plants they have. (Note: Asendorfer hat good plants but mainly seedlings!)

Thanks Kavanaru! I think I'd like to have a bit more mature plant - it's probably way too easy to kill a poor seedling with inexperience! I haven't heard of Röllke, but I've been wanting to try Schwerter. Their orchids look stunning! So far, the best experience for me has been Wichmann. So, off to google Röllke!

 

[Kavanaru]

From Röllke, I would suggest

1.- Paph callosum "Pigmy Form", a very nice and easy Paph.
2.- Paph. helenae, a miniature, easy to grow plant. His Plants are already blooming size, but the website has not been updated. (you can see my plants here http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12537&highlight=helenae&page=5 )
3.- Paph primulinum, also easy to grow and sequential bloomer.

From Schwerter I can suggest:

1.- Paph delenatii, easy to grow, but would need a bit cooler temps. Also Paph delenatii Hybrids are normally easy to grow: e.g. Paph Magic Lanter & Paph Armeni White.
Paph Fanaticum & Paph Lynleigh Koopowitz, are also other nice and easy hybrids
2.- Paph primulinum (as from Röllke)
3.- Paph. Wössener Favourite (hangianum x godefroyae) & Paph. hangianum x bellatulum, have impressive flowers and are supposed to be easy to grow and bloom. I cannot give much info here, as I have neen trying them since less than one year. But so far they grow well
4. Paph henryanum, easy, compact plant with very nice flowers
5.- Paph herrmannii (also in the link with my Paph helenae!). This palnt is not in the online catalogue, but they have it (send them an e-mail!) Easy, compact and very cute.

 

[Ross]

Welcome from Minnesota, US, Beth.

 

[likespaphs]

one thing to remember is that just because one plant is easy for one person to grow, it may be very difficult for another to grow because of his/her cultural conditions.

 

[Kavanaru]

one thing to remember is that just because one plant is easy for one person to grow, it may be very difficult for another to grow because of his/her cultural conditions.

Absolutely right.... but... there are plants which are well know to be easier, and those are the ones a beginner should try first... for example, Paph Rolfei is gorgeous, same as Paph armeniacum, but I would never recommend them to a beginner (well, Paph Rolfei not even to a profi , even though I have ordered one myself ) on the otherhand, Paph primulinum or Paph helenae, goes quite well with almost everybody, and that's a plant I would suggest...

 

[nikv]

Welcome from California, Beth! Where in Germany do you live? My great-grandfather emigrated from Westphalia. I've travelled to Germany to visit my German cousins many times. It's a very beautiful country!

 

[Heather]

Welcome Beth!!

 

[SlipperFan]

Welcome to Slippertalk, Beth.

If you are looking for Paphs from an established and reliable vendor, you might try Ratcliffe in the UK. You'll find a link in our vendors section.