I looking for the best book on Paphs.

[abax]

I'm not interested in "coffee table" books with lots of costly
photos. However, I would like a book to help me differentiate the various kinds of Paphs. and the specific
culture of each one. A used book will be just fine if I can
find one. Recommendations?

 

[Rick]

hard to pick just one

Lance Birks' Paph Growers Manual I think covers your expressed needs the best.

But I also have a couple of Cribb's books, and Averyanov's book on Vietnamese Slippers is one of my favorites (really good habitat info).

 

[JeanLux]

=> http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22336&highlight=Book
=> http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18200&highlight=Book

Jean

 

[likespaphs]

if you get Birk's book, make sure you get the more recent edition (second, i think)

 

[abax]

Thanks so much for the info. I think I'll locate Birk's book
first and then move on to the others. Lordamercy, I don't
want the luscious picture books. They just make me lust
for plants I don't need to have right now...gotta see if I
can bloom the ones I have now.

I wonder if likespaphs is from paaaaaaawtuckit???

 

[Ross]

I wonder if likespaphs is from paaaaaaawtuckit???

There once was a plant from Pawtucket
That grew very well in a bucket..........

 

[likespaphs]

nope, i just live here

(hi!)

 

[Lycaste53]

abax,
I like books, and the more drawings and photographs they contain, the better.
I don´t understand what kind of book you really need, for the moment.
It should be : no ´coffee table´ book, no book with costly photos, no book which makes you ´lust for plants you don´t need to have right now´

The problem is, that there are a lot of quite sufficient books with nice pics…
All the books without pics are ´old-fashioned´ and not so easy to handle
Maybe you need no book. Just look at your plants, they will tell you, what they need.


Best regards, Gina

 

[Rick]

Thanks so much for the info. I think I'll locate Birk's book
first and then move on to the others. Lordamercy, I don't
want the luscious picture books. They just make me lust
for plants I don't need to have right now...gotta see if I
can bloom the ones I have now.

I wonder if likespaphs is from paaaaaaawtuckit???

The general envrionmental stuff in Birk's book I think is excellent. Especially the focus on the air environment.

However all the stuff I've been doing lately with K reduction is somewhat in conflict with other more specific culture recommendations for individual species. For instance he acknowledges that niveum, godefroyae, leucochilum live in very close proximatey to ocean water, but under culture recommendations lists them as "salt sensitive" and needing high quality water. When It appears that these species can take a lot of "salt" as long as there is lots of Mg and Ca available.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

The best thing is to get an assortment of books, for the different viewpoints. I'd certainly say Birk's book is a must, along with the latest from Koopowitz and the book by Braem and Chiron. Cribb and Averyanov's book is also a must, but only if you are into Vietnamese paphs. None of these books have extraordinarily high prices. Out of print, but immeasurably helpful if you can find them, are the 2 books by Braem and the Baker's, which give invaluable climatic info about most of the paph species known then (unfortunately, the 3rd book in the series was never produced), and one of my all time, possibly the, favorite paph books, Novelty Slipper Orchids by Koopowitz and Hasagawa.

 

[abax]

Gina, right now my Paphs. are telling me that my greenhouse conditions are very good and they're growing well. However, they haven't bloomed for me yet. I think
a bit more research into culture specifics is what I need.
Birk's book seems to be the book I require right now. IF
I can find one at a decent price.

Aaahhhh yes, orchids and orchid advice is full of contradictions. I have several books on orchids and all
have different cultural advice. Perhaps that's what attracts us to orchids...it's a mystery to be solved in many different ways.

I intend to acquire more books on Paphs. as finances allow and have noted your suggestions in my journal
for future reference. The Koopowitz/Hasagawa book sounds especially intriguing. Thank you.

 

[abax]

Ahhhh HA Briguy, caught you out! I thought you were an
Ang. guy.

What's the rest of that plant in a bucket???

 

[Ross]

What's the rest of that plant in a bucket???

I thought I'd start a little limerick and see if someone else could finish it off.oke:

 

[Mocchaccino]

My points of view are:
- there is no one book that fits all your wishes. Different books excel in different areas e.g. Taxonomy, Differentiation, Habitats studies of each species
- cultural information is very little in books. Experience or problems encountered by other amateur growers are more updated that could enrich your knowledge much more. So forums do much better than books.

Back to recommendation, what I could think of have been all suggested by the above experienced growers.

 

[NYEric]

Books..more plants...books...more plants......... More plants wins every time!

 

[eggshells]

There once was a plant from Pawtucket
That grew very well in a bucket..........

It flourished under the sunset,
But immediately was sold into the market...

Anyway I have the Harold Koopowitz book and its nice. I actually want the Lance Birk's Paphiopedilum Growers Manual but I cant find it new on Amazon. I dont want to pay duties or shipping. what a bummer,

 

[likespaphs]

Ahhhh HA Briguy, caught you out! I thought you were an
Ang. guy.

What's the rest of that plant in a bucket???

nope, all about Paphs!
well, mostly/much about Paphs


if you're growing complex Paphs, i dunno if Birk's book is right for you
(i just ordered it though finally!)

 

[abax]

Hey lp, did you get that last copy

at amazon? Last time I looked there was one copy left
at $65.00. B&N had one hardback for $131.00 and change.I ordered from Birk's website; wish me luck.

 

[likespaphs]

nope, got it from his website
http://lancebirk.com/gpage.html2.html
just came in the mail yesterday but i haven't had a chance to flip through it much
it's $65+shipping everywhere i've seen it...except for the dude with the one for sixty