Paph culture tips

[cnycharles]

lowes sells a version of 'better gro' orchid bloom booster 11-35-15 plus essential minor elements, made by the sun bulb company that has chelated zinc and manganese at .05% levels no urea and 40/60 nitrate to ammoniacal nitrogen. i add it to some of my calmag seedling fertilizer that is low in p

I did a check and found that if you want exact 10-52-10 you're looking at 25-50 pound bags of professional fertilizer which will run you at least $40 or more for one bag especially if you get around to adding shipping. Many of the store versions (even Jacks Peters brand) that sell in smaller quantities have the sort of formulation as above (10-30-10 in general). There is a fertilizer called triple super phosphate that has like 40-60% phosphorus and no n or k; it is pretty cheap as far as large bags go, could add some regular fertilizer to it to bring up to 10-50-10. You will be laying out quite a bit of cash to get a large bag of the pro mix. Brands of pro fert mix include blackmore, jacks peters, plantex, scotts; often called 'starter fertilizer'

 

[kentuckiense]

Thanks for the leads. I checked out several stores today and none had anything even approaching that ratio. On the bright side, I picked up a big bag of pelleted limestone at the Tractor Supply Store.

 

[cnycharles]

yeah, the tractor supply store around here has lots of stuff and pretty cheap. I can look at work and see if we have starter fertilizer with that high p and see if the manager would allow some to be borrowed... there are a bunch of open bags that have been around for a while (if the labels are still legible that is)

 

[kentuckiense]

Well, if you manage to pull it off, send me a PM. I'll keep looking around. I'm just trying to gear up for giving armeniacum, my arch nemesis, another try.

 

[cnycharles]

I checked today and it doesn't look like we have any of that starter fertilizer. I talked to my supervisor who said they had tried to use up most of the oddball things in one way or another, so it doesn't look like we have any of it available. Unless you can find someone who also works somewhere that uses large bags of fertilizer and might have some of that type, it might be more likely you'll find the more common ones similar to the 10-30-10ish

 

[kentuckiense]

Thanks for checking on it. I'll keep checking around. I feel a bit better now that I've applied pelletized limestone and replaced my fluoro fixture that kept failing. I didn't give any limestone to delenatii hybrids. I seem to recall someone (Eric M.?) saying that's how they did it.

 

[goldenrose]

armeniacum:

delenatii: Bark (to me, var. album needs sponge rock or other draining component), 10-52-10 fertiliser, warm, medium light

emersonii:

hangianum: temperate-warm, quite low light, always keep wet so well drained medium (rockwool for me), and ... dithane a few times each year. Leaves must be apple green, calcareous

jackii: 10-52-10, low light, temperate, humid but well drained

malipoense: as for jackii

micranthum: var. album is easier to grow for me, 10-52-10, medium light

vietnamense: medium light, warm summer, temperate winter, well drained medium but keep wet

[thaianum:] small pots, very well drained: lava rock (small) + composted crushed branches, 10-52-10

bellatulum: very well drained medium, small pots, high vented aera, quite high light, temperate to warm, calcareous

concolor: higher light than bellatulum, warmer

godefroyae: medium light, hot growing

niveum: as for godefroyae

barbigerum:

boxalii:

charlesworthii: temperate, never dry

druryi: high light, hot summers, osmocote (slow release fertiliser)

exul:

Mine blooms every year, often beginning to spike in January. I think its allot like druryii liking high temps and high light. Plenty of oystershell and bone meal.

fairrieanum:

gratrixianum:

helenae: -small pots, well drained, high light.
-heleanae grows equally well for me in bark mix or straight dyna-rok. hermannii, in my limited experience(with 1 plant), is more susceptable to rot than helenae, so be more careful with watering.
- use a mix of bark & charcol, and a little perlite or sponge rock if it is available. Particle size 1/8 to 1/4 inch. I top dress with about 1/2 teaspoon of oystershell for a 2 1/2 x 4 inch tall pot. I keep mine fairly moist, watering every 3 to 5 days, but I also use screens when making my mix to make sure my media is open. I sift the mix to get rid of the fines and dust. This preserves the air voids. I fertilize continuously (every watering) with 1/2 teaspoon per gallon MSU fertilizer. Light is bright shade, about 800 foot candles, under 4 tubes, 40 watt cool white, the leaves are withing 5 inches of the tubes. It is 2 cheap shop light fixtures, side by side hanging over the shelf. Lights on 16 hours per day.
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henryanum:

hermanii: same as helenae

hirsutissimum:

insigne:

spicerianum:

tigrinum:

tranlienianum:

villosum: medium light, intermediate temps, mine doesn't dry out, bark mix, good air circulation

acmodontum:

appletonianum:

argus:

barbatum:

bullenianum:

callosum:

ciliolare:

curtsii:

dayanum:

fowliei:

hennisianum:

hookerae:

javanicum:

lawrenceanum:

mastersianum:

purpuratum:

sangii: rain water, very low salts, low light, humid, temperate or cool

schoseri:

sukhakulii: low light, easy to grow, rain water is better

superbiens:

tonsum:

urbanianum:

venustum:

violascens:

virens:

wardii: med - low light, intermediate temps

wolterianum:

adductum: composted crushed branches + inorganic component (lava rock or other), warm, medium light

dianthum: medium light, temperate, easy to grow

glanduliferum:

haynaldianum:

kolopakingii: temperate-warm, medium light, slow release fertiliser, well drained medium

lowii:

parishii:

philippinense: warm to hot, humid, high light, slow release fertiliser

platyphyllum: as for kolopakingii

randsii: fern roots (Asplenium, Osmunda, tree ferns ... ) in pots. Never repot (if possible lol)

richardianum:

rothschildianum: warm, high light, well drained pots, slow release fertiliser

sanderianum: warm to hot, very humid and shady, calcareous, well drained medium

stonei: warm to hot, as for roths

supardii:

wilhelminae: high light

chamberlianum:

glaucophyllum:

liemianum:

moquetteanum:

primulinum:

victor-mariae:

victor-reginae:

 

[Stone]

OK, I said I'd do this so..
I'm posting a list of Paph species and I'd like to get growers' inputs on requirements [even if based on rumor] fro successfull growing. The categories I'd like to see addressed are: temperature, light, watering, fertilizer, pot size, media and mineral additives, air flow, and any seasonal changes recommended.

armeniacum:

delenatii:

emersonii:

hangianum:

jackii:

malipoense:

micranthum:

vietnamense:

[thaianum:]

bellatulum:

concolor:

godefroyae:

niveum:

barbigerum:

boxalii:

charlesworthii:

druryi:

exul:

fairrieanum:

gratrixianum:

helenae:

henryanum:

hermanii:

hirsutissimum:

insigne:

spicerianum:

tigrinum:

tranlienianum:

villosum:

acmodontum:

appletonianum:

argus:

barbatum:

bullenianum:

callosum:

ciliolare:

curtsii:

dayanum:

fowliei:

hennisianum:

hookerae:

javanicum:

lawrenceanum:

mastersianum:

purpuratum:

sangii:

schoseri:

sukhakulii:

superbiens:

tonsum:

urbanianum:

venustum:

violascens:

virens:

wardii:

wolterianum:

adductum:

diantum:

glanduliferum:

haynaldianum:

kolopakingii:

lowii:

parishii:

philippinense:

platyphyllum:

randsii:

richardianum:

rothschildianum:

sanderianum:

stonei:

supardii:

wilhelminae:

chamberlianum:

glaucophyllum:

liemianum:

moquetteanum:

primulinum:

victor-mariae:

victor-reginae:

Just learn how to spell some of them. THanx.

I was looking up something and came across this...and some tried to answer.. :rollhappy:

 

[NYEric]

OK,
rungsuriyaunum - Not too wet!

 

[Parryaw]

I'm guessing you must have lost that rungsuriyanum then?

 

[NYEric]

Lost what? :ninja: