Paph culture tips

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NYEric

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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. :)
 
People are able to contribute to whichever they want. Remember I don't grow a lot of species but at least this should help w/ hybrid and species culture.
 
Well here is how I have found success with a couple of these:

P. delenatii: I grow it in a regular bark mix (fine) and water with tap water (as I do all my Paphs). I keep it moist but not wet. I grow in moderate-low light. Temps are intermediate. I fertilize the same as any Paph. It flowers very freely with little seasonal change needed. Blooming sized seedlings grow in 2.5-3" pots, larger plants in 4" pots.

P. villosum: Moderate light, intermediate temps. Everything else pretty standard. My multi-growth plant is in a 5" pot with a mixture of fine and medium bark media. It seems to flower quite freely.

I grow other species on this list as well but haven't flowered them yet, so I probably shouldn't post anything on them.
 
armeniacum:I like the conconut fiber lined hanging basket for this species and I'm about to try micranthum: and tigrinum: Media consist of 6 parts of 50/50 mix media bark/CHC damp, 3 parts # 3 sponage rock, 1.5 parts of charcoal (1/4 inch) 1 cup of bone meal and mix. After plants are potted up add to the top cruched oyster shell, a good bit of it. Note; this mix is for all my plants regardless of the type of container. I have never seen the greenhouse above 90'F in the summer because of the wet wall and I have 3 circulating fans, 2 exhust fans. The light levels vary between 4000 and 6000 Foot Candles I'm guessing. I fertize with Peter's professional 20/20/20 150ppm N everytime I water and never flush. Well many not never, once or twice a year. The water is collected rain. I backed off this past fall to 50ppm N for the first time, in past years I switched to a bloom booster fert. I water every 2 sometimes 3 days in the summer and far less in the winter 5 to up to 10 days in the winter. I will add more as time allots for.
 
I don't consider myself to be a "species heavyweight" or anything like that but I can post what seems to work for me as someone who grows Paph species on windowsills if that's of any interest?

Obviously I've been growing them for a fairly short time so I can only speak about short-term (2 or so years max) results in growing and flowering. In that time I also started noticing some patterns. I appear to have the best luck ( I hesitate to call them success for now) with Brachypetalum and Coryopeilum species. Not doing too badly with the Insigne group and while the Parvis (and their hybrids) grow fine for me I'm yet to flower one.



I can start with tranlienianum because it's my most vigorous Paph by far and also one of my very first ones too so I've had it longer than others.

The plant is in my living room and I use no temp control, artificial lighting or any humidity control gadgets.

The plant is in a 3 inch pot. The potting mix is a simple bark and perlite mix, I'd say roughly a 2:1 ratio. I top dress with crushed oyster shell and last summer I started adding about a teaspoon of bone meal to the mix too.

Watered approx once every 7 days. 5 days if it's warm and 10-14 days during the colder months. Fertilised at full strength at every watering using tap water which is fairly good quality here. basically trying to keep it evenly moist. Not constantly wet and not too dry.

Located on a West-facing windowsill, it gets a fairly bright shade with direct evening sun in the summer. I tried growing it brighter on a South facing windowsill but growths got stunted after a short while.

Hope that's okay.



Other species that flowered for me are concolor, fairrieanum, leucochilum, philippinense and wilhelminiae. Niveum and rothschildianum are currently in bud.
 
I had a Paph malipoense seedling that was really happy while I watered it once a week. I also tried to keep it warm and humid in winter. Then I started watering it twice a week, and in two weeks it was dead! They don't like for their roots to stay wet.
 
well, Eric, you sure are ambitious....I'll help if I can condense it...
Parvi's (except delanatii)- standard mix (fine bark, coarse sponge rock,charcoal) with oyster shell/limestone/coral chips
cool, strong light for armeniacum, shadier for the others....cold winters, normal summers...good luck!
delanatii- same as above, but instead of oyster shell (NONE!) use NZ sphagnum...treat it like a phrag, very wet (but without the "wet feet"), same light (bright...does not have to be strong though...) warmer than the other parvis, but a chill can't hurt. easy.....
Cochlo's....same mix as the parvis. same light....warmer temps (except for mariae, but I can't say from experience...) some are easy, some are not...liemianum and glaucophyllum tend to be easier...sometimes primulinum...seems to be very individual..some clones easy, some not
insigne group....same mix, maybe without the oyster shell...same lighting...cool to cold in winter. Some real easy...like insigne...full range from easy to difficult. Even easy ones aren't reliable...may bloom easily one year, skip a few years in between blooms. henryanum and barbigerum easy to grow, cranky to bloom...charlesworthii just cranky....
barbata- same mix, NO limestone or oyster shell....shady, warm, (for most...sukhakulii, wardii, venustum prefer cooler) can be very easy to grow (callosum, sukhakulii) or harder (violascens, mastersianum)...but easy to bloom as long as they live.
Brachy's- weird. Same mix, but extra sponge rock or other inert media. they need fresh media, but hate repotting. Temps vary...warmer for niveum, cooler for bellatulum, the others in between. bright light, but doesn't have to be strong......hard to keep alive...but easy to bloom as long as they live.
Pardalopetalums- very easy (haynaldianum) easy (lowii) cranky (parishii, dianthum) same mix.. light varies...lower for parishii, medium for haynaldianum, higher for lowii (but doesn't need strong light...) haynaldianum and lowii are very easy to bloom....parishii is just slow as ****, but will bloom easily enough when its ready...not enough experience with dianthum.
The other multiflorals...well, I don't think I'm qualified....Take care, Eric
 
Oh man, now I've really got to try and remember who's a parvi, who's a cochlo, who's a brachi. Dang. Takes a lot of brain power, dontcha know. :D
 
Pardalopetalums- very easy (haynaldianum) easy (lowii) cranky (parishii, dianthum) same mix.. light varies...lower for parishii, medium for haynaldianum, higher for lowii (but doesn't need strong light...) haynaldianum and lowii are very easy to bloom....parishii is just slow as ****, but will bloom easily enough when its ready...not enough experience with dianthum.

I think dianthum is pretty easy to grow and bloom. A hundred times easier to grow than parishii. I'd say it is as hardy as lowii or haynaldianum.

I've personally never found callosum easy to grow. I've killed a few, especially the sublaeve form which I've had no luck with. I now have a couple of good clones of callosum which I seem to be growing well.

David
 
The list I posted is by group, I just didn't list the group title. This is for everyone's input so I don't mind if anyone starts their post with, "In my experience.." or, " I find that.." :D!
 
Hello Erik, I have quite many of these, I just can you for those I am seuccesful by now:

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:

fairrieanum:

gratrixianum:

helenae: small pots, well drained, high light

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: 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:

wolterianum:

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

diantum: 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:


That's all by now lol
 

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