Paph hirsutissimum

[Trithor]

I am quite happy with this clone. It has proved to be difficult to bring to bloom for some reason.

 

[paworsport]

Superb! The flower is very big and colourfull

 

[17andgrowing]

I agree, I have one that's been in low bud for the last four months now.

 

[troy]

Excellent blooming!!!

 

[SlipperFan]

A beauty! Hirsuitissimum seems to be a difficult one to bloom.

 

[troy]

I can see your plant is very large, I'd like to know what temps you grow this at winter/summer

 

[John M]

Wow Gary.....That's a beauty.....What a gorgeous flower! Well done!

Keep it cold and dry(ish), next winter and you should get many more stems coming up all at once. Also, towards the end of summer, begin holding off on the fertilizer....especially nitrogen. It needs to starve a bit, to trigger the initiation of buds.

 

[Secundino]

Wow, that flower seems really big! Great! And good looking plant, too!

 

[troy]

Thanks for the info john, I have two multi growth plants from alan kotch and want to bloom them, how cold?

 

[OrchidIsa]

That's a wonderful one!!! :drool:

Bravo! :clap:

 

[Paphluvr]

Very nice flower. I'm surprised that with the size of the plant you only have one spike. As John M. says, colder and dryer should help initiate more spikes. Well grown plant, too.

 

[Spaph]

As everyone has said, really great color on this one!

 

[John M]

Thanks for the info john, I have two multi growth plants from alan kotch and want to bloom them, how cold?

As cold as you can get; but, not down to freezing. Try to get your plants at least into the 50's F. If you can get them down into the 40's, that's better; but, it's also important to starve the plant for Nitrogen....or fertilizer altogether in the fall/winter to get the initiation. Once you see spikes, you can resume feeding normally again. This is how I got a stubborn, big, bushy plant of this species to finally spike for me. Meet it's every need and spoil it during the growing season, then, at the end of summer/early fall, this extreme rest will set spikes for late winter/spring flowers.

 

[Trithor]

Thanks all. I was thinking that perhaps a bit more light in winter might be needed. I do not feed in winter, and also do not heat my grow area. The temperatures drop to 6-8 on some winter nights, while days are in the 20's. Not all nights go that cold, only when it drops to below zero at night.

 

[SlipperKing]

Another outstanding flower for color. Gary, you must not have any ulgy ducklings in your collection.

 

[emydura]

That's a lovely coloured clone. I don't think you are the only one that has troubles flowering this species.

 

[eggshells]

Really chunky flower and very vigorous. Very desirable.

 

[Trithor]

Gary, you must not have any ulgy ducklings in your collection.

Rick, believe me, I have more than my fair share of ugly ducklings!
Thanks for the compliment though

 

[Bjorn]

Gary, think you should change Your hosting; or is it me??? I cannot see Your Pictures, what a pity.....

 

[NYEric]

Yep. not visible.