Paphiopedilum fairrieanum family

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I have a few fairrieanum in bud right now. Most from different parents. So, I will post them on the same thread as they open.

This is the first successful seedling to open from a 2019 flask. My understanding is that the flask was abandoned with Orchid Zone closed. The parents were 'BRR' x 'Pink Perfect'. I don't have many left. I sold some and some self selected out.🫠 I am anxiously awaiting the ones I have left.

I want to complain that it took me so long to see one of these successfully bloom. However, these seedlings have seen a lot and kept up the pace. One attempted to bloom last year but the bloom did not make it. All of the ups and downs make this cutie more exciting.

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Darlene, do you have the alba form? I think the alba form is quite nice too...but based on the look of my plants(both alba and the color form), I can't tell the difference since both forms have no pigments on the plants. Do your plants have any pigments on the leaves/at the base of the growth?
 
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Darlene, do you have the alba form? I think the alba form is quite nice too...but based on the look of my plants(both alba and the color form), I can't tell the difference since both forms have no pigments on the plants. Do your plants have any pigments on the leaves/at the base of the growth?
No, I have an almost alba but it has a touch of pigmentation. Neither of the color forms I have have pigmentation on the leaves.
 
Give the flower a sniff one late morning on a sunny day and see what you think about it. I don't grow this species but I found out that it's fragrant!

Long story short, I noticed a scent on one of my fairrieanum hybrids last year, looked it up, and sure enough, this one's fragrant. Having said that, I never noticed a scent on the flowers when grown indoors under lights, but outdoors in natural sunlight and fresh air, it was faint yet detectable. Lovely species, I should consider growing it one day.
 
As someone who has a reputation for success growing from flask, do you have tips to share? Is there a good online tutorial that you would recommend? If not, would you consider describing your methods? I’ve tried growing from flask a couple of times through the years, but without much success. I really want to get a flask of paphs or phrags and be successful!
 
Congratulations!!! What a terrific first flower.

I’m curious to know about your plants; could you share shots of the full plant? In 2018 or 2019 (I can’t remember just now), I too picked up a flask of fairrieanum from Marni Turkel via eBay, also an OZ cross: “Porky’s” X “Pink Perfect.” So, my plants share half the genetics of yours. I received about 17 plants in the flask; it was very inexpensive because the plants were at least a year past when they should have come out.

I still have a dozen though…but they always seem kind of weak growers. Repotting is a nightmare because the roots are so brittle. They are long and thin and snap off if I even breathe on them too hard. You think this is an exaggeration but I swear I once gently extracted one from mix that had gone south after 2 years, I laid it oh so carefully on its side and as I sighed in relief in its direction, the longest root just CRACKED OFF. And there are never MANY roots. I have two plants with barely a root as a result of this breakage, just sitting in sphagnum. One has been there for 2 years.

Anyway, love to see yours and hear what you’re doing. I’ve been very curious and hopeful to see a first flower and yours gives me even more hope. It is truly terrific. Great natural shape and vivid coloration. I hope mine are half as nice.
 
I have a few fairrieanum in bud right now. Most from different parents. So, I will post them on the same thread as they open.

This is the first successful seedling to open from a 2019 flask. My understanding is that the flask was abandoned with Orchid Zone closed. The parents were 'BRR' x 'Pink Perfect'. I don't have many left. I sold some and some self selected out.🫠 I am anxiously awaiting the ones I have left.

I want to complain that it took me so long to see one of these successfully bloom. However, these seedlings have seen a lot and kept up the pace. One attempted to bloom last year but the bloom did not make it. All of the ups and downs make this cutie more exciting.

View attachment 50391
View attachment 50392View attachment 50393
Just perfect!!
 
Thanks all! I will respond to the questions about my flask process later. It is exciting to hear others are trying to grow out flasks. It is very rewarding!

Here are a few others that are open.

This is a division of the first fairrieanum I bought. It was around 10 years ago. I grew it into a large clump for 8 years. Then I self divided into 3 smaller plants. I never divide this species. It will break apart when it is ready.
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Here is it next to the clone above:
20241107_154606.jpg
 
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