Paphiopedilum stonei wild in situ

[Paphman910]

What kind of lava rock do you use?

Just the one from garden shop and it is reddish brown in color! Makes the pot super heavy!

 

[troy]

Oops this pic went to wrong thread lol..

 

[Paphman910]

Nice setup! Where is stonei hiding?

 

[NYEric]

that's why you need more lights! oke:

 

[troy]

I thought about getting lights but I have base table with three shelves stacked up. One light probably wouldnt hit all four spots. I get direct light in the morning for almost three hours it heats up to high 70s quick. in the afternoon theres a building right across the way painted white the setting sun reflects light in, I have single pane windows

 

[Camellkc]

I am constantly amazed that some are able to grow this species so easily. Claims of it being easy and fast (and in some cases, the fastest grower), yet under my culture it is slow and difficult. I have tried regular fertilizer, and a K-Lite approximate, but still I struggle. I am obviously missing a vital aspect of its requirements. This is why the in-situ pictures are of so much interest. Not because of leaf colour, but the plant environment, thank you all for the pictures!

Me too! I have 2 failure experience in stonei but my other muti species such as kolopakingii, lowii, philippinese and even supardii and roths do very well under the same environmental, watering and feeding conditions. My kolo's new growth becomes a monster size now too.

 

[troy]

The sun moves with the season I actually get more direct light in the winter

 

[troy]

I have a paph transdoll thats real close to kolo in size. 2 growth plant bloomed once with a leafspan of 14 inches 28 inches leaf tip to tip

 

[Camellkc]

I have a paph transdoll thats real close to kolo in size. 2 growth plant bloomed once with a leafspan of 14 inches 28 inches leaf tip to tip

Your transdoll seems to be big. FYI, my kolo's leaf size is around 60cm (24inches) each and the leaf span (the length between 2 leaves' tip) is around 110 cm (around 45 inches)

 

[troy]

4 foot leafspan thats big wow, I have 2 kolo hybrids 1 is lawless tristan given to me 18 in 1 leaf 21 inch other 39 inches leaf to leaf, I think I'm gonna sell it although it has a new growth when it was given to me there was blemishes and spots on it the other I have is a large seedling kolosand x pey gift from marilyn ledoux she's awesome has good plants

 

[Brabantia]

I am constantly amazed that some are able to grow this species so easily. Claims of it being easy and fast (and in some cases, the fastest grower), yet under my culture it is slow and difficult. I have tried regular fertilizer, and a K-Lite approximate, but still I struggle. I am obviously missing a vital aspect of its requirements. This is why the in-situ pictures are of so much interest. Not because of leaf colour, but the plant environment, thank you all for the pictures!

Has it a good roots system? Because usually it is the reason why plants are not growing. Paphiopedilum culture is a good culture of there roots :wink:

 

[troy]

Yes

 

[troy]

Whats not growing?

 

[Paphman910]

Has it a good roots system? Because usually it is the reason why plants are not growing. Paphiopedilum culture is a good culture of there roots :wink:

What is the water quality like? Is the water low in TDS and is the pH at 6.4-6.8 range?

 

[troy]

I use arrowhead spring water, I'm keeping them in business lol.. my ph is 6.5 except for my rock dwellers those get 7.0 - 7.5. I have a harold koopowitz I've had for two years going into bloom in a clear pot I can show you the roots although the blooming crown got funk on it because my humidifier dripped in it all night last november

 

[troy]

 

[Rick]

I wonder how much of that rock leeches off with the rain water over those roots?

Given the high rate of rainfall the stuff the roots see is very dilute.

 

[Rick]

I use arrowhead spring water, I'm keeping them in business lol.. my ph is 6.5 except for my rock dwellers those get 7.0 - 7.5.

"Spring Waters" typically have fairly high TDS, alkalinity and Calcium/Magnesium hardness concentrations.

Not unlike Perrier water.

 

[Rick]

I am constantly amazed that some are able to grow this species so easily. Claims of it being easy and fast (and in some cases, the fastest grower), yet under my culture it is slow and difficult. I have tried regular fertilizer, and a K-Lite approximate, but still I struggle. I am obviously missing a vital aspect of its requirements. This is why the in-situ pictures are of so much interest. Not because of leaf colour, but the plant environment, thank you all for the pictures!

Have you tried baskets?

Are you bright and warm?

Low K turned them around for me, but keeping N high can make pot management tough to the point of chronic underwatering (to reduce root rots). These guys grow fast with lots of water, but if you end up witholding water over concern of potting mix integrity and root rots, they end up stunted.

 

[troy]

My fertilizers I've been using have very low numbers 5-2-1 and other stuff I've been putting together very low numbers all my plants are growing very well. the water I'm using a while ago I took to my hydro shop and had a few gallons tested and it came out very low I forgot the numbers but the duehickey they used to test it costs $150.00 lol.. it was digitaI, I have quite a few plants about to bloom I've been growing for a long time