Roths at Sabah (ex-situ)

[paphioboy]

I just came back from a wonderful trip to Sabah. Covered Kinabalu Park, with the botanic garden within, Kundasang and Poring Orchid Centre. Lots of wild local species, many endemics. I was fortunate enough to arrive during the start of the roth flowering season. In 2-3 weeks time there might be a lot more in bloom, as well as many Coelogyne species, which are in spike now.

Temperatures during daytime until midnight ranged from 28-33 degrees C. In the early mornings (I think between 2-6am), temperature suddenly drops to around 15 degrees C, only for a few hours. Currently, it is the dry season, but still the rocks were covered in mosses. I am not sure how often the orchids are watered in the shadehouses, as I didn't see any irrigation systems installed.

First, at Kundasang war memorial (Borneo garden):

A lowii with roths planted on the ground. These plants were the most established. The roths were in full shade at one end:






In spike:

 

[paphioboy]

Then at Poring Orchid Centre..









I almost screamed aloud when I saw this bed of monster roths!


Thickness of the old spikes:





Variability in roth flowers. Some had downswept petals at a 45 degree angle. One particular plant looked almost like a Susan Booth but with less twisty petals. All of these wild roths have a yellow background. I did not see any with a white background on the dorsal and synsepal.

 

[Cat]

OMG!!!! Look at them all!!!!!!

 

[JeanLux]

Hi Li! Same question here: ground = soil only, or rocky underground? Jean

 

[Bjorn]

Interesting growing concept. Must be better drainage than it seems

 

[paphioboy]

Hi Li! Same question here: ground = soil only, or rocky underground? Jean

Jean, honestly I do not know. But I remember seeing some older photos on Flickr or elsewhere of the same area in Kundasang garden with rocky underground... That was several years back when some of the plants were less established.

 

[paphioboy]

But rothschildianum can be grown in well-drained soil here. It is one of the more 'terrestrial' species.

 

[emydura]

What amazing photos. Thanks for posting them. I like that last roth clone.

I wished I lived in a climate where I could grow my roths in the garden bed.

 

[Justin]

wowwwwwwww!!!!!!!!

 

[Linus_Cello]

Is that a phaius next to the roths in one of the pictures?

 

[Ozpaph]

wow and wow

 

[Chicago Chad]

like I mentioned on the post Montri shared on FB- I love the wild roth look:clap:

 

[Drorchid]

Awesome pictures. and interesting to see the variation in these "wild" roths! Are they getting hand pollinated? It looks like there are tags on the flower stems?

Robert

 

[eOrchids]

WOWWWWWWWW!!!!!

Look at all those roths! :drool:

 

[Mocchaccino]

pretty awesome pictures you took. Thanks for broadening my horizons . Just unbelievable that these giant guys can just be mounted into the ground without signs of rot. So amazing. I am thinking if I do the same I am just killing my entire collection

 

[Justin]

the first thing i did after seeing these was to run downstairs to see how my plants compare!!

my leaves overall are a little cleaner with only occasional brown fungal spotting like these have, but one thing i noticed was the Borneo plants do not show a whole lot of brown leaf tips/leaf die-back from the tips (i believe also fungal in nature) , which is something i always struggle with.

but for me both symptoms are more seasonal in spring/fall...

 

[AdamD]

I've tried to pot my roths higher than the media like that before, but I end up with 1" fried root nubs... Nothing compares with natural habitat and climate. Awesome pics, thanks so much for sharing

 

[NYEric]

Nice. great looking plants. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Brabantia]

Beautiful pictures and very educational.
Jean: I recall a friend who visited Kinabalu Mont told me that Paph rotschildianum grew in granular volcanic lava rock. Probably hier it is lava rock with a little leaves mould.

 

[theshatterings]

Nice to see these being conserved ex situ!

What about the Phal species at these places? : D