Stonei spiking

[Rick]

After putting up a sheath last summer, this is taking off really fast. 2 days ago the spike was at the edge of the sheath, and this morning I swear that the bract tips were just an inch or so beyond the sheath. It looks like it put on 2 inches this afternoon!! This is a first time bloomer of Harlan X The Best. I'll check my records later, but I think its 5 years out of flask now.

 

[kentuckiense]

Five years out of flask is pretty darn fast for a stonei, no?

 

[Rick]

Five years out of flask is pretty darn fast for a stonei, no?

I checked my records and I got it from Paphinatics (via Orchid Babies) in Sept 04, and it was a wee one then. So that does put it about 5 years.

I think the slowness of this species is over-rated. If you give it high light warmth and humidity it grows as fast as a phili.

 

[Elena]

How exciting, stonei is one of my top 3 favourite species!

Any chance of a whole plant pic? What do you think helped to finally spur the spike into action?

 

[Wendy]

Well done Rick! :clap: I love stonei. :drool: My big one (multi growth) has had a sheath for ages now. I can see the dark bract just beginning inside the sheath so maybe it is thinking about flowers now. I have two others as well and one is the same cross as yours...looking forward to seeing your flowers.

 

[emydura]

Still 5 years is amazing. Great gowing Rick.

David

 

[biothanasis]

Well done Rick!!!!!

 

[likespaphs]

cool!
the only thing i managed to do with stonei was kill it.

 

[Ron-NY]

congrats!:clap:

 

[goldenrose]

:clap: Fantastic! :drool: I can only :smitten:! Keep us posted!
Repot mine yesterday, it's turning into a monster!

 

[Rick]

How exciting, stonei is one of my top 3 favourite species!

Any chance of a whole plant pic? What do you think helped to finally spur the spike into action?

Here's a couple of pics from July/08 when I first saw the sheath. It's added a few growths since then. For as big as the leaf span is, its only in a 2" pot!

 

[Rick]

:clap: Fantastic! :drool: I can only :smitten:! Keep us posted!
Repot mine yesterday, it's turning into a monster!

They are big plants!! I got a couple of mature divisions from Matt Gore that had leaf spans pushing 3'. They sulked the first year or so I've had them, but they are adding growths now (maybe they'll bloom this summer too)

 

[Elena]

Thanks, Rick!

Mine is supposed to be a flowering size too but it's a touch smaller than that. I've had since last summer and it's grown since. It's not the fastest of Paphs but I wouldn't describe it as painfully slow either.

 

[Rick]

Thanks, Rick!

Mine is supposed to be a flowering size too but it's a touch smaller than that. I've had since last summer and it's grown since. It's not the fastest of Paphs but I wouldn't describe it as painfully slow either.

If you aren't already doing it, add some oyster shell and a touch of bone meal to these guys.

 

[Elena]

Yup, I add both. Although come to think of it, I last top dressed some time around Aug/Sept so perhaps they could do with a top up now they re resuming their growths for the summer.

 

[paphjoint]

cool - keep going

 

[SlipperFan]

I love stonei!

I've heard they will bloom with very low light. Is this other people's experience?

 

[goldenrose]

.... For as big as the leaf span is, its only in a 2" pot!

WHAAAT!? Mine has a 24" l.s. and just repotted to an 8" pot, the roots were unbelievable, I knew what it was doing last summer! I got mine from Paphiness almost 2 yrs. ago, I believe Dean got them from OZ. It's Melancholy x Penan Pride.

 

[NYEric]

I'm going to cut and past some of this stuff to the paph culture thread!

 

[Rick]

WHAAAT!? Mine has a 24" l.s. and just repotted to an 8" pot, the roots were unbelievable, I knew what it was doing last summer! I got mine from Paphiness almost 2 yrs. ago, I believe Dean got them from OZ. It's Melancholy x Penan Pride.

I think that if someone was going to mount a paph this would be a good choice.

I'm using the same pot this seedling came in in 04! I've repotted at least 3 times (the 3rd time was a month or so after the above pics were taken). I use the evil CHC mix like Antec uses but with oyster shell added. It's a clear pot and I can see roots on roots.

It's very close to my philis, druryi, and adult roths, so it gets 5000 or so foot candles of light the first half of each day (on sunny days), and leaf temps can get up into the 90's. Humidity is above 70% all the time.

The 3 other stonei I have can grow as fast, but I've caught them with Erwinia problems when it gets hot, so they have been moved to bright areas with good airflow, but not quite as hot.