What's your experience with Paph. Magic Lantern?

[rdlsreno]

Mine is easy to grow and regularly flowers. I think it depends on the cross if the Paph. delenatii used are the new plants (easier to grow) or the old interbreed original one which is hard to grow.

Ramon

 

[L I Jane]

This was my awarded CCE in 2007.I had it for a long time before that & it had always bloomed-up to 3 or 4 blooms.The next year after the award it came up with only 2 buds-1 bloomed the other died.Since then nothing but I had divided the plant.I still haven't lost hope

 

[goldenrose]

Mine has grown very well under my typical paph conditions, and has bloomed twice in less than a year. Not certain, but I think I got it from Ernie. Perhaps I am lucky that I have a fairly vigorous clone. My local friend received an FCC on his Magic Lantern year before last, it is a monster plant with many flowers.

Now we're talking. Yeah, Mark, no doubt that one came from us.

I got a big beautiful growth plant at Ernie's yard /moving sale, couldn't resist, hope they're related!

I have several and all easy to grow. The key is cold and dry in winter (down to freezing without frost touching the leaves) and warm and wet in summer. I have cold winds blowing across the leaves in winter (I grow outside all year round) and they even get rained on sometimes.
That's what works for me. Keep them drier than you would think and make sure no water sits in the crown in winter.

One would think one wouldn't have to go quite to this extreme. If it works for you, I certainly would change nothing! Natural habitat -summer temps 83/65, winter 69/48, wet May-Sept, cool, dry Sept-March. No one has mentioned a light factor? Lance's book indicates a minimum of 10 hrs of good light daily year round. Anyone noticing that making a difference? Light intensity recommended is moderately shaded, although mine seems to do better with morning sun.

 

[SlipperFan]

That's about the prettiest pink I can imagine, Jane!

 

[Bolero]

No, I haven't noticed them needing 10 hours, we get less than that in winter and they still flower well.

I wasn't suggesting you need to go down to freezing. But I am suggesting a cold rest period. 48F is a little high for a minimum in winter I would think for the micranthum part it's a little high anyway. 48F is the average minimum for winter, not the extreme minimum. In the natural habitat of micranthum they are known to go down near to freezing. I am not suggesting anyone do that but they grow cold here and apparently they seem to need the cold rest in winter.

One grower once told me he saw a photo of micranthum sitting near the snow line. I am not sure if that's true but they can be exposed to frost like conditions without being directly affected (protected). delenatii probably needs more warmth than the micranthum but it depends which parent dominates.

I agree that morning sun is important, it seems to be important for all my orchids. Late afternoon sun is far less important. I do not know if I am right though.

 

[emydura]

I can understand having a cold spell for flowering but most of us can't even keep it alive which I don't think has anything to do with minimum temps.

David

 

[e-spice]

This was my awarded CCE in 2007.I had it for a long time before that & it had always bloomed-up to 3 or 4 blooms.The next year after the award it came up with only 2 buds-1 bloomed the other died.Since then nothing but I had divided the plant.I still haven't lost hope

What an impressive sight! If they all looked like yours Magic Lantern would be the most popular orchid of all time. I love the photo - with the four open ones in the front and the two in the background still opening. Very nicely grown!

e-spice