# Paph. niveum 2021



## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

Average flower. But a fantastic grower. Always giving me 2 spikes with 2 flowers each! Been with me for a while.

The white residue on leaves is from castille liquid soap i added when i foliar feed.


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## CarlG (Mar 23, 2021)

What does the soap do?


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

CarlG said:


> What does the soap do?



Helps with surface tension so the foliar feed penetrates the leaves better. Just a few drops per litre. Sort of deters spider mites as well. Haven’t seen them since I started adding it.


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## Paphtrick (Mar 23, 2021)

Looks so good and healthy! Do you mind explaining foliar feed? It's the first time i hear about it  @papheteer


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

Paphtrick said:


> Looks so good and healthy! Do you mind explaining foliar feed? It's the first time i hear about it  @papheteer



I just mix whatever fertilizer I use, in this case miracle gro, in a sprayer and add a few drops of castille soap. Spray that whole plant and that’s that. I make sure to do right when I open the lights so that the plants are dry when the lights go off. Or else there’s a risk of rot especially with these brachy types.


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

I fertilize very very lightly. 1/8 tsp per gallon of water both for foliar and root watering.


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## Paphtrick (Mar 23, 2021)

papheteer said:


> I fertilize very very lightly. 1/8 tsp per gallon of water both for foliar and root watering.


Additional to fertilizing the growing medium? Is it worth a try?


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

Paphtrick said:


> Additional to fertilizing the growing medium? Is it worth a try?


Yes. I fertilizing every time I water.
Foliar feeding may add a little benefit for culture. But not a lot. Even media fertilizing is just a tiny percentage of the equation. Lighting, watering, media, air flow are by far more important.


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

Btw this is what works for me, under my conditions. It may or may not work for other people. But it’s good to try new things!


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 23, 2021)

Super plant. You gotta self it.


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

TyroneGenade said:


> Super plant. You gotta self it.


You think? Flower quality is not that good though! Maybe if I had a better flower crossing it with this will result with decent flowers and good vigour!


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## werner.freitag (Mar 23, 2021)

nice niveum !



CarlG said:


> What does the soap do?


neutral soaps are sold as spreader for pesticides and fertilizers to ge better surface wetting
I use it for this purpose


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## SlipperKing (Mar 23, 2021)

You can send that "average " niveum my way anytime!
Are you growing in an organic mix or not?


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

SlipperKing said:


> You can send that "average " niveum my way anytime!
> Are you growing in an organic mix or not?


I love this average niveum to bits! I prefer good growing plants over award quality blooms. Both would be nice though!

Fir bark with some perlite and charcoal. I don’t have any luck with inorganic mixes. It gets too “cool” for brachies under my conditions. No luck with orchiata too. But I think the pot is more roots than bark at this time. Haven’t repotted in about 3 years


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## SlipperKing (Mar 23, 2021)

Good to hear.
I had a friend in the early 2000s that wasn't a great grower and he always moved his plants outside for the summer. Squirrels were a problem for him, knocking plants everywhere. Bottom line he had this beautifully grown Psyche in a plastic pot with nothing but Styrofoam peanuts after squirrels worked it over. Put it in bark mix and down hill it would go.


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## papheteer (Mar 23, 2021)

SlipperKing said:


> Good to hear.
> I had a friend in the early 2000s that wasn't a great grower and he always moved his plants outside for the summer. Squirrels were a problem for him, knocking plants everywhere. Bottom line he had this beautifully grown Psyche in a plastic pot with nothing but Styrofoam peanuts after squirrels worked it over. Put it in bark mix and down hill it would go.


 

Poor Psyche! I have a big brachy that's growing in pure moss. Go figure! I intend to repot it soon but scared that it may not take well to fir bark!


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## troy (Mar 23, 2021)

I'd pluck off those squirrels......


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 23, 2021)

papheteer said:


> You think? Flower quality is not that good though! Maybe if I had a better flower crossing it with this will result with decent flowers and good vigour!


Well average or not, I would like a division hehe.


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## papheteer (Mar 24, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well average or not, I would like a division hehe.




ohhhh but it's not an album! 

you are first on the list!


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 24, 2021)

papheteer said:


> ohhhh but it's not an album!
> 
> you are first on the list!


Yayyyy awesome thanks! Sometimes non-albums sneak into my collection lol.


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## Martin (Mar 24, 2021)

Great niveum and thanks for that useful culture tips!


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## sunset (Mar 24, 2021)




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## CarlG (Mar 24, 2021)

Thanks for the info, guys!


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 26, 2021)

papheteer said:


> You think? Flower quality is not that good though! Maybe if I had a better flower crossing it with this will result with decent flowers and good vigour!



I would prefer a plant that grows vigorously and flowers profusely than one that produces perfect flowers every now and then and is a constant battle to keep alive. But that's just me.


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## papheteer (Mar 26, 2021)

TyroneGenade said:


> I would prefer a plant that grows vigorously and flowers profusely than one that produces perfect flowers every now and then and is a constant battle to keep alive. But that's just me.



yup! I feel the same! Also... I find that even “normal” paphs produce exceptional flowers once they are happy multigrowth plants.


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 27, 2021)

papheteer said:


> yup! I feel the same! Also... I find that even “normal” paphs produce exceptional flowers once they are happy multigrowth plants.


I see both sides of the picture. I really appreciate well grown and flowered plants, particularly the specimens. 

However as a judge, my eyes are always trained on the lookout of the balance of form and colors in a group of plants, not only during judging but also when I buy orchids at shows. Even online I buy orchids based on flower pics of the plant or parents. 

Many of us do it unconsciously in fact. And if we participate in orchid shows, it invariably creeps up in one's mine what is good and what is crap. The orchids themselves test each of us when we walk through a show. Many are drawn to the roundest or weirdest and most colorful blooms. 

Even here, among the professed non-elitist, a stunning flower will elicit their wondrous remarks. It is only human.


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## papheteer (Mar 27, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> I see both sides of the picture. I really appreciate well grown and flowered plants, particularly the specimens.
> 
> However as a judge, my eyes are always trained on the lookout of the balance of form and colors in a group of plants, not only during judging but also when I buy orchids at shows. Even online I buy orchids based on flower pics of the plant or parents.
> 
> ...



well said! I do look for good parents when buying seedlings!

that being said I wouldn’t mind an award winning division, as long as I don’t have to pay a fortune for it! I’d rather buy a flask with award winning parents and take my chances!

I do have admiration for people that can afford these expensive divisions and have the confidence in their growing skills not to kill them! I’d be scared to death owning a plant bought for more than 200$!


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 27, 2021)

papheteer said:


> well said! I do look for good parents when buying seedlings!
> 
> that being said I wouldn’t mind an award winning division, as long as I don’t have to pay a fortune for it! I’d rather buy a flask with award winning parents and take my chances!
> 
> I do have admiration for people that can afford these expensive divisions and have the confidence in their growing skills not to kill them! I’d be scared to death owning a plant bought for more than 200$!


You are a very good grower. I would trust you with a $1000 plant lol.


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## papheteer (Mar 27, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> You are a very good grower. I would trust you with a $1000 plant lol.


My most expensive plant was bought for 100$. And I killed it! Lol so no to $1000!


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 27, 2021)

papheteer said:


> My most expensive plant was bought for 100$. And I killed it! Lol so no to $1000!


Yikes... what was it?


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## GuRu (Apr 2, 2021)

I'm a bit late here but I won't miss to say....I like this well grown plant of an 'average' Paph. niveum, too.


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