# Paph. Psyche



## e-spice (Aug 23, 2010)

Here's a good growing brachy that I got about eight years ago from eBay. Before it was divided a few years ago, it had about 14 flowers open at once. It has only four this year but is growing well. I am working on getting it back to the size before it was divided. It blooms several times per year.

e-spice







Here it is, before it was divided:


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## emydura (Aug 23, 2010)

Very nice. Not a bad clone and obviously a good grower. Why did you divide it? 

David


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## e-spice (Aug 23, 2010)

emydura said:


> Very nice. Not a bad clone and obviously a good grower. Why did you divide it?
> 
> David



Well thanks David - I just can't get the hang of those dendrobiums you guys have down there :rollhappy: Thanks again for the helpful comments a few weeks ago.

I divided this one because it was starting to crowd itself in the 5.5-inch pot it was in. The brachys I have tend to grow pretty well in S/H culture once they get to be a certain size. I have had a bellatulum do the same thing - almost smothering itself out in a 4.5-inch pot before I divided it (see below). You should try growing them S/H if you haven't tried it before. I know it is counter intuitive - you generally hear that brachys should be kept a little drier but they have grown great for me in S/H culture.

Paph. bellatulum being divided in S/H culture


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## SlipperFan (Aug 23, 2010)

Oh my! Try separating those roots!


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## John M (Aug 23, 2010)

I'm almost more impressed with those roots on that bellatulum than I am with the Psyche! Nice!

If you'd really rather not disturb a plant; but, it's still having troubles with crowding out the new growths, why not just remove some of the leaves on the older, bloomed growths......little by little? That's what I do for specimen plants. If a plant has such robst old growths that the new growths can't reach the light and spread out properly, I remove the older growths, a few leaves at a time. I'll pull a few leaves every few weeks/every few months....as needed, as the new growths come up, bulk up and fan out. That way, the plant is not shocked by losing a lot of foliage all at once. Plus, this way, if the potting mix does not need to be changed, the roots aren't disturbed and the plant is not stressed; but, the roots from the newly leafless growths continue to function and feed the new growths because they are still attached via the rhizome to the rest of the plant. 

The trick is to not be too aggressive. Just pull the large, old leaves that are *currently* in the way. Don't pull leaves to "make room" that you imagine the new growths will need. Just pull the ones that are clearly causing new growths to distort and deform. At the end of a growing season, you will have a plant that looks very much the same as it did at the beginning. However, instead of most of the foliage belonging to old, bloomed growths, it now belongs to fresh, new unbloomed growths.....And, the crowns of the new leaf fans are not overcrowded/squished. The plant is now in fine shape to put on a beautiful display of blooms when the next blooming season comes around.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Aug 24, 2010)

Beautifully grown and flowered...


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## JeanLux (Aug 24, 2010)

Great blooms, and strong bella!!!!

Interesting info John!!! Jean


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## labskaus (Aug 24, 2010)

I love that ROOTBALL on the bellatulum. The Psyche ist a nice flower, hope you get it to specimen size soon again. That was awesome!


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## Bolero (Aug 24, 2010)

Gorgeous flowering, looks like S/H is working extremely well.


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## toddybear (Aug 24, 2010)

Gorgeous! Obviously well grown!


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## Shiva (Aug 24, 2010)

Lovely flowers and good tips John.


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## emydura (Aug 24, 2010)

e-spice said:


> Well thanks David - I just can't get the hang of those dendrobiums you guys have down there :rollhappy: Thanks again for the helpful comments a few weeks ago.
> 
> I divided this one because it was starting to crowd itself in the 5.5-inch pot it was in. The brachys I have tend to grow pretty well in S/H culture once they get to be a certain size. I have had a bellatulum do the same thing - almost smothering itself out in a 4.5-inch pot before I divided it (see below). You should try growing them S/H if you haven't tried it before. I know it is counter intuitive - you generally hear that brachys should be kept a little drier but they have grown great for me in S/H culture.



Thanks. That is amazing. I might have to give the S/H a go with the Brachys as they are a bit of a struggle for me. Particularly bellatulum. My Psyche is doing well though.

David


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## NYEric (Aug 24, 2010)

Good Stuff!  Thanx for posting. Was the Psyche in s/h?


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## e-spice (Aug 24, 2010)

NYEric said:


> Good Stuff!  Thanx for posting. Was the Psyche in s/h?



Yes - the Psyche was S/H too.

e-spice


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## PaphMadMan (Aug 24, 2010)

If I could choose only one brachy to own it would probably be a good vigorous Psyche like yours. I'll fight you for it! :viking:


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## SlipperKing (Aug 24, 2010)

Fantastic stuff! I'm trying a bellatulum in S/H for 6 weeks now. Nothing like yours but it isn't dying as before AND it is putting out new growth.


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## etex (Aug 24, 2010)

Great Psyche, and great roots on the bella!!


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## NYEric (Aug 25, 2010)

Hmmm, the S/h thing again.


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