# Kolo culture info help..



## paphioboy (Dec 29, 2009)

Hey guys.. I just received 2 kolopakingii from a friend today. Both look good, although with very few live roots. One plant consists of a very large mature growth (previously bloomed) but has 2 small shoots. The other is smaller but healthier, 2 previously bloomed growth, one currently growing shoot and a new one emerging. What advice would you give on getting the plants to grow new roots ASAP so that they don't lose too much water through the gigantic leaves..? How much sun do I give? I'm currently placing it beside my stonei. Any help greatly appreciated.


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## dodidoki (Dec 29, 2009)

Helo! I have one kolo, grown it for 4 years, was 10 cm LS, now 60 cm across with srong root system. I grow it as my stonei, but kolo is a fast grower, my stonei is very-very slow...I grow my kolo in mix of cocohusk, bark and lava rock.My experience that kolo tolerates drier conditions better than overwatering!


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## JeanLux (Dec 29, 2009)

see this thread, esp. sanderianum s post!!!
=> http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13961&highlight=kolopakingii

Jean


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## TyroneGenade (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks for the link Jean. I have a topperi on order from Orchid Inn via a local friend who is importing from them and was eager to see where this thread went. Jean, what was your plant grown in? A normal organic (bark, coco chips etc...) + non-organic (polystyrene, perlite etc...) + calcium/magnesium source (limestone etc...)?

Thanks


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## JeanLux (Dec 29, 2009)

TyroneGenade said:


> Thanks for the link Jean. I have a topperi on order from Orchid Inn via a local friend who is importing from them and was eager to see where this thread went. Jean, what was your plant grown in? A normal organic (bark, coco chips etc...) + non-organic (polystyrene, perlite etc...) + calcium/magnesium source (limestone etc...)?
> 
> Thanks



Bark + clay stones + charcoal, no limestone !! I repotted it some weeks ago, acc. to Sanderianums advice in a 23 cm clay pot with some slow-release fert.! New growths are developping well! Jean


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## goldenrose (Dec 29, 2009)

paphioboy said:


> Hey guys........ Both look good, although with very few live roots....


IMO if a plant is lacking roots, then strong light is not the way to go.
I would back off to moderate light & try to keep the humidity up.


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## dodidoki (Dec 29, 2009)

JeanLux said:


> see this thread, esp. sanderianum s post!!!
> => http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13961&highlight=kolopakingii
> 
> Jean


Ohhh, God!!!!More than 1 meter????????????????????So mine is very small!!!!!(only 60 cm across....)


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## Roth (Dec 29, 2009)

Kolos are very difficult to establish... Cut the rhizome up to the oldest growth with leaves, put some dithane powder on the wound. Pot it, keep it moderately moist. Be very careful that wild kolos can root ONCE never twice, if you miss the first flush of roots, and let it dry out, the plant dies. If you overwater, the plant dies. 

Use pumice and tree fern, except if you can find some pine bark, which is the best option to root those. Keep in a plastic pot, keep moist but not wet until it starts roots. You will loose quite a few leaves anyway, they will supply the remaining of the plant with food and water until the roots can catch up.

Kolopakingii have an extremely high mortality rate when you try to establish wild plants. The ones you have come most likely from Sarawak as you are in Malaysia, they should be very big plants. It is a very good type, and usually as a standard for Sarawak kolos, the blooms are as high quality as the 'Riopelle'. Good luck.

Kolo/topperii comes in a lot of flavors, from very compact 40cm leafspan plants to huge 2m giants, yellowish hard leaves, softer leathery leaves, etc... The flowers show quite a lot of variation, in size, number and color depending on the colony.


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## SlipperKing (Dec 29, 2009)

Good luck Paphioboy, sounds like a great challenge!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Dec 29, 2009)

I have 2 kolo's...1 regular, the other var. topperi. I've only had the topperi a few months, but the regular form is several years old...and it grows VERY slowly. My question is, how much light should it get? I've read contradictory info..some says that it should get low light..others say full sun. Right now, its on a table set a foot back from my greenhouse window....gets some sun...but not intense. Enough to make one of my delanatii's start spiking now...but my roth and phil hybrids are in the window greenhouse itself, getting full sun. What should I go with? Thanks, Eric


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## paphioboy (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks for the info guys..  I'll try to step up to the challenge but not sure if the plants will respond favourably. 



> Kolopakingii have an extremely high mortality rate when you try to establish wild plants. The ones you have come most likely from Sarawak as you are in Malaysia, they should be very big plants. It is a very good type, and usually as a standard for Sarawak kolos, the blooms are as high quality as the 'Riopelle'. Good luck.



Sanderianum, you are correct. My kolo plants are from a friend in Sarawak. My friend even has one that bloomed out an alba... :drool: :drool: :drool: 

Here are the plants:

First one - Very large leafspan, about 1metre. The leaves are so huge they can't support themselves. I use a 'U' shaped wire to tie the leaves up so they don't flop down by their own weight.







Pic from the other side, showing 2 new growths:





As you can see, the medium I use is large pieces of broken brick and charcoal in a small 4-inch plastic takeaway container. The topmost layer is a thin 1-2cm of burnt red earth and fernroot mixture. I put the whole thing in a larger 5-inch plastic pot for support. 

Second plant - much smaller one, total leafspan about 60-70cm. The oldest growth has matured and has flowered. Current growth still not mature yet. At first glance, the plant habits looks like parishii to me...






And another new acquisition with the same batch of plants: Paph philippinense (Palawan/miniature variety):






The plastic container and pot are the same size as for the kolo so you can see this is definitely smaller than regular philis. The plant resembles hirsutissimum..


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## Rick (Dec 29, 2009)

A lot of overlap with my experiences, but some differences.

I agree that these guys are heavy feeders when in growth phase, and skimping on the food can lead to death in post blooming kolos. Mine have done very well in fairly bright light and high humidity (>70%). When its warm they are real water hogs. Mine do good with oyster shell in the potting mix. The spikes of Epsom salts has done well for this species in my collection.


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## paphioboy (Dec 30, 2009)

Got a question: how much osmocote should I give? Is osmocote advisable for other types of paphs too..? TIA


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## ncart (Dec 30, 2009)

Do not mean to steal the thread, but can those culture tips be applied to Kolo hybrids? I had two Kolosand. One just dies immediately just like it is mentioned above and the other is just surviving.


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## goldenrose (Dec 30, 2009)

I don't think so, I have Florento (kolo x chamber) & Jurgen Roth (kolo x prim), neither have been any problem, I treat them like any other multi.


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## Ray (Dec 30, 2009)

I have some kolo seedlings, a mature topperi, and recovering Bel Royal (kolo x roth) - all in s/h culture, in fairly bright, warm conditions.

The seedlings did almost nothing for about 2 years, then started to grow in seasonal (summer) spurts. Topper is fine, and the newest growth on Bel took off like a rocket after I almost killed it right after blooming.


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## paphioboy (Dec 30, 2009)

This just gets more interesting (and scary)...  I think sanderianum is correct (another thread, one of the links on first page) in saying that kolo sends out only one flush of roots. So I guess keeping the roots alive is crucial for the survival of this species.

Rose, maybe those hybrids do better than straight kolo or topperi because of the cochlopetalum influence.? I find hybrids with cochlos grow fast and easy, but kinda prone to scales..


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## TyroneGenade (Dec 31, 2009)

paphioboy said:


> Got a question: how much osmocote should I give? Is osmocote advisable for other types of paphs too..? TIA



I've been using Throw and Grow for years on my Paphs. I just sprinkle a little around the rim of the pot---not near the base of the plant---and haven't seen any negative effects. Once can probably be a little more liberal than me without incident.


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## goldenrose (Dec 31, 2009)

paphioboy said:


> Rose, maybe those hybrids do better than straight kolo or topperi because of the cochlopetalum influence.? I find hybrids with cochlos grow fast and easy, but kinda prone to scales..


You could be right. I got both plants from Leo. They were both one good size growth in a 4" pot a little over 2yrs. ago. They've grown consistently from day, have been repotted & the Jurgen Roth has bloomed.
I don't think I've ever had scale on a paph, just catts!


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## NYEric (Dec 31, 2009)

goldenrose said:


> I don't think I've ever had scale on a paph, just catts!


Consider yourself lucky!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Dec 31, 2009)

So how much light should it get?


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## JeanLux (Jan 1, 2010)

Eric Muehlbauer said:


> So how much light should it get?



my kolo is quite close to my gh window! So it gets bright light without getting much direct sun (neighbors house roof preventing it from getting to that part of the gh window! Jean


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## Wendy (Jan 1, 2010)

I have both kolo and topperi and they both get good strong light.


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## paphioboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Update: Bad news, guys...   I just discovered that both kolos have brown rot on the older part of the rhizomes, which caused the plants to recently look pretty dehydrated. I cut off the rhizome to clean tissue (which leaves just the newest growth with barely any live roots on the second plant) and covered the cut area with a thick fungicide paste. I'm planning to pot them tomorrow into the smallest clay pots I can find with pure sphagnum moss (most sterile media available). Any thoughts? I hope I'll manage to revive them, fingers crossed...


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## SlipperKing (Jan 29, 2010)

Good luck. Will be waiting to hear how things progress.


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## SlipperFan (Jan 29, 2010)

That's too bad. I'd just be careful not to over water it. Good luck!


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## biothanasis (Jan 30, 2010)

Paphioboy, you can treat cuts with the spray used for wounds (like handsaplast or something), which I hope you have there! I've had good results and not so toxic like most fungisides!

I hope things go well with your plants!!! Fingers crossed indeed! Becareful of watering (but you already know that!)


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## paphioboy (Jan 31, 2010)

Sphagnum in a clay pot didn't seem to work well. Another leaf turned brown at the base..  Just changed the medium to granite rock + coarse burnt earth.


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## Rick (Jan 31, 2010)

Eric Muehlbauer said:


> So how much light should it get?




My kolo's also like bright light. Equivalent to what my stonei and roths get.

When it gets that bright they are water hogs and fast growing.


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