# more culture questions.....



## potteryman (Jan 28, 2008)

..I recently acquired some new plants...one is a glaucophyllum X philippenense, with 3 mature growths plus about 10 new growths, another is moquettianum X rothschildianum with 2 mature and 5 new growths, and a glaucophyllum X gardenerii with 4 mature growths and about 8 very small starts...anyone care to share info on their culture?....thanks.......


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## Rick (Jan 28, 2008)

I grow only a couple of the hybrids myself, but from what I've seen from others, and from my experience with the parent species is that adding the sequential bloomers (moquetianum and glaucophylum) will add allot of vigor and ease of growing and flowering to the hybrid.

Low to moderate light, wide temperature tolerance (but I'd stay around intermediate), add a little oyster shell to the potting mix.

With all those growths they are undoubtedly adult plants and should be ready to bloom. The one with roth in it will probably be the most stubborn, and may need brighter light to get it to bloom.


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## SlipperKing (Feb 3, 2008)

First off, check the condition of your roots on these plants, 3 mature and 10 starts is a little lop-sided for a plant that has not bloomed before. Assuming the roots are good, pot up in new mix and give intermediate conditions like Rick said. With multiple mature growths that when they should bloom. I like to let the GH get down to the mid to lower 50's in the winter with brighter light conditions inorder to maximize blooms. Some others may have more to add.


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## potteryman (Feb 4, 2008)

Hi Rick...how does one determine whether or not the roots are "good"...?..these plants were grown outside year 'round here in So Ca, and the leaves on the older growths are sort of thick and somewhat dessicated..the plants are now indoors in one of my bathrooms that has a very large diffused skylight in it..the new leaves look good to me, and seem to be growing nicely..when I got the plants, I removed them from their pots..there was very little potting mix, with the roots touching the inside of the pot...lots of roots..they are very wirey, unlike the pics I have seen of roots that have that "fuzzy" look to them..is that a bad sign?...I removed the potting mix from the center of the root ball, filled it with potting mix as best I could before I placed them into the pots, then filled around the approx one inch of space between the roots and the inner sides of the pots with potting mix consisting of small bark, perlite, charcoal, and some lava rock...I am watering about twice a week, and fertilizing every other watering with a weak solution of Dyna_Gro and also using some worm casting "tea"...I spray the leaves twice a week with a weak solution of the worm tea also..all in all, they look good to me, but, being new to these plants, I dont have a clue as to what is good/better/best...thanks for your patience here...


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## potteryman (Feb 4, 2008)

oops..sorry..the above post addressed to Rick was also intended for SlipperKing and all other members who may have advice...


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## Rick (Feb 4, 2008)

potteryman said:


> oops..sorry..the above post addressed to Rick was also intended for SlipperKing and all other members who may have advice...



Actually, SlipperKing is also a Rick:wink:

The roots on most of my sequentials are kind of wiry and not fuzzy either. I think they are OK in general from your description. 

Outdoors in So Cal is a pretty good clue (having been born and raised there). Out door air humidity is rarely over 50% and probably averages 30-40% (if that). This is hell on paphs, and most likely the reason for the dessicated leaves and stunted growth pattern. Ideally the humidity should be in xcess of 60%. I try to maintain 80% in my greenhouse, but it ranges from 70 to 90%. Bathrooms tend to be the most humid place in a house, but heating or AC tends to dry houses out pretty bad. You may want to look into humidity trays.

Things are pretty bright down there too, and without lots of shade cloth it would be easy to stunt your babies with too much light. Your bathroom lighting is probably good.


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## SlipperFan (Feb 4, 2008)

Wirey to me means thin and stiff. If they are whitish, that means they are dry. Your mix sounds OK, and watering about twice a week could be fine with a loose, airy mix. Maybe you could talk about *how* you are watering?

However, if the roots are dark and thin, they are probably dead from being too wet too much. Can you post a photo of the roots?


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