# My recent new aquisitions! Genera benders..... need help / suggestions on getting them to bloom.....



## polka (Jan 31, 2021)

Hello All
Have been a member for quite a while, altho I don't participate like I wish I could -- life events continuously.
I live in East Texas and am an officer in the Central East Texas Orchid society in Tyler, Texas --> geography

Okay now. Be that as it is, I received twelve paphs. One of them is a noid, and I have a pair of a certain cross.
She gave them to me because she couldn't get them to bloom. She didn't say how long she's had them, but I suspect with her growing skills, and I know her habits, probably three or four growing seasons.

Here are the crosses: 

#1 Pink Elegance (Delrosi x glaucophyllum) 
#2 Dewey Hauser (sukhakulii x Lady Isabel) 
#3 noid 
#4 Wossner Kolarmi (armeniacum x kolopakingii) 
#5 Hideki Okuyama (malipoense x glanduliferum) 
#6 Cahaba Lac-Megantic (Helen Congleton x micranthum) 
#7 Delophyllum 
#8 and #9 Rolfei (two different seedlings) 
#10 Woluwense 
#11 ( Punatic x Green Gold ) and 
#12 Weltz (Waltz?) Ballad (bellatulum x adductum).

Because several of these are genera-blenders / different breeding family out-crosses, what are the hopes I can get any of these to bloom? Any special needs that you recognize that I'd need to treat a certain plant differently? We are able to grow in greenhouse, with intermediate temps in winter, and warm in summer.

I'm open to suggestions for culture and the like.

Take care, and happy growing
Rex


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## polka (Jan 31, 2021)

I should have also mentioned that they are in 4 inch pots of a Pro-mix Blended with Bark, Charcoal, and Perlite. Fertigated with Dynagro about every 10 days at this time, maybe a bit more often some weeks. about every 5 to 7 days in summer. R


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## polka (Jan 31, 2021)

here is a picture of the largest and the smallest -- 4 or 4.5 inch pots 
nothing seems to be badly grown at all
everything seems quite nice
I suspect even tho they might be older, they might be just slow, or need to be bigger to bloom
I know other orchids I have are like that.

just groping for answers. 

R


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## musa (Feb 1, 2021)

Hi Rex,
nice selection!


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## Ray (Feb 1, 2021)

I didn't see anything in that list that looked particularly difficult, and the plants in the photo look pretty good.

Obviously, you'll need to decide for yourself, but the first thing I'd do is get them out of their current potting mix and into something more "open" so they can be kept moist while remaining airy.

How much Dyna-Gro per gallon, and is this recent, or was the previous owner doing the same? Do you know how they were treated previously?


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## BrucherT (Feb 1, 2021)

polka said:


> Hello All
> Have been a member for quite a while, altho I don't participate like I wish I could -- life events continuously.
> I live in East Texas and am an officer in the Central East Texas Orchid society in Tyler, Texas --> geography
> 
> ...


Promix? Yikes! Get them outta there.


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## KateL (Feb 2, 2021)

Hi Polka, #12 is Weltz Ballad. A varied array of intersectional crosses, which I (personally) find can be challenging to grow. If you can get them to flower, you definitely have some interesting ones there. Good luck!


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## NYEric (Feb 2, 2021)

Good selection and they look good. The Woluwense are notoriously hard to bloom, good luck.


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## polka (Feb 13, 2021)

Thanks all for your replies -- Ray, appreciate the remarks. She used Dyna G at 1/2 the label rate. BRutcherT -- ProMix is only 25% with the others also at 25%. When this winter weather calms down a bit, I do plan to repot - Favorite brands, or personal mixes that you care to share? KateL, and NYEric (good to see you still here) Yeah, that's why I called them gender-benders = the intersectional crosses. I've got an older version of Vanguard that blooms once every three or four years -- just can't seem to do better. But when it does, it is mighty fine. Thanks all for your remarks, and looking forward to your recommendations for the perfect paphiopedilum mix! R


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## polka (Feb 28, 2021)

Thanks all for your remarks -- was hoping someone would mention, or point me to the right direction / links for their favorite paph potting mix. Survived the snow and ice, and -6 temps just fine.


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## NYEric (Mar 1, 2021)

Still here. I got a gift of diatomite from a member here,  , so I am using a little of that, Orchiata, coarse perlite, Leca/hydroton on the bottom and a little sphagnum in the top mix.


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## Hardwood (Mar 1, 2021)

The leaves are a beautiful dark green. It can indicate the plants are starved for enough photons. 
Brighter light, closer or longer duration of electrical light could help.
Too heavy shade cloth or dirty windows, if growing in a greenhouse can be the reason.
If you can measure the light they came from and increase it in your growing space they should bloom.
If your other orchids bloom these should also. 
I think not enough light is a common reason for no or poor blooming.
It takes a lot of energy to grow flowers. 
Do not forget the need for cooler temperatures at night so the plants do not use up all the energy they make during the day as they live at night.


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## polka (Mar 13, 2021)

Hey Hardwood -- thanks for the reply -- they were in her greenhouse next to the bi-foliate cattleyas -- I think it may be too young, or some nutrient thing -- she's typically a great grower with HCC and AOS awards on her plants, esp the ones from Graham Wood. The color is from the parents, especially the micranthum cross. Light is not a problem in her house. And, her house runs about 53 to 55 at night. I've had them a little over a month, now.

She got these plants were from a different source than Graham, and were from mixed breeding groups, which we think might be the culprit.
However others here seem to think that though they might not be so easy, they aren't not impossible either.

She uses Dyna grow at labeled rate, every 10 days in winter, once a week in summer.

I like two parts Calcium Nitrate (15-0-0), and 1 part 15-30-15 in a 4 gallon solution, three times a month.
And Fish, Seaweed, and Epsom Salt once a month.

R


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## polka (Mar 13, 2021)

Hey NYEric -- thanks for the mix you like to use. I'm repotting this next week, and will re-do with a mix similar to your without her use of promix added in.


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## polka (Mar 13, 2021)

Does anyone think that Mr. Fang's Mega-thrive is okay to use?
<edit>
I see that the crowd thinks of it like blue cheese -- either you love it or hate it. 
r


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