# Paph niveum frm. album



## GuRu (Apr 14, 2020)

In march I travelled for almost 4 week to the Caribbean like almost every year. Due to the corona crisis my journey this year was at the end a bit strange. Anyway, when I came back I found my P. niveum frm. album flowering, this time with 4 spikes. As you can see, not all flowers are perfect.....but that's life.


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## Djthomp28 (Apr 14, 2020)

That is a great welcome home. I am not familiar with the album form so thanks for posting.


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 14, 2020)

Where in the Caribbean did you go? We were supposed to be on a cruise there last week


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## NYEric (Apr 14, 2020)

At least you made it home! Stay safe, thanks for sharing.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 14, 2020)

Welcome home party!! Still quite a sight. I hope mine blooms within the year!


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## GuRu (Apr 15, 2020)

Linus_Cello said:


> Where in the Caribbean did you go? We were supposed to be on a cruise there last week



Linus this is an US based forum so.....pssst don't say too loudly!!....I'm always on one's own on the largest Island of the Caribbean and its name starts with C and ends with ba.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 15, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Linus this is an US based forum so.....pssst don't say too loudly!!....I'm always on one's own on the largest Island of the Caribbean and its name starts with C and ends with ba.


Hmmm I wonder where that is since we Canadians (like the rest of the world) can go there lol. 

Rudolf, please save me a pollen (or two) so I can use it on my niveum album when it decides to bloom (anytime soon lol). Thanks!


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## GuRu (Apr 15, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Hmmm I wonder where that is since we Canadians (like the rest of the world) can go there lol.



Indeed Leslie, I always meet there lots of Canadians...


DrLeslieEe said:


> Rudolf, please save me a pollen (or two) so I can use it on my niveum album when it decides to bloom (anytime soon lol). Thanks!



Of course I would be a pleasure to do this. Do you have experience to store it, in the fridge or the freezer? Seems the best way to wait some time until I will send it to you because at the moment the connections between Europe and America/Canada are low almost shut down.


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## Ozpaph (Apr 15, 2020)

beautiful.


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## Duck Slipper (Apr 15, 2020)

Welcome home! Good job!


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 15, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Linus this is an US based forum so.....pssst don't say too loudly!!....I'm always on one's own on the largest Island of the Caribbean and its name starts with C and ends with ba.


I’m sure you have family there...


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## GuRu (Apr 15, 2020)

Linus_Cello said:


> I’m sure you have family there...



No Linus, I don't have family there, just few good acquaintances (I'm cautious with the term 'friend' because friendship must grow and last over years). I'm there for scuba diving, hiking and some other activities......sometimes also relaxing.


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## Guldal (Apr 15, 2020)

Beautifull sight. Even though the childr(en?) on the back seat(s) seem to have been longing so much for Daddy to return, that they crumbled a wee bit under the emotional strain! It's almost like they are saying: Daddy, next time you stay at home and take care of us, instead of roaming the world, enjoying yourself with scuba diving, hiking and god knows what! 

It would be very interesting to see, what size the plant needs to have to flaunt so many flowers - might we see a bit more of the plant in toto?

Kind regards,
Jens


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## GuRu (Apr 15, 2020)

Guldal said:


> Beautifull sight. Even though the childr(en?) on the back seat(s) seem to have been longing so much for Daddy to return, that they crumbled a wee bit under the emotional strain! It's almost like they are saying: Daddy, next time you stay at home and take care of us, instead of roaming the world, enjoying yourself with scuba diving, hiking and god knows what!



Jens, life is hard and you can't satisfy every wish. 



Guldal said:


> It would be very interesting to see, what size the plant needs to have to flaunt so many flowers - might we see a bit more of the plant in toto?
> ....



Of cause can I take another photo of the plant in toto, but I think you understand its size better, when I tell you its measurements. This plant and all other Brachys sits in an 11 cm pot. The lenght of a single leaf is 6,5 - 7 cm, leaf-span is 13 - 14 cm.


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## Guldal (Apr 15, 2020)

GuRu said:


> This plant and all other Brachys sits in an 11 cm pot. The lenght of a single leaf is 6,5 - 7 cm, leaf-span is 13 - 14 cm.



Thank you, Rudolf! The one last bit of information, that is needed to satisfy my curiosity completely: how many growths?


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## GuRu (Apr 15, 2020)

Guldal said:


> Thank you, Rudolf! The one last bit of information, that is needed to satisfy my curiosity completely: how many growths?



Jens, altogether 7 shoots, 4 new ones which are flowering and 3 older ones. I've been growing this plant now for about 15 years and it's strange that the frm. album grows more vigorous that the straight niveum.


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## Guldal (Apr 15, 2020)

That's impressive….well grown!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 15, 2020)

Great to come home to that. And congrats on making it back in one piece... seriously.


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## dodidoki (Apr 16, 2020)

Great clump.Anyway I think it is very impressive.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 16, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Indeed Leslie, I always meet there lots of Canadians...
> 
> 
> Of course I would be a pleasure to do this. Do you have experience to store it, in the fridge or the freezer? Seems the best way to wait some time until I will send it to you because at the moment the connections between Europe and America/Canada are low almost shut down.


That would be awesome. Best way to store pollinia is on a wax paper (or tissue if nothing else available), put inside a dry prescription plastic container, into the fridge (not freezer) with name and date. When you are ready to mail, let me know and I will PM my address. Yayyy future babies!


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 16, 2020)

As luck would have it, my NBS niveum album from Popow just peeked out with a bud!!! Very exciting! It’s next to a godefroyae album that’s in spike (also first bloom). 

And so it seems we may have babies sooner Guru!


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## GuRu (Apr 17, 2020)

Leslie, meanwhile I harvested all pollen and they are waiting in the fridge for shipping. Also I asked the Deutsche Post/German Mail if shipping to Canada would be possible at the moment and they told me -*YES* but only letters and maxi letters, no small parcels or parcels. If you send me a message with your address I will send a maxi letter next Monday, so hopefully it will arrive few days later.


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## Don I (Apr 17, 2020)

Looks like they were missing you.
Don


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## dodidoki (Apr 17, 2020)

I think this will be beautiful.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 17, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Leslie, meanwhile I harvested all pollen and they are waiting in the fridge for shipping. Also I asked the Deutsche Post/German Mail if shipping to Canada would be possible at the moment and they told me -*YES* but only letters and maxi letters, no small parcels or parcels. If you send me a message with your address I will send a maxi letter next Monday, so hopefully it will arrive few days later.


Thanks Rudolf! 

Don, I think they got more attention than normal as I would have been away 3-4 weeks during this period from March to May.

Fingers crossed DD.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 18, 2020)

Sent a PM to you Guru. Did you check messages?


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## Cheoah (Apr 18, 2020)

Very well grown plant. Nice crisp white flowers. 

GuRu I used to spend several weeks a year there for work, mostly in Vedado or other parts of city, but all over the island, except for East. It has been 6 years, but I don’t think much has changed. 

nos vemos-


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## GuRu (Apr 20, 2020)

Leslie, the pollen are now in the hand of the Deutsche Post/German Mail and will hopefully arrive soon. Good luck!


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## Hakone (Apr 20, 2020)

Leslie ,
1 Flask/25 plants niveum album cost 300$ in EU . In Thailand 60 Euro /Flask . 
Why so much work​


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## GuRu (Apr 20, 2020)

Hakone said:


> Leslie ,​1 Flask/25 plants niveum album cost 300$ in EU . In Thailand 60 Euro /Flask .Why so much work



Hakone, you don't understand this....it's exiting to create something of your own and furthermore it's just fun.


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## Hakone (Apr 20, 2020)

life is too short to see beautiful paphiopedilum.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 20, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Leslie, the pollen are now in the hand of the Deutsche Post/German Mail and will hopefully arrive soon. Good luck!


Thanks Guru! I will store it until my niveum album blooms. Still in very low spike. Will update with thread when it openbs. Hopefully it is as nice as yours.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 20, 2020)

Hakone said:


> Leslie ,
> 1 Flask/25 plants niveum album cost 300$ in EU . In Thailand 60 Euro /Flask .
> Why so much work​


Hakone, I like to select my own plants to breed too. In addition to what Guru said, time is all we have. In the meantime I have hundreds of plants to grow and bloom (many babies LOL and adult plants).


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## DrLeslieEe (May 13, 2020)

Well pollen has finally landed!! Thanks Guru. What a crazy story with the postal service over there lol. 

My niveum album is slowly opening under the careful eyes of her friends around her. She’s a little shy


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## musa (May 16, 2020)

What is your method to store pollen?
I know, there was already a discussion about, but some more input might be useful...
Thanks


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## DrLeslieEe (May 17, 2020)

musa said:


> What is your method to store pollen?
> I know, there was already a discussion about, but some more input might be useful...
> Thanks


I used to store the yellow pollen out of capsule in a paper towel, but that dried the pollen mass. So I was advised (by paph breeders) to store in a wax paper, folded and stored in plastic envelope or baggy. Then label name/date, and store in bottle into the chiller veggie section of fridge (not freezer). Not sure how long pollen is viable but I have stored pollen that are 10 years old lol. Most say it’s best to use in a 3-6 month period.


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## DrLeslieEe (May 17, 2020)

Update of my niveum album, taking a very slow time to expand itself (day 4). Hope she flattens a little more:


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## musa (May 18, 2020)

Thanks Leslie,
so dried pollen is no longer viable?
Guess I did it wrong, I dried the pollen with silica before storing the pollen in a test tube in the fridge.
I found that somwhere in the internet.
Sorry for being a little of topic.


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## DrLeslieEe (May 18, 2020)

musa said:


> Thanks Leslie,
> so dried pollen is no longer viable?
> Guess I did it wrong, I dried the pollen with silica before storing the pollen in a test tube in the fridge.
> I found that somwhere in the internet.
> Sorry for being a little of topic.


I'm not sure if dried pollen is not viable or not for all, but you can always try. I have pollinated Cattleya labiata with pollen as old as 2 years dried lol.


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## southernbelle (May 18, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well pollen has finally landed!! Thanks Guru. What a crazy story with the postal service over there lol.
> 
> My niveum album is slowly opening under the careful eyes of her friends around her. She’s a little shy
> 
> ...


ANTICIPATION!!!


DrLeslieEe said:


> Well pollen has finally landed!! Thanks Guru. What a crazy story with the postal service over there lol.
> 
> My niveum album is slowly opening under the careful eyes of her friends around her. She’s a little shy
> 
> ...


ANTICIPATION...


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## Elite Orchids (May 19, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> I used to store the yellow pollen out of capsule in a paper towel, but that dried the pollen mass. So I was advised (by paph breeders) to store in a wax paper, folded and stored in plastic envelope or baggy. Then label name/date, and store in bottle into the chiller veggie section of fridge (not freezer). Not sure how long pollen is viable but I have stored pollen that are 10 years old lol. Most say it’s best to use in a 3-6 month period.


sorry this is off topic - do you not use silica at all then?
would they not go mouldy if the water isn't removed?


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## DrLeslieEe (May 19, 2020)

Elite Orchids said:


> sorry this is off topic - do you not use silica at all then?
> would they not go mouldy if the water isn't removed?


I think silica is good for the container where all packed/sealed pollen are stored. If inside the pollen air, it will dry it too much.


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## DrLeslieEe (May 19, 2020)

Flower is finally opened fully! Very oblong shape compare to the trapezoid of the godefroyae album. The colour is also porcelain white compare to the creamy yellow white of godefroyae. The staminodes have different colour veinings too. Yellow on niveum and green on the godefroyae.


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## GuRu (May 20, 2020)

Nice flower Leslie. Compared to mine it is more wider. 
I think very soon there will be the execution of wedding night.


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## DrLeslieEe (May 20, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Nice flower Leslie. Compared to mine it is more wider.
> I think very soon there will be the execution of wedding night.


Thanks Rudolf. 

The combination of your round shape and the width of mine, there might be some babies that are round and big!

I will pollinate the flower this weekend if all works well.


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## setaylien (May 20, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Thanks Rudolf.
> Your niveum obviously turned out great! Good luck with the pollination. When you get the seedlings out of flask I hope you have "an embarrassment of riches."
> The combination of your round shape and the width of mine, there might be some babies that are round and big!
> 
> I will pollinate the flower this weekend if all works well.


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## richgarrison (May 20, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Thanks Rudolf.
> 
> The combination of your round shape and the width of mine, there might be some babies that are round and big!
> 
> I will pollinate the flower this weekend if all works well.



If this takes, and germination is sufficient ...are you taking names for flasks?


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## DrLeslieEe (May 20, 2020)

richgarrison said:


> If this takes, and germination is sufficient ...are you taking names for flasks?


Fingers crossed that the mating will be fruitful. And if seeds are produced and germinate, I will discuss with Guru how to proceed with the progeny. As I am in Canada, and my flasker is here, I may need to send some seeds down to my US flasker (and possibly Europe back to pollen donor) so that they can be distributed from there.


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## DrLeslieEe (May 21, 2020)

Hehe embarassment of riches! Love it... let's hope so!


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## DrLeslieEe (May 4, 2021)

I’m happy to report the pod matures in 9 months and seeds have been sent to Europe, US, New Zealand and Brazil. Thanks Guru.

If there are extra flasks, I will let people know if they are interested. That is of course, if there is germination lol.


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