# Substrate for paphiopedilum 2012



## Hakone (Mar 30, 2012)

Recommendation from a renowned orchid grower, I plant seedling of paphiopedilum in Kanuma. I'll be watching these development. Selenipedium was also trying to grow in Kanuma.


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## Marc (Mar 30, 2012)

Interesting and keep us updated, I read on orchideenkultur.net that some other people do / tried this as well.

Are those sukh seedling in the first picture?


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## Hakone (Mar 30, 2012)

Photo Nr. 1 Paph hennisianum album
Photo Nr. 2 Paph helenae album


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## NYEric (Mar 30, 2012)

Only one photo downloaded. Imageshat sux.


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## Stone (Mar 30, 2012)

I have thought of trying Kanuma Hakone. It is expensive here! Have you tried Akadama?


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## abax (Mar 30, 2012)

What is kanuma? It looks like corn kernels.


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## Hakone (Mar 31, 2012)

Stone said:


> I have thought of trying Kanuma Hakone. It is expensive here! Have you tried Akadama?



Akadama stores more water, pH value is higher than Kanuma. I'll mix this summer Kanuma with Akadama 1:1. Yes, Kanuma is expensive. But Australia is closer to Japan.


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## Stone (Mar 31, 2012)

abax said:


> What is kanuma? It looks like corn kernels.



Kanuma is a volcanic clay sub-soil. Quite acid and used in Japan for azaleas and indoor plants etc. It is mined from the side of a mountain. Akadama is red coloured and harder and sometimes fired. It comes from the same area but is higher in the soil profile. You can find them in various grades at your local bonsai supplier who imports from Japan. I think that's right Hakone?


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## Hakone (Apr 1, 2012)

Stone said:


> Kanuma is a volcanic clay sub-soil. Quite acid and used in Japan for azaleas and indoor plants etc. It is mined from the side of a mountain. Akadama is red coloured and harder and sometimes fired. It comes from the same area but is higher in the soil profile. You can find them in various grades at your local bonsai supplier who imports from Japan. I think that's right Hakone?



yes Sir,


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## cnycharles (Apr 1, 2012)

oh okay. I was thinking that kanuma, akadama and diatomite were fairly similar 'clay potting products'. I didn't know that they have different moisture and pH properties... does anyone know if turface has acidic or basic pH properties and how much water it holds in relation to kanuma, akadama and diatomite? I still haven't potted up my arietinum seedlings and am not sure which media to use for the soil


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## polyantha (Apr 2, 2012)

Interesting. I use it for my bonsais.
Are the second plants adductum hybrids?


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## Hakone (Apr 3, 2012)

paphiopedilum helenae album


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## Marc (Apr 6, 2012)

Looks like I'll be joining this trail as well. Today I bought a acmondontum from Popow which is allready planted in this substrate. Currently looking into expanding this trail with a few plants that I currently have issues with.


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## Marc (Apr 10, 2012)

Last saturday I drove to a Bonsai nursery that is close to were I live to buy some Kanuma. Unfortunately they only had the fine grade so I only bought a small bag.

Yesterday I used it to repot a small growth of Paph. lawrenceanum in it, and I repotted my sukhakulii in it. I've reported about this plant before on this forum as they both seem to want to grow up out of the substrate. I hope that they start making roots now.

Still in doubt if I'll let my acmondontum in this substrate. Popow reports good results and I don't mind testing this substrate with the plants I mentioned earlier but I'm not that keen on testing it with a plant I recently purchased.


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## Roth (Apr 10, 2012)

Marc said:


> Still in doubt if I'll let my acmondontum in this substrate. Popow reports good results and I don't mind testing this substrate with the plants I mentioned earlier but I'm not that keen on testing it with a plant I recently purchased.



The plants are not grown in that substrate, they are kept, it is a difference... If you get a mature acmodontum, and want to grow a couple of leaves, keep it nice until it's sold, akadama or kanuma will do it. If you want to get a complete root system, and grow on the long term, then it is not suitable...


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## Marc (Apr 10, 2012)

Roth said:


> The plants are not grown in that substrate, they are kept, it is a difference... If you get a mature acmodontum, and want to grow a couple of leaves, keep it nice until it's sold, akadama or kanuma will do it. If you want to get a complete root system, and grow on the long term, then it is not suitable...



Ty for your input.


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## naoki (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm from Japan, so I'm somewhat familiar with those media. Kanuma is pretty specialized soil. Unlike Akadama (which is mildly acidic), Kanuma is highly acidic, so they are used for acid loving plants like Azalea and bonsai of rhododendron (Satsuki). For some Japanese/chinese temperate zone Cymbidium, Kanuma is used. So it is interesting to see how paphs would do in highly acidic media. Akadama can be used for more general plants (e.g. some people use it for orchids). Both of them retain water well.


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## Hakone (Apr 24, 2012)

naoki said:


> I'm from Japan, so I'm somewhat familiar with those media. Kanuma is pretty specialized soil. Unlike Akadama (which is mildly acidic), Kanuma is highly acidic, so they are used for acid loving plants like Azalea and bonsai of rhododendron (Satsuki). For some Japanese/chinese temperate zone Cymbidium, Kanuma is used. So it is interesting to see how paphs would do in highly acidic media. Akadama can be used for more general plants (e.g. some people use it for orchids). Both of them retain water well.



Do you have experience with kyriu ?

thanks


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## lipelgas (Apr 24, 2012)

I guess I have finished testing of different substrates for paphis and stay with my simple mix . Though, interesting to read progress in this new substrate.


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## Hakone (Apr 24, 2012)

lipelgas said:


> I guess I have finished testing of different substrates for paphis and stay with my simple mix . Though, interesting to read progress in this new substrate.



What is your simple mix ?


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## Hakone (May 28, 2012)

I've now changed the substrate, I use now kanuma


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## JeanLux (May 29, 2012)

What grain size do you use? Jean


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## Hakone (May 29, 2012)

Dear Jean,

1 - 10 mm


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## Hakone (Aug 29, 2012)

*Substrat for Neofineta*

kanuma : Akadama = 1:1


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## lipelgas (Aug 29, 2012)

Hakone said:


> What is your simple mix ?



bark (size depends on plant and pot size) + sphagnum + perlite.


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## JeanLux (Aug 30, 2012)

Looks good!!!! Are you feeding a lot ? Jean


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## reivilos (Sep 29, 2012)

Hakone,
Could you give us a feedback ?
How are your paphs doing 3 months on ?
Thanks !
Olivier


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## Hakone (Sep 30, 2012)

reivilos said:


> Hakone,
> Could you give us a feedback ?
> How are your paphs doing 3 months on ?
> Thanks !
> Olivier



Bonjour Olivier
They are still alive, except paph. bellatulum album ,the root is gone.
3 months ago all the plants are in sleep state, they grow now. This is normal, paphiopedilum season starts now. I was waiting for results after 1 year, summer 2013.
I do not have GH , I cultivate on the windowsill . Extreme condition, poor humidity.


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## Brabantia (Sep 30, 2012)

Hakone said:


> This is normal, paphiopedilum season starts now. I was waiting for results after 1 year, summer 2013.


I read that you observe the same thing that here in Belgium. Since about 1 months the leaves of my Paphios grow. It would seem therefore that they are resting between May and September? In order to have the opinion from other growers I think that this is a topic that should be the subject of a new thread in the culture section.


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## Hakone (Sep 30, 2012)

Brabantia said:


> I read that you observe the same thing that here in Belgium. Since about 1 months the leaves of my Paphios grow. It would seem therefore that they are resting between May and September? In order to have the opinion from other growers I think that this is a topic that should be the subject of a new thread in the culture section.



Yes, they are resting between May and August/September.
A summary of my plants today


*Subgenus Parvisepalum*

Armeniacum markii : grow. September
Micranthum album: grow. September
Vietnamense album:
Delenatii album: grow. mid September
Malipoense album: new aquisitions , not 100% sure album


*Subgenus Brachypetalum*

Concolor album: grow. September
Niveum album: grow. mid September, new aquisitions
x ang thong album: grow.bloom
godefroyae album: grow. mid September
leucochilum album: grow. mid September, new aquisitions
bellatulum album: grow. mid September

*Subgenus pahiopedilum *

Villosum aureum: grow. mid September
Insigne sanderianum : new aquisitions
Barbigerum album: grow. September
Henryanum album: grow. September
Helenae album: grow. September
Hirsutissinum album: grow. September
Fairrieanum album: grow. September
Charlesworthii album: grow. September
Tranlienianum album: grow. September

*Subgenus Sigmatopetalum*

Fowliei album: grow.October
Hennesianum album: grow. September
Javanicum album :
Purpuratum album: grow.October, new aquisitions
Superbiens album: grow.October, new aquisitions
Curtisii album: grow.October, new aquisitions
Sukhakulii album: bloom August
Wardii album: bloom October
Venustum album:

*Subgenus Polyantha*

Lowii album: grow. September
Haynaldianum album:
Dianthum album: grow.October
Philippinense album:
Kolopakingii katherinae: grow.October, new aquisitions

*Subgenus Cochlopetalum*

Glaucophyllum album:
Primulinum: grow.September

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Callosum album : grow Januar , bloom März


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Regular Paphiopedilum

Adductum : grow September
Armeniacum : grow September
Sukhakulii : grow August
Barbigerum: grow August
Coccineum: grow October
Bellatulum: grow September
Leucochilum : grow September
Henryanum : grow September
Thaianum: grow September
Vietnamense:
Micranthum : grow September
Tranlienianum: grow September


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## NYEric (Oct 2, 2012)

:drool:


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## Brabantia (Sep 22, 2015)

Any update? about the use of Kanuma mix as potting material.


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## Happypaphy7 (Oct 10, 2015)

It's been a while and I'm curious as well.
I don't have kanuma but I do have a few seedlings of parvi ( delenatii, Magic Lantern, other micranthum hybrids) in bonsai mix, which is mostly akadama and some small bark chips and other minor ingredients.

It's been about 5 months or so and they have been growing. 
Delenatii is spiking I think. 

I read that akadama breaks down in about two years and start to lose aeration quality. Dang, I thought inorganic mix last for very long time.


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