# Paphiopedilum purpuratum?



## The Mutant (Mar 27, 2012)

I've read about it and was wondering whether or not this species requires a period of cooler temperatures? Apparently it requires about four weeks of a dryer period to induce blooming, is this information correct?


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## SlipperFan (Mar 27, 2012)

Mine is a pretty small plant yet, so I've not cut out the water, but I do lessen it in Winter. It's in the cooler area of my greenhouse. It does bloom.


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## Rick (Mar 27, 2012)

You can cool it into the low fifties (F) if you like. It can probably take temps in the 40's no problem.

But to bloom it you don't have to do anything special. 

This species has pretty thin leaves, and will have problems with low humidity.

I've killed about a dozen of these before I got it down.

This species (and many of the barbata group) appear to be pretty sensitive to potassium. 

Moving to basket culture and K-lite I'm beating all my previous culture records with this species, and now have seed in for flasking.


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## SlipperKing (Mar 27, 2012)

Very good Rick!


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## Stone (Mar 28, 2012)

Still after this one but Birk says: warm humid summers, cool humid winters.


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

Oh, darn... Another no-go then. Sometimes being a windowsill grower sure sucks. I can't cool it at all in other words but my kitchen isn't the warmest place during winter so I was hoping I could get one of these. 

Thanks for the answers though! Highly appreciated.  (and congrats Rick on finally getting results with this species)


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## eggshells (Mar 28, 2012)

If you are wanting easy intermediate to warm growers. Here are a few list that comes to mind. delenatii, urbanianum, niveum, acmodontum, philippinense praestans, wilhelminae.


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

Thanks eggshells! The urbanianum looks like something I could actually consider having. Lucky for my wallet that I'm picky.


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## NYEric (Mar 28, 2012)

The Mutant said:


> Oh, darn... Another no-go then. Sometimes being a windowsill grower sure sucks. I can't cool it at all in other words but my kitchen isn't the warmest place during winter so I was hoping I could get one of these.
> 
> Thanks for the answers though! Highly appreciated.  (and congrats Rick on finally getting results with this species)



why cant you keep it in the window and crack (leave a small opening) the window?


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

Because I live in Sweden where it normally gets COLD during winter. There's a risk of me waking up to find a frozen Paph!


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## NYEric (Mar 28, 2012)

In NYC where it usually gets cold also due to apartment heat i leave the cold liking paphs, like micranthum, near the window opening that allows us fresh air.


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

How cold does it get in NYC? We can have temperatures here ranging from -5C to -20C during winter (23F to -4F). Also, I live in a rather small flat and have two cats so I don't know how good it would be to crack a window open during winter.


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## NYEric (Mar 28, 2012)

The average mean temp in NYC in January is 33F. Not as cold but not bikini weather either.


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

Hehe, no I would guess not (sorry, you have "Eric" in your username so I instantly pictured a typical "Eric" skipping about in a bikini in NYC). :rollhappy:

We'll see what I'll do. If worse comes to worst I could always sell it to someone equipped with a greenhouse...


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## NYEric (Mar 28, 2012)

The Mutant said:


> (sorry, you have "Eric" in your username so I instantly pictured a typical "Eric" skipping about in a bikini in NYC). :rollhappy:..



No, that's when I usually do wear a bikini, see attached! 
http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9729&highlight=Coney+Island&page=26


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## Kavanaru (Mar 28, 2012)

Ok, let me comment here, and clarify what your concerns are ;-) (this is actually coming from Orchidboard)
I grow and bloom this species under intermediate temps (Birk also states intermediate grower in his book), and in winter the temps in the greenhouse never goes below 16C (actually, with the exception of few nights in strong winters, it does not go very often below 20C (Important for Catasetinae and hot loving Cattleyas!)
You are afraid that you cannot provide cool temps on the windowshill, as you have a heated apartment... I had the same "issue" in my apartment, when I grew indoors... At that time, I even managed to successfully grow cool Masdevallias (cannot do that anymore in the greenhouse! ) As long as your plant is not sitting on the top of the heater, and close to the glass, it will get cooler at night (even with best insulated windows! You are in Sweden!)... trust me, temps will not be a problem for you to grow this species.... I would be more concern with humidity and light than temps, growing indoors at your latitude!


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## The Mutant (Mar 28, 2012)

Thanks Kavanaru. 
Take a guess at where the radiators are placed in my flat? Yup, directly underneath the windowsills! This to prevent it getting too cold during winter... The reason why I do have a rather "cold" kitchen is because underneath the dining area there's an non-insulated store room causing the night temperatures to drop to approximately 18C during winter. 

Yup, the light issue and humidity issue are two major concerns for me, BUT they are quite easily fixed (humidifiers and extra lights). The temperature though, is something I can't do anything about...


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## Rick (Mar 28, 2012)

This species does NOT require a cool (to 45) rest to bloom in culture. It has bloomed fine for me several times without ever going below 55 F. The first time it bloomed for me was indoors, and probably didn't get below 65. Now I realize that most people don't let their homes go to 55 at night, but I hear from people that keep their homes at a constant 70 can't get anything (including hybrid phals) to bloom.

Long term it will have troubles with this species in dry conditions, and if you try to compensate low air humidity with extra pot watering the plants roots will rot. But it really is an easy bloomer.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 28, 2012)

What is more important with some of these species isn't so much the lowest temperatures but the temperature differential between night and day. If you can keep it 10-20 deg lower at night, that should help. And proximity to the window glass may be enough to make the difference.


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## The Mutant (Mar 29, 2012)

Okay, getting hybrid Phals to bloom has never been an issue, so some sort of natural occurring temperature drop seems to happen.

Hmm...

I guess I'll put this guy back on the wishlist then. After all, I'm planning to try raising a Phal. lindenii and a Phal. taenialis of which both prefer a tad cooler temps than most other species Phals. 

Low air humidity is dealt with moist towels on radiators (at the moment, a humidifier is on my "to buy list") or putting said Paph on a saucer with leca pellets and water, not by giving them more water. I'm more of a "oops, I dried the poor flower to death" type of person.  

When I get this guy, I'll let you know if I can grow it in my conditions, thanks for all the info!


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## Kavanaru (Mar 29, 2012)

If you think you can provide the needed temps to Phal lindenii and taenialis then for your you can give cool temps to purpuratum... Even more than needed! (I have not being able to bloom these two Phal species at all, and already killed teanialis)


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## The Mutant (Mar 29, 2012)

Haha! I'm a bit worried that this will be the case with these two as well, but since I dare to take a shot at them, why not the purpuratum, right? 

Keep your fingers crossed and let's see which of these three will do best in my conditions! 

I'm so glad you suggested the Paph purpuratum since I didn't even know it existed, thank you Kavanaru!


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