# Paph. philippinense: How much sun?



## Secundino (Mar 9, 2015)

How much sun you allow your Paph. philippinense to get? 

Since three years I have a Paph. Moustache which is growing nicely, has been repotted and it has grown new roots, too. So all is fine except there are no flowers. It has been growing on the (east facing) windowsill, with lots of light and heavy shade in summer. 
Don't now why, but in the meantime I have three more hybrids with philippinense in the background and I get the feeling that these plants are avid for strong light. A spell outside under the changing shade of higher plants always makes them look even better. But winter sun was a mild sun - tº around 18ºC - and now in march sun is stronger and tº rise. Still outside most of the time, but I am watching them closely... I've looked it up at many pages, but you get all the extremes you didn't want to read (from deep shade to sunny position)...
Possibly it hasn't anything to do with the light but with the extra ventilation they get when outside: they dry up quicker and get fresh water every three days... 

So, those of you who really grow Paph philippinense and its hybrids, how many direct sun do you allow?


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## Justin (Mar 9, 2015)

how much sun? all of it.


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## troy (Mar 9, 2015)

I have to agree with justin alot of sun I have mine in direct morning light for three hours shaded light the rest of the day does just fine


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## Linus_Cello (Mar 9, 2015)

I treat my multi-floral paphs like cattleyas. So I vote more sun.


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## Justin (Mar 9, 2015)

seriously though, i would push it with as much light as possible. if you get sunburn spots that is when to pull it back a little.


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## troy (Mar 9, 2015)

I pull back when the leaves start losing chlorophyl, they will go through a rapid growth spurt and the crown of the fan will usually go floppy from growing and lose chlorophyl that is ok but when it extends all the way to the tip of the leaves without cooling or misting, thats when it starts to do damage sunburn is nonreversable I have tried


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## troy (Mar 9, 2015)

Read the data sheets!! Paph moustache is phil. x roth. - x phil. Phillipinense grow dry in the winter roth are med but the roth requires a cool winter to bloom phil. Grows a little warmer but still requires a cool winter so winter 50 - 55° farenheit nights 60 during the day, fertilize once a week and 70 °/. humidity all year works for me


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## Secundino (Mar 9, 2015)

_Cattleya_ - sun? OK, I do have this kind of sun.

But 55ºF is something I can not supply. I do mist _Cymbidium_ sometimes in the evening to 'chill' them a bit, but I'll not do this with my precious Paphs. We had quite a cold winter this year, not that the night tº went down a lot (14ºC), but the day tº kept near to 18ºC. For weeks... 

Even more light for the multis then... stepping in front line together with the Phragmis.

Thanks for your answers!


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## Rick (Mar 9, 2015)

Secundino said:


> _Cattleya_ - sun? OK, I do have this kind of sun.
> 
> But 55ºF is something I can not supply. I do mist _Cymbidium_ sometimes in the evening to 'chill' them a bit, but I'll not do this with my precious Paphs. We had quite a cold winter this year, not that the night tº went down a lot (14ºC), but the day tº kept near to 18ºC. For weeks...
> 
> ...



Yes Cattleya light.

Last several years I've not gone below 58F (14.5C) and they are growing/blooming fine.


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## Stone (Mar 9, 2015)

Yes Cattleya light-or a bit less. And remember that paphs are C3 plants and need higher humidity during the day than Cattleya.


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## emydura (Mar 9, 2015)

Lance Birk says in his book that the phillipinense you see in the wild receive so much light that the leaves are yellow in colour.


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## Secundino (Mar 10, 2015)

OK - more light. I will adapt them slowly though.

Thanks!


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## troy (Mar 10, 2015)

From my experience, I wouldn't grow any orchid to the point of yellow leaves on purpose, unsafe and it will bleach out the blooms


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## SlipperFan (Mar 10, 2015)

Now to be a troublemaker: my philippinense bloomed the best when it was completely in shade.


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## Justin (Mar 11, 2015)

troy said:


> From my experience, I wouldn't grow any orchid to the point of yellow leaves on purpose, unsafe and it will bleach out the blooms



i have seen leaves get bleached out but flowers?


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## Kawarthapine (Mar 11, 2015)

I have lots of sun but am concerned about lack of humidity as the window sill I use is in our bedroom.

Can I get away with periodic misting or is that even necessary?

Can I do the same with my Lady Isabel and my St. Smithin (sp?)?

Thanks.


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## paphioboy (Mar 15, 2015)

SlipperFan said:


> Now to be a troublemaker: my philippinense bloomed the best when it was completely in shade.



I think Xavier mentioned the same thing in one of the PDF articles he wrote on paph culture.. Not his plant, said plant belongs to a grower in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, grown under 3 pieces of shadecloth that the leaves look blackish green..


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## paphioboy (Mar 15, 2015)

How much light do you think the Thai growers give their amazing philippinense specimens below? *Pics are not mine, all belong to the grower (Kris Pruckasorn) https://www.facebook.com/kris.prucksakorn?fref=ts


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## Justin (Mar 15, 2015)

holy smoke!


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## Felix (Mar 15, 2015)

Breathtaking!


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## Paphman910 (Mar 15, 2015)

That is amazing! I have a philippinense from a friend that has not flowered for over 30 years. Still no flowers for me.


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## gonewild (Mar 15, 2015)

Paphman910 said:


> That is amazing! I have a philippinense from a friend that has not flowered for over 30 years. Still no flowers for me.



30 years and no flower? Maybe time to change the environment. Or perhaps give it a couple more decades, be patient.


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## Migrant13 (Mar 15, 2015)

Paphman910 said:


> That is amazing! I have a philippinense from a friend that has not flowered for over 30 years. Still no flowers for me.



Get it on the next plane to Thailand!!


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## troy (Mar 15, 2015)

I guess one of these in the states would cost $5,000 otherwise you get junk for $60.00 compared to these beauties WOW!!!!


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## SlipperFan (Mar 15, 2015)

The one photographed against the neutral background -- spectacular! What a wonderful dorsal sepal!


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## Kawarthapine (Mar 15, 2015)

Wow indeed.

If those aren't specimen plants I don't know what are.

I'm totally impressed. ..and that's an understatement.

The bar has definitely been raised higher.


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## troy (Mar 15, 2015)

I have never seen a straight philli, as good as in the pic, instead of paying $10,000 american dollars for 1, it would probably be cheaper to go to indo china to get pollen lol..


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## paphioboy (Mar 16, 2015)

Haha. So which brings us back to the question, how much light is 'appropriate' for philippinense?


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## paphioboy (Mar 16, 2015)

By the way, the plant in the second last pic was recently awarded champion in the recent Bangkok Flower Show, if I'm not mistaken..


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## Secundino (Mar 16, 2015)

Got the message. Thanks, guys. Lots of sun, very - VERY - good ventilation and an eye controlling the tºs.


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## Stone (Mar 18, 2015)

paphioboy said:


>



No matter what you do, you just can't beat the right climate.
Fantasmic!


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## khrisna.9 (Mar 18, 2015)

Stone said:


> No matter what you do, you just can't beat the right climate.
> Fantasmic!



OMG event in Bangkok can not grow like this!!


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## daniella3d (Mar 18, 2015)

So, if they are getting so much light, how come the foliage is so dark? Mine gets near yellow if they have too much light, and that's not so much light.


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## Paul (Mar 19, 2015)

Hi

You can't give them too much light... especially if you live in Quebec? 
I've already put one under full summer sun with no problem here (and no yellowing). So there must be another problem, maybe needs more nitrogen. 

In my greenhouse, no shade right now and my phil. are at the top. Leaves are dark glossy green... same as the roths growing next to them. 

a friend of I, here in France grows with light shade her plants, look at the monster !!!

http://cattlaelia.forumactif.org/t13571-paphiopedilum-philippinense


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## Secundino (Mar 19, 2015)

Oh! A photograph tells more than a thousand words... well then, plain sun now and nutrition.


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## troy (Mar 19, 2015)

The leaves are green, not yellow!!


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## MaryPientka (Mar 19, 2015)

Spectacular plants!


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## Stone (Mar 19, 2015)

Paul said:


> Hi
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## daniella3d (Mar 20, 2015)

Why do you think the sun here is less strong? It depends on the time of the year but in summer the daylight is 16 hours which is much longer than what these plants get in nature. Now daylight is 12 hours and half.

The sun is strong enough now to melt snow even at -15C.




Paul said:


> Hi
> 
> You can't give them too much light... especially if you live in Quebec?
> I've already put one under full summer sun with no problem here (and no yellowing). So there must be another problem, maybe needs more nitrogen.
> ...


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## Secundino (Mar 21, 2015)

Sun is not = sun. The light we see and the radiation the plants get - and our skin btw. - vary greatly. 
The angle of the sun is important, too. I've seen rupiculous Laelia with sunburn in march in northern europe - lots of sun for long time hitting the full leaf. Where they naturally grow, the light hits mostly the upper tip of the stiff leaves. Rising and falling of the sun is quick.
After a long dark winter spell the plants have to accustom to strong sun again. They loose this ability during winter.
Don't know if the weather forecast services there give you a 'radiation factor'. Over here (28ºnorth) it is already around 7-8, being the lowest in winter 2-3. Light intensity is a complicated thing!
The 'warmth' of the sun you can lower wiwth good ventilation (the leaves should not overheat) but the radiation is only 'shaded' by high moisture or shading cloth/panels.


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## cnycharles (Mar 21, 2015)

Secundino said:


> _Cattleya_ - sun? OK, I do have this kind of sun.
> 
> But 55ºF is something I can not supply. I do mist _Cymbidium_ sometimes in the evening to 'chill' them a bit, but I'll not do this with my precious Paphs. We had quite a cold winter this year, not that the night tº went down a lot (14ºC), but the day tº kept near to 18ºC. For weeks...
> 
> Thanks for your answers!



You can make a zeer pot, big clay pot outside, sand or whatever in between and keep damp when you want it cooler. Evaporation will help to cool. Just at bottom of inside (plastic) pot, adjust so water doesn't move from sand/moss into inside pot


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## Secundino (Mar 21, 2015)

That is the way I save my _Restrepia_ over summer ... though now it is completely overgrown with _soleirolia_ and _fuchsia procumbens_...


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