# Paph. tigrinum ( 4 flowers!!! )



## Marc (Jun 18, 2013)

The story of this plant started allmost two years ago. I picked it up from a fellow hobbyist at the annual Orchid event that's hosted by the Dutch Orchid society.

Here's the link to the thread in which I shared my purchases with you all:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22448&page=2

The plant a few days after I bought it:







Since then I've been treating it as the most precious plant in my collection and giving it as much TLC as I can. In the year 2012 it grew, produced some new growths but no flowers. So I still wasn't sure if it was a real tigrinum yes or no. I still couldn't believe that I bought such a big tiger.....

The 2013 came and in the beginning of this year I noticed two sheaths slowly forming. As I heard so many horror stories of bud blast I was so worried that it might to my plant as well. So I ended up keeping it on the dry side and only watering once every 2 weeks and even then the pot was only dipped once in a bucket with water.

To my great surprise in the weeks there after I discovered even more sheaths emerging and I ended up with the great total of 4 sheaths. As the inflorescence started rising I staked them all, just for extra stability in case someone would bump against them.

During this whole period I didn't take any photo's and I didn't inform you guys. I was too worried that I actually might jinx it. 

In the beginning of June the first bud started to open and I checked it every few hours and slowly saw it open. When the dorsal sepals started opening I was a very happy panda as the plant that I bought in 2011 turned out to be a real tiger!

Anough chit chat, here are the pictures:
















As there are some minor differences between the flowers I actually took one of each flower.

#1





#2





#3





#4





And another shot of one of the flowers I allready posted:






For me this is the biggest accomplishment I have reached as far as Orchid growing is concerned. If I had the opportunity to have it properly judged I would but this probably wont happen. I've also never seen a picture of a tigrinum in cultivation by a hobbyist with more then 2 flowers on a single plant. So that makes me extra happy! :drool:

However there is something that made me even happier this year!


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## Hugorchids (Jun 18, 2013)

sweet, great job!


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## goldenrose (Jun 18, 2013)

WAY TO GO MARC!!!! That is so AWESOME! Keep up the good growin'!
Another one I'm jealous & envious of!


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## NYEric (Jun 18, 2013)

Well done. I guess it really was a good acquisition!  BTW, that would be a $400 plant here. 
The color is not the best, but 4 flowers and good markings would influence the judges.


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## tenman (Jun 18, 2013)

Wow! That's really something!


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## eggshells (Jun 18, 2013)

Great growing sir! :clap: CCE, it should be.


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## Trithor (Jun 18, 2013)

Well grown and flowered Marc, congratulations!


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## reivilos (Jun 18, 2013)

OMG! Good job Marc!!!
I've lost two buds lately, so I know what it takes.


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## atlantis (Jun 18, 2013)

Great plant *Marc*.

Congrats!! :clap:


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## Stone (Jun 18, 2013)

Its a great feeling when all your care given to plant pays off like this.:clap:
A triumph!! Congaratulations and I'm full of envy.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 18, 2013)

WOW WOW WOW!!!
That has to be one of the best, if not the best, tigrinum ever. Just gorgeous.
Yes -- have it judged!


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## emydura (Jun 18, 2013)

WOW. That is wonderful. Great growing and good effort not to blast them.


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## SlipperKing (Jun 18, 2013)

So what they say about growing dry during bud formation is true, I'll be damn! Congratulations Marc! A job well done!!


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## abax (Jun 18, 2013)

What a wonderful accomplishment! The blooms are beautiful and I finally
see that the name is justified...it does look tigerish.


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## Bjorn (Jun 19, 2013)

Marc, congratulations both with your son and your accomplsihment (tigers). I really cannot understand how you did that! I am struggling myself to keep rot at bay. So far my two seedlings (two-three years old) have pushed buds, but they are soooo slow. No blast so far though. I do however not keep them dry, after all, where they come from its rainy season now! With lots of water from above, so if they blast etc. it must be due to some other cultural thing.



SlipperKing said:


> So what they say about growing dry during bud formation is true, I'll be damn! Congratulations Marc! A job well done!!



Rick, I cannot find anywhere that Marc has kept tem dry? Marc, comments?
B


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## Marc (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the compliments 



Bjorn said:


> Rick, I cannot find anywhere that Marc has kept tem dry? Marc, comments?
> B





> .....So I ended up keeping it on the dry side and only watering once every 2 weeks and even then the pot was only dipped once in a bucket with water. ......



A bit of info about how I grow this plant

The plant is potted in a substrate that consists mostly of bark but I've also added in spagnum and perlite. Ratio about 80-10-10 I would guess.
The plant is grown on the windowsill of an east facing window. Temperatures in the summer are quite high, but during the winter I struggle to keep the temperature above 15C during the night.

During this winter time I keep all my paphs on the drier side to prevent them from rotting away. So my tigrinum gets this same treatment. This year when the sheaths started emerging I really under watered this plant. One quick dip in a bucket every 2 weeks and I only started watering heavier when the buds had cleared the growths.

As with all my Orchids I watered the plant by hand, so no hosing down the plants. Big advantage is no water in the axil of the growths. Disadvantage costs a lot of time. ( But on windowsills not an option either )

The fertilizer I use is K-Lite.


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## Bjorn (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks Marc, 
dry, cool season makes sense. Personally I treat them similarly, but water overhead with a hose. No signs yet of bud-blast, the buds have started to come up. But I have an issue with rot (erwinia?) when temperatures increase.


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## cnycharles (Jun 19, 2013)

That is very, very nice. congratulations


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## JPMC (Jun 19, 2013)

It's rare to see many specimen sized paphs in general, but I've never seen a tigrinum specimen like yours. Well done!


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## Brabantia (Jun 19, 2013)

An extra plant and flowering, congratulations Marc for its culture! Is it at Utrecht that you bought this plant?


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## SlipperKing (Jun 19, 2013)

Bjorn said:


> Thanks Marc,
> dry, cool season makes sense. Personally I treat them similarly, but water overhead with a hose. No signs yet of bud-blast, the buds have started to come up. But I have an issue with rot (erwinia?) when temperatures increase.



I had the same issue with mine, rot. Once I got the erwinia stopped ( cut out bad stuff) watered sparingly through winter. To my surprise in the spring during re-potting I had gotten lots of new roots. Now in a mixture of tree fern, chopped fine, orchiata#5 and hydroton balls at 2:1:1 Now aways damp/wet, no more issues with rot (so far)


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## Justin (Jun 19, 2013)

Congrats!!!


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## Bjorn (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks, appears to me that they need an "airier" mix than most.
B


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## Marc (Jun 19, 2013)

Brabantia said:


> An extra plant and flowering, congratulations Marc for its culture! Is it at Utrecht that you bought this plant?



Yes I bought the plant at the NOV day in the Hortus in Utrecht.


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## ZWUM (Jun 19, 2013)

Wow! That's stunning! Excellent culture and beautiful photos to boot!


-Zach


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## jjkOC (Jun 20, 2013)

Irresistibly amazing!!


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## Dido (Jun 21, 2013)

congrats on this beauty are you going to self it


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## Rick (Jun 22, 2013)

JPMC said:


> It's rare to see many specimen sized paphs in general, but I've never seen a tigrinum specimen like yours. Well done![/QUOTE
> 
> You should look up some of Matt Gore's old threads.:wink:
> 
> But it is rare to see multi bloom tigrinums anywhere. Great job Marc!!


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## Rick (Jun 22, 2013)

Bjorn said:


> Thanks, appears to me that they need an "airier" mix than most.
> B



I went to basket culture, and with low K they went nuts.

In basket culture, you may get cooler roots too. I also had them in SH for a while (pre low K) and they did pretty good (root wise) that way too.


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## GuRu (Jun 23, 2013)

Congrats Marc, your plant is a real stunner ! Every single flower a beauty of its own.


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## Migrant13 (Jun 23, 2013)

Awesome. I have never seen such a well grown or flowered tiger. Hope you can post again when it flowers next year.


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## Mrs. Paph (Jun 26, 2013)

Awesome!!!!!


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## Erythrone (Jun 28, 2013)

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Marc (Jul 1, 2013)

Dido said:


> congrats on this beauty are you going to self it



I wasn't planning on doing this, allthough the plant is established and strong and should be able to handle it.

As a rule I always try to flower a new plant in my collection one time before I start fiddling with pollen and toothpicks.


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## Trithor (Jul 1, 2013)

it is difficult to fiddle with pollen and toothpicks if it has not flowered


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## Evergreen (Jul 1, 2013)

Marc, well done!


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## nathalie (Jul 2, 2013)

Congratulations i'm jealous


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## McPaph (Jul 20, 2013)

Really nice. Great flowers and great growing


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## Bjorn (Feb 7, 2015)

Found this thread, can you give us an update please? Hope that wonderful plant is still ok, and prospering?


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## Brabantia (Feb 7, 2015)

Bjorn said:


> Found this thread, can you give us an update please? Hope that wonderful plant is still ok, and prospering?



If we gets back in contact with Marc, I will ask him if he adds some dolomite in its substrate ... because its time to repot mine.


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## Marco (May 17, 2015)

Beautiful and good growing.

Thanks


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