# Warm growing Paphs. and cool, dry winter



## abax (Apr 28, 2012)

rest Paphs. question, please. Is there a relatively easy
way to ascertain which culture category a particular Paph.
prefers? I've been doing individual plant research, but it's
slow going to look up each individual species and/or primary. Forget hybrids by the tons! My gh is warm with
min. winter temps. of 60F and it seems several species
orchids prefer cooler temps. Anyone with advice to offer?


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## ehanes7612 (Apr 28, 2012)

you can grow any paphs with a min of 60 (dont know about complexes though)..i grow with a minimum of 60 and i even get venustum and spiceranum to grow and bloom pretty well... some individual plants may prefer a certain low temp but i find that all species contain plants that grow optimally at different ranges..and with most plants out there not starting out in the jungle..i dont think the temp ranges (cool, intermed, warm) are as important anymore


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## Carper (Apr 28, 2012)

We don't get the best of weather in the UK. Poor daylight in winters and not much sun in summer!! However, I grow mainly multifloral paphs including a few species like vietnamense, hangianum, roths, stonei, sanderianum and get them to flower and grow fairly well. i keep a min of 13C at night with a min of 20C in winter rising to 25C in summer unless naturally the greenhouse rises above this. Extractor fans control the higher temps to around 90F should it get there! Plenty of air movement and a fogger keeping humidity around 70% seems to work very well. I personally think the lower temps of around 55F throughout and drier conditions in winter help initiate flower spikes. 

Gary
UK


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## Rick (Apr 28, 2012)

I have about 2/3 of all paph species in my 12X12 GH.

A mix of all subgenera. Multi's, plain leaf, barbata types, brachies, parvis. I let my GH get from high 50's low 60's for winter nights and try to keep it below 90 in the summer (but it's cleared mid 90's on occasion).

Everything grows to some extant, but some of the coolest growers are the slower growers under my conditions. This includes some of the parvis. Armeniacum and micranthum in particular.

I find different spots in the GH to afford different lighting regimes, and that seems to keep everyone happy rather than really sweating specific temp regimes.


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## abax (Apr 29, 2012)

Thank you all. You have no idea how much I appreciate
your advice and experience. I really want to have as much success with Paphs. as with other genera I grow and I'm being a bit of a "nervous nelly"...also short on patience sometimes.


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## Stone (Apr 29, 2012)

Carper said:


> QUOTE] i keep a min of 13C at night with a min of 20C in winter rising to 25C in summer




Could you clarify this Gary?

Mike


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## Carper (Apr 29, 2012)

Stone said:


> Could you clarify this Gary?
> 
> Mike



Mike,

My control unit has a light sensor which switches automatically between night and day. There are 2 dials on the unit, one for day and one for night. The night temp I set at 13C so when my greenhouse cools and reaches this point, the connected 3kw heater kicks in automatically to maintain the temp. I leave it at this point throughout the year as I feel the paphs I grow don't want it any lower. The day temp I adjust depending on the time of year. In mid winter when we get very short/dark days I set the dial at about 20C, which still gives that temp difference. As the days get longer and we get more daylight I adjust the dial by about 1-2C per month until I get to 25C, then leave it, then as the days shorten I then reduce until I get back to 20C minimum. Should we get more consistent sun, the greenhouse would warm up automatically and probably be above this temperature of 25C, therefore the heater would'nt kick in as much, but we are nearly in May, and its about 10C outside, heavy rain and dull!!! I would like to grow warmer more consistently in spring/summer but heating costs run very expensive in the UK! I'm not sure they would grow better with higher temps even though around 85F would be more appropriate, but they would certainly appreciate and benefit from more sunlight which certain countries around the globe can definitely provide.

Gary
UK


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## paphreek (Apr 29, 2012)

Just to reenforce what others have said. I also set my minimum temp at around 60F because of our Vandas and Phals. All the Paphs, including the cooler loving Parvi's grow well and I have had no trouble blooming any Paphs, including all hybrids, except for micranthum, but they're just single growths, yet.


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## Stone (Apr 29, 2012)

Carper said:


> Mike,
> 
> My control unit has a light sensor which switches automatically between night and day. There are 2 dials on the unit, one for day and one for night. The night temp I set at 13C so when my greenhouse cools and reaches this point, the connected 3kw heater kicks in automatically to maintain the temp. I leave it at this point throughout the year as I feel the paphs I grow don't want it any lower. The day temp I adjust depending on the time of year. In mid winter when we get very short/dark days I set the dial at about 20C, which still gives that temp difference. As the days get longer and we get more daylight I adjust the dial by about 1-2C per month until I get to 25C, then leave it, then as the days shorten I then reduce until I get back to 20C minimum. Should we get more consistent sun, the greenhouse would warm up automatically and probably be above this temperature of 25C, therefore the heater would'nt kick in as much, but we are nearly in May, and its about 10C outside, heavy rain and dull!!! I would like to grow warmer more consistently in spring/summer but heating costs run very expensive in the UK! I'm not sure they would grow better with higher temps even though around 85F would be more appropriate, but they would certainly appreciate and benefit from more sunlight which certain countries around the globe can definitely provide.
> 
> ...



Thanks Gary
Its always instructive to see what kind of min. temps. some of these things will grow in. I tend to get very nervous when my g/house goes below 15c but I think maybe I worry too much.

Mike.


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