# Paphiopedilum rothschildianum growing advice worked!



## Secundino (Aug 28, 2016)

In 2013 I asked for advice as I just got my first Paph. rothschildianum. The plant has 9 1/2 leaves now and a little something growing from the basis what will be a new growth, so I guess the plant is mature now and I hope for flowers during the next roth - season. 







My thanks to all of you and every advice I got - it worked! Lots of crushed shells (mussels and sepia), a bit of epsom salts every other month, free fertilizing (something I usually do not) and growing outside in good light and perfect ventilation: slow but strong growth. 48 cm from tip to tip -rather compact.






And hopefully there is an update soon!


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## Markhamite (Aug 28, 2016)

Looking massive.


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## Wendy (Aug 28, 2016)

Beautiful chunky plant!
Second leaf from the bottom on the right....is that just discolouration near the base of the leaf?


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## troy (Aug 28, 2016)

Excellent plant!!! Congrats!! If you live in italy I hope you are ok!!


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## Ozpaph (Aug 28, 2016)

your next growth is appearing!!!


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## Fabrice (Aug 29, 2016)

This plant is not usual for a roth. Massive and particular leaves shape. Where did you buy it?

It would be in bloom in Spring 2017 if no growing problem.


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## Secundino (Aug 29, 2016)

This is a plant from Elsner, I don't know the parentage. As for the shape, I think that might be due to the plant growing outside and though there is shade, its getting a fair amount of sun, too. The leaves are very stout, fleshy and rigid, around 30 cm x 4,5 cm. The leaf 'burns' on the tips of older leaves are my fault - last winter the plant had an excess of salts while being kept dryer. As soon as I returned to normal watering this problem stopped.


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## Ozpaph (Aug 29, 2016)

Ooohhhhhh, ? tetraploid roth..................


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## Secundino (Aug 29, 2016)

No idea, ... but as you live in Brisbane and that is roughly 28 and something latitude, more or less the same where I live on northern hemisphere, if you grow roths outside they could look similar?


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## Justin (Aug 29, 2016)

It is ready to bloom...give it a good chill this autumn...nice growing!


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## Ozpaph (Aug 29, 2016)

Secundino said:


> No idea, ... but as you live in Brisbane and that is roughly 28 and something latitude, more or less the same where I live on northern hemisphere, if you grow roths outside they could look similar?



Mine don't look like that - narrower leaves and not as chunky.


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## e-spice (Aug 29, 2016)

I think you're doing a fantastic job with the plant. My roths don't look like that either though. As well as you're doing with that plant it will bloom very soon and you can see if it's a roth.


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## Secundino (Aug 30, 2016)

oke: What?! It IS a roth!


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## Stone (Aug 30, 2016)

Secundino said:


> oke: What?! It IS a roth!



I'm sure it's a roth but I can understand what the others are saying. It looks a bit like Angraecum eburneum!


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## Migrant13 (Aug 30, 2016)

Will be interesting to see that beast in flower. Does look rather stout for a Roth. Good growing.


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## NYEric (Aug 31, 2016)

Stone said:


> I'm sure it's a roth but I can understand what the others are saying. It looks a bit like Angraecum eburneum!



:evil:
You will be vacationing with us, I see!


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## Secundino (Aug 31, 2016)

Stone said:


> It looks a bit like Angraecum eburneum!



:rollhappy::rollhappy::rollhappy: Wouldn't mind that!


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## annab (Aug 31, 2016)

hello Secundino ,mine roth is identical your (It may be less regular in shape),also mine came from elsner ,I have bought it to november 2012 and was a very small plant,in these years I have grow it outdoor for about 7 month and the rest of the year inside on the windowsill and now it have put off 2 new grow ,the leaf is 5cm large and 30cm length like your.
I think that you and me have the same plant,so it will be interesting to see what's going to happen. 
when have you bought it ?
why many of you have doubt on right label ?
Anna


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## Secundino (Aug 31, 2016)

Hello, Anna,
this was the plant when I got it in November 2013.


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## Ozpaph (Aug 31, 2016)

Make sure you post a photo if/when a bud starts to appear.


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## Justin (Aug 31, 2016)

It could be a roth...will have to see the flower to be sure though. Most roths have more narrow leaves but here are a couple "chunky" roths that have flowered in my collection


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## emydura (Aug 31, 2016)

Secundino said:


> Hello, Anna,
> this was the plant when I got it in November 2013.



In two and half years you grew this to flowering size. Very impressive growing.


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## Secundino (Sep 1, 2016)

Thank you! 

I think that part of the success is documented by the roots.






I remember that reading the text of Xavier was of great help, but I don't find that document any more. I alternate different sources of N and the substrate is very airy (in fact many roots are 'hanging' in air not surrounded by substrate), made from crushed shells and sepia chunks, a few pieces of volcanic rocks, a few pieces of bark. The pot has 12 cm, the transparent one is sitting in a black one of the same size and this one is sitting in a saucer filled with water. There is always enough moisture in the bottom - something I was afraid of in the beginning, but I ain't any more. It has been re-potted twice in this time and there was not a single dead root - something which never has happened to me with other Paphios! The airy substrate and the amount of calcareous parts - about 50% - prevent the substrate from getting stale and mushy. The pot is always shaded, so the roots stay cool while the leaves may be in the sun. 

Thanks for all those pictures to compare with! It is of great help to roth-beginners like me!


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## Stone (Sep 1, 2016)

Secundino said:


> roth-beginners like me!


 Not any more! Good growing.
I just started using those German pots too. I like them. I wish I started 3 years ago. The best way to quickly understand paph roots!


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## Ozpaph (Sep 1, 2016)

Stone said:


> Not any more! Good growing.
> I just started using those German pots too. I like them. I wish I started 3 years ago. The best way to quickly understand paph roots!



Where did you get them, Mike?


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## Ozpaph (Sep 1, 2016)

Justin, that's a chunky one, too. What are the parents?


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## gego (Sep 1, 2016)

Secundino said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I think that part of the success is documented by the roots.
> 
> ...



Very interesting culture Secun. Now let me pick your brain a bit if you don't mind. I like to learn different angles. You did say "free fertilizing" on your previous post so I thought you don't fertilize at all except some Epsom. But now you provide N, so you must be fertilizing then, maybe not so strong? any rate you apply?

So the pot seats on a saucer filled with water and the only holes on the pot are at the bottom? Like a semi-hydro? What's the black pot for? to prevent algae?

Did you see any roots submerge in the water?

Thanks


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## Secundino (Sep 1, 2016)

I'll try, please bear in mind that english isn't my first language, it is my third and I'm still 'in progress' ... 

I don't feed much in general, as my tap water already has a salt load of 1,5g/l. Therefore I must prepare different 'waters' for different plants. When I run out of rain water (June or July) I buy water with low salt content. This water I use first in my aquaria, and afterwards for my plants. As I cannot use tap water for flushing surplus of salts, I must prevent salts building up at any rate - until it rains. 

Big and special plants get extra feeding. When I fertilize these special plants (professionals please stop reading now) I do it _ad libitum_ ... er, _freely_, the liquid fertlizer I used these days is the cheapest, (5-5-5, 2,02% N - ammoniacal, 1,61% ureic, 1,43% nitric) and I pour a bit of it ....  into a 4 l vase and from there I water the plants ... and as long as there is water in the vase, two, three, four days ... so I can't tell you ppm's. Two or three time a month I add a bit of algae extract to this watering-water ... and sometimes epsom-salts; this roth is the only one that gets half a tea-spoon of epsom salts directly on the surface of the substrate, twice a year ... .
So this is not scientific, nor  is it horticulture, (I should know it better)...

Now is summer here, and humidity outside is very low, even if I spray four, five times a day, the substrate does not hold water very long, so I need to water every second or third day. In about a month this will change, and I will reduce watering to once a week. Accordingly there will be less fertilizing. 

I can't tell if I feed every third or every fourth watering. It depends on the weather: during very hot and sunny spells I don't feed at all - I even try to use the cleanest water (least organic load), warm and cloudy weather encourages me to fertilize much more. Dry spells (air humidity less than 40%) - and I don't feed. 

The pots are normal pots. Even if the saucer is completely full with water, there will be just a little water eventually touching the roots - not like semi-hydro, because of the (5 mm) rim the pots have to prevent them from sitting in water.

And yes, the black pot is to prevent algae.


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## gego (Sep 1, 2016)

Thank you Secun, you done good. Did you say you just sprinkle Epsom on top of the media? Well, it worked for you. Lots of stuff to learn from your experience.
Goodluck on the flower, I hope it will be as robust as the plant.


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## Stone (Sep 4, 2016)

Ozpaph said:


> Where did you get them, Mike?



ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Clear-Pl...hash=item1ea5fccaa9:m:mEqNHx8VPrvzmLzeYLJDIag


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## Ozpaph (Sep 4, 2016)

thank-you!


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## Secundino (Oct 20, 2016)

blade (blād)
n.
1. The flat cutting part of a sharpened weapon or tool.
.
.
.
9. Botany
a. The expanded part of a leaf or petal.
b. The leaf of grasses or similar plants.

Sometimes, both things are the same.


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