# just bought a hainanense



## laurel (Jan 6, 2014)

I just bought a four growth hainanense in bud at a local grower's open house. Can I assume that it has already gone through its winter rest stage since its in bud? A lot of winter left here. Should I try to trick it into thinking it is spring, or give it some kind of modified rest either now or after the bloom is gone. My Baker culture sheet admits to not having a lot of data on the plant, but recommends for winter a lessening of water followed by a quite dry month or two.
I have the same question about a spicerianum purchased at the same time and blooming. My reading says in nature it gets a cold (40's) 2-3 month rest period like my armeniacum. Should I assume since it is flowering that this has already been done and treat it as if it is spring?


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## SlipperFan (Jan 6, 2014)

According to Cribb, (http://slipperorchids.info/paphdatasheets/bloomingcribb.jpg) appletonianum's bloom period is Jan-March. Check http://slipperorchids.info/paphdatasheets/sigmatopetalum/appletonianum/index.html for water and light requirements. Hainanense is a synonym, or variety -- depending on source -- of appletonianum.


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## NYEric (Jan 6, 2014)

Are you growing this in the house or a separate climate controlled area. In our apt we cant really give a colder rest period, plus if it's in bud you can't easilly go back.


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## Justin (Jan 6, 2014)

laurel said:


> I just bought a four growth hainanense in bud at a local grower's open house. Can I assume that it has already gone through its winter rest stage since its in bud? A lot of winter left here. Should I try to trick it into thinking it is spring, or give it some kind of modified rest either now or after the bloom is gone. My Baker culture sheet admits to not having a lot of data on the plant, but recommends for winter a lessening of water followed by a quite dry month or two.
> I have the same question about a spicerianum purchased at the same time and blooming. My reading says in nature it gets a cold (40's) 2-3 month rest period like my armeniacum. Should I assume since it is flowering that this has already been done and treat it as if it is spring?



suggest no special treatment, keep slightly moist but not wet.


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## laurel (Jan 7, 2014)

I guess I'm assuming that the literature is correct that these plants need a rest period to bloom, and since they are now blooming they must have already had this rest period. I'm thinking that over the next month I should transition into treating them as actively growing plants as far as water, light, temperature and fertilization are concerned. I can create any number of artificial environments with the resources I have. Would this thinking be correct for the plants?


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## SlipperKing (Jan 7, 2014)

Rest period and blooming do not necessary go hand-in-hand. Rest period generally refers to growth of a plant. Generally speaking all plants slow down their growth in the colder month or "rest" Then return to "normal growth" in the warmer months. As I mentioned in another post, I went 3 weeks without pot watering my collection. I only mist the plants each evening to mimic the dew that would naturally settle out on the plants in the wilds. I watered last Sunday now I'm in another lean period. If you are not growing in an environment that has high humidity (~70), winter sun and night temps in the 50's-60's then you will not want to restrict water to the roots as much as I would do.


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## laurel (Jan 7, 2014)

Dot
Thank you for the links. Is the Cribb blooming table based on bloom times in the wild? For an early Jan. blooming here would the drier months have been given in the fall, or does bloom occur in the midst of the dry spell, not after, for hainanense. Is the chart of rain-by -month in slipperorchids.info given for conditions in the wild?
Rick
Yes, when temps are lower and sun less available in the greenhouse in winter I do water everything less often and stop fertilizer. But certain plants are written up as needing some (to me) more severe kind of restriction in water or heat or both in order to bloom. I have my paphs in a house setup for the winter so I can fiddle with their environment more. Maybe I am wrong in assuming that these plants bloom after this restriction. Maybe they bloom in the midst of the period of restriction and it should continue for a time after bloom?


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## SlipperFan (Jan 8, 2014)

As I understand it, Stephen created his website using data gleaned from sources that based their findings on where the orchids grow in the wild.


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## The Mutant (Jan 9, 2014)

Well, I have an appletonianum, a var. hainanense, and a var. cervernaum (three appletonianum in other words). I'm a windowsill grower so none of mine get any lower temps (they might get a bit lower, but me and the kitties need to be able to live indoors as well), and I water them if they feel too dry. My appletonianum and my var. cerveranum are both in low bud now, so I don't really know if they need a colder and dryer rest period...


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