# growing micranthum/malipoense



## philoserenus (Feb 12, 2009)

if wondering if it would be possible to bloom these cool wintering parvis like micranthum and malipoense if:

(1) wintered them on a south window (probably around 12*C min)
(2) stick them outside once nights are around 5-10*C in the very early spring
(3) and then weather them outside all spring through fall until nights are less than 5*C

you guys think they could bloom late spring/early summer? or would the timing be all off so they won't bloom--period?

if not, i was thinking of getting a Paph Magic Lanterns or Paph Fanaticum, if i can find them at the next show. and i'm hoping these would be more easier to grow since they are hybrids.

for anyone who could share some insight/advice/experience, i highly appreciate it. 

thanks 
.nick


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## John M (Feb 12, 2009)

Nick, the proposed conditions you describe seem just fine. I grow and bloom these in my greenhouse where the temps don't get that low. Although, the hybrids will likely grow faster and bloom more often for you. For example: I find that the species do not bloom every year; but rather; every 3 to 4 years. The hybrids do grow quickly enough to bloom each year. 'Hope that helps.

BTW: This is the "Photo" section. This thread should be in the "Slipper Orchid Culture" section.


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## Paphman910 (Feb 12, 2009)

Paph micranthum is a cool grower that needs cool night temperature to grow and flower well. 

Paph malipoense is a warm grower and I don't think it needs cool temperatures to flower.

Paphman910


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## kentuckiense (Feb 12, 2009)

Paphman910 said:


> Paph micranthum is a cool grower that needs cool night temperature to grow and flower well.
> 
> Paph malipoense is a warm grower and I don't think it needs cool temperatures to flower.
> 
> Paphman910



micranthum and malipoense grow sympatrically in some areas, so I doubt that it is safe to call one "cool growing" and the other "warm growing." In fact, if I am reading the charts in Averyanov's book correctly, the micranthum locality has considerably higher maximum temperatures (roughly3-5 k) than those of the two malipoense sites measured.


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## kentuckiense (Feb 12, 2009)

philoserenus said:


> if not, i was thinking of getting a Paph Magic Lanterns or Paph Fanaticum, if i can find them at the next show. and i'm hoping these would be more easier to grow since they are hybrids.



For what it's worth, I have malipoense and several micranthum and have bloomed neither species. However, my fanaticum spiked (and blasted).


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## NYEric (Feb 12, 2009)

Nick, you should be able to bloom any of those.


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## SlipperKing (Feb 12, 2009)

I agree with Eric. You should be able to bloom any of the parvis.


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## John M (Feb 12, 2009)

Paphman910 said:


> Paph micranthum is a cool grower that needs cool night temperature to grow and flower well.
> 
> Paph malipoense is a warm grower and I don't think it needs cool temperatures to flower.
> 
> Paphman910




What is your definitiion of "cool" and "warm"?


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Feb 12, 2009)

You "should" be able to bloom both. However, good luck....I have conditions that should be right and have never bloomed either...although I did get a micranthum to spike once...but of course it blasted. Take care, Eric


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## Rick (Feb 12, 2009)

I think a couple of things are goofy about the blooming sequence of parvis in general.

1) There periods of greatest light are during the coldest times.
2) They favor limestone areas where the pH is usually a bit better than 7 and availability of phosphorus is fairly high all the time.

I have bloomed armenicum, micranthum, and malipoense, with just one or two plants of each within a couple of years of getting them. My lowest temps are in the mid 50's (with occasional dips in the low 50's), but I add additional light during winter, and spend the summers with more shade and humidity to keep them cool.

Leo is the real king of parvis in the US, and he has led some threads on blooming parvis under lights, so you might look at those old threads, and maybe some of Sanderianum's posts too.


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## philoserenus (Feb 13, 2009)

hi everyone,

thank you for all your help, it is really appreciated. really helps put some uneasy feelings away. the weather is finally warming up in Toronto, i just hope it will stay this way soon, since spring is coming quicky.

John: that was something i never really knew; i guess these species do grow a lot slower than the hybrids (at least from your account). 

Rick: so does that mean you use some kind of phosphorus additive to ur fertilzing regime or does it somehow find its way into your substrate? also, i have looked up both Leo and Sanderianum's posts before posting this, they do offer some insight to this group for sure.

thanks everyone for replying again


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## Rick (Feb 13, 2009)

philoserenus said:


> Rick: so does that mean you use some kind of phosphorus additive to ur fertilzing regime or does it somehow find its way into your substrate?



I add a goodly portion of oyster shell to my medium which will retain the phosphorus from your fertilizer (allowing the plant to pick it up later) as well as buffering the pH. I also top dress with bone meal periodically (but that is more recent).


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## rob (Feb 14, 2009)

I have a large collection of mostly parvi species and hybrids that I grow in a small greenhouse. It gets as warm as 90s in the heat of the summer and in the mid 50s during the coldest nights of winter. I constant feed with a dosatron at what I think is around 125ppm with a balanced fert. I have a 60% shade cloth on the house. My water has a naturally high pH @ 7.9.I spike and flower them all and have many in spike right now, even emersonii. I think micranthum is the most unreliable to spike for it may go 3-5 years with no spikes and yet this year every one that I have, @15, are in spike. Malipoense spikes and blooms regularly( i had and have 20+this winter in spike for me) as does armeniacum. The one thing that I do is repot in a open mix every 18 months or so and I also hold off on too much water and heat through the mid to late Fall. I am lucky that the section I love the most grows the best for me( or maybe that's why I like them so much!)
Keep trying,
Rob


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## Rick (Feb 14, 2009)

rob said:


> I have a large collection of mostly parvi species and hybrids that I grow in a small greenhouse. It gets as warm as 90s in the heat of the summer and in the mid 50s during the coldest nights of winter. I constant feed with a dosatron at what I think is around 125ppm with a balanced fert. I have a 60% shade cloth on the house. My water has a naturally high pH @ 7.9.I spike and flower them all and have many in spike right now, even emersonii. I think micranthum is the most unreliable to spike for it may go 3-5 years with no spikes and yet this year every one that I have, @15, are in spike. Malipoense spikes and blooms regularly( i had and have 20+this winter in spike for me) as does armeniacum. The one thing that I do is repot in a open mix every 18 months or so and I also hold off on too much water and heat through the mid to late Fall. I am lucky that the section I love the most grows the best for me( or maybe that's why I like them so much!)
> Keep trying,
> Rob



What part of the world are you at Rob? What are your winter light levels? What is your potting mix?

Take care Rick


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## Sangii (Feb 14, 2009)

I have a hard time getting my micranthums to bloom but I my malipos/jackiis and their hybrids bloom easily and regularly. My conditions are quite similar to what Rob describes : it can get really hot in the greenhouse in the summer and as low as 12°C in the winter (not lower than that).

My malipos get a fair amount of light, plenty of air movement and very little fertilizer,. I keep them a bit on the dry side in late fall and winter, plenty of water (and more shade) in the summer time. They actually get more light and sun in the winter (I'm in the south of France, where we get a lot of sun in winter and my GH has no shading cloth in winter) than in summr where the GH sits in a big tree shade


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## rob (Feb 14, 2009)

Hi Rick,
I am in south western New England, Massachusetts to be exact, usda zone 4b


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## rob (Feb 14, 2009)

Rick,
I use a mix of 5 parts small redwood bark, 2parts large sponge rock, 1 part each of charcoal and medium bark. I don't know the foot candles in the green house but the days are short in the winter but the snow does reflect the light quite a bit onto the greenhouse so I doubt it is a lot less in intensity , just duration


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## philoserenus (Feb 14, 2009)

wow rob, i hope that i can find a section that i can bloom regularly too. i went to the SOOS orchid show today and i bought a Paph Magic Lantern x armeniacum. its a pure white flower with a dab of yellow on the shield and some very light specks of pink in pouch. i'll post a pick when the camera recharges


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## philoserenus (Feb 16, 2009)

btw guys, here's the picture of the paph i got. before i got my hands on it, the flower was a little a little wilted so this is all that is left, the form is completely gone, but i'll just have to wait for the second blooms whenever that comes. kind of looks like an Armeni White. but with a bigger pouch and a less pink spots in the pouch.


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## SlipperKing (Feb 17, 2009)

Nice buy Nick. Thanks for the info Rob and Sangii


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