advice sought on newly purchased Paphiopedilum tranlienianum

[BrucherT]

I picked up this little P. tranlienianum at Hausermann’s last month; it looked healthy and the price was right.

It’s out of quarantine now and I’m thinking about repotting. As you can see, it’s potted in straight sphagnum.

My inclination is to repot it into seeding bark mix with extra pumice, charcoal and limestone chips, or a Japanese Cymbidium kanuma/pumice mix but I wanted to gauge expert opinions here; have I missed something? Is growing P. tranlienianum in straight sphagnum, like, a thing? I do see one apparently nice root circling… please advise?

 

[Tom-DE]

I have had my two-growth seedling for six months...The seedling bark mix (with extra sponge rocks, charcoals, and some chicken grits) works fine for me... I grow it I/W side by side with my helenae on the south-facing windowsill among some of my Brachys seedlings, kinda bright....small pot. I think both helenae and tranlienianum grow cooler and drier in their natural habitats in winter.
Crazy Tony posted a nice one not long ago, not sure if he gave out any culture tips...

Just by looking at your hand, your plant is so much bigger than my little seedling, nice buy!

 

[BrucherT]

I have had my two-growth seedling for six months...The seedling bark mix (with extra sponge rocks, charcoals, and some chicken grits) works fine for me... I grow it I/W side by side with my helenae on the south-facing windowsill among some of my Brachys seedlings, kinda bright....small pot. I think both helenae and tranlienianum grow cooler and drier in their natural habitats in winter.
Crazy Tony posted a nice one not long ago, not sure if he gave out any culture tips...

Just by looking at your hand, your plant is so much bigger than my little seedling, nice buy!

Thank you! I’m hopeful about it. $35.

Wondering why my posts aren’t appearing in the daily roundups

 

[big923cattleya]

For a large number of slipper growers, sphagnum moss works well as a media. I started out growing in bark mixes and have always done well with them. I change the percentages of the components on occasion but that is a matter of personal preference.
I do not worry about any plant growing well, just those that grow poorly.
Keep in mind that many newly imported plants are shipped bare root. Dollar for dollar it is the easiest media to use. It saves a lot of time.

 

[BrucherT]

For a large number of slipper growers, sphagnum moss works well as a media. I started out growing in bark mixes and have always done well with them. I change the percentages of the components on occasion but that is a matter of personal preference.
I do not worry about any plant growing well, just those that grow poorly.
Keep in mind that many newly imported plants are shipped bare root. Dollar for dollar it is the easiest media to use. It saves a lot of time.

Aw thank you. I know lots of folks use sphagnum very happily but I only use it as a rooting/recovery medium, as an additive or as a mulch. I don’t know tranlienianum’s parameters yet. I’ve never bought any Paphiopedilum from Hausermann’s that came in just sphagnum and am just very intrigued as to why. That same day, and from a very nearby spot, I snagged P. druryi “Birchwood x self” that’s potted in regular Hausermann’s bark mix.

I’ll probably repot the tranlienianum in bark with limestone and charcoal but I’m also considering a kanuma/pumice Jensoa Cymbidium mix. I’ll dive into other tranlienianum posts and refresh my understanding of what folks are using successfully.