Anticipation

[kman]

10 weeks ago:



Today:



Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

 

[Djthomp28]

Looking good! Is your media tree fern and oyster shells? I am curious about your experience, if it is.

 

[kman]

Looking good! Is your media tree fern and oyster shells? I am curious about your experience, if it is.

I grow most Paphs up to 5" pot size in NZ Tree Fern using clay pots. Drainage is excellent and the media dries rapidly. Almost impossible to overwater during the growing season. This allows for frequent irrigation, and yes, I feed constantly. The oyster shell top dressings are used for select species and their primary hybrids and I believe they help. Repotting frequency is reduced as the material breaks down very slowly. NZTF is a bit tricky for me in very small pots, 1 1/2" or 2" seedling containers, where it dries out too fast for some plants. For these I have begun to use sphagnum moss.

I am from the generation that used Osmunda as a potting media and plastic pots not the first choice for most genera. So NZTF fits my world view, and for me at least is a wonderful media.

Now, 5" plus size and strap leaf multiflorals and another story altogether.

 

[Djthomp28]

Thank you for the response and the details on how you are using NZTF. I have experimented with it in the past and my results were mixed. But I will likely experiment again.

 

[Tom-DE]

What is it? Paph. HK?

 

[kman]

Today's picture:



The identity will soon become clear.

 

[kman]

Thank you for the response and the details on how you are using NZTF. I have experimented with it in the past and my results were mixed. But I will likely experiment again.

In plastic pots this media is very different. My basic growing philosophy for most things (during the growing season of course) is that frequent watering is good, and the combo of NZTF and clay pots allow for that.