My paph. ooii growing for 4 years

[Camellkc]

I had a chance to get a few ooii from Indonesia 4 years ago. Unfortunately, all plants were in critical condition when they come to me. After extra caring for 4 years, I recently begin to repot them and I am pleased to see some new roots on the plant. The old growth only has 1 leaf left while the new growth has been growing for 3.5 years. This species really grows very slow and it stops growing in summer time. I have been using coconut peel with a little twigs as growing media. Medium to strong light and water once per week.

 

[musa]

Good job!

 

[Martin]

Wow, good Job indeed. Its so important that some keep that species alive and propagate it. I also had some plants around in 2010. I established them well in living sphagnum. Unfourtunatly I habe them away because of my orchid break. I dont know what happened to them. Please keep us updated.

 

[Camellkc]

Wow, good Job indeed. Its so important that some keep that species alive and propagate it. I also had some plants around in 2010. I established them well in living sphagnum. Unfourtunatly I habe them away because of my orchid break. I dont know what happened to them. Please keep us updated.

I know it is important to preserve some ooii shoots as they are very rare in the habitat now. Actually, I have a chance to obtain 50 fresh shoots from the origin last year and I put many of them in my friend’s highland garden in Indonesia. It is extremely difficult for them to establish though but it is better than in my place.

 

[FrankRC]

Stops growing in summer time? Your summer time? December through March?

The implication of this is that this is a seasonal grower and there would need to be some environmental or ecological influence on Kinabalu causing this. This would also inform us as to why almost every plant in cultivation dies. If it is a seasonal grower and we keep watering our plants throughout we rot them. If it is not a seasonal grower and we withhold water and fertilizer we kill our plants. Knowing what is going on where this species can be found and understanding the ecology is important.

While the altitude of the known habitat is higher than most Paphs, I know plants from this collection also went to Thailand and have been growing well in a warm part of that country potted in limestone for several years now. With some luck we will have flowers in the next few years and get this species into flask, hopefully producing seedlings that are easy to cultivate.

 

[Camellkc]

Stops growing in summer time? Your summer time? December through March?

The implication of this is that this is a seasonal grower and there would need to be some environmental or ecological influence on Kinabalu causing this. This would also inform us as to why almost every plant in cultivation dies. If it is a seasonal grower and we keep watering our plants throughout we rot them. If it is not a seasonal grower and we withhold water and fertilizer we kill our plants. Knowing what is going on where this species can be found and understanding the ecology is important.

While the altitude of the known habitat is higher than most Paphs, I know plants from this collection also went to Thailand and have been growing well in a warm part of that country potted in limestone for several years now. With some luck we will have flowers in the next few years and get this species into flask, hopefully producing seedlings that are easy to cultivate.

My place’s summer months are from May to October. In fact the temperature is too high (more than 33 degrees) causing it to stop growing that is same as my other multifloral paphs. However, the growing speed is really much slower than other paphs may be due to the special habitat of this species.