Orchids 2023

[Happypaphy7]

I use just about whatever is around including years old leftover of African Violet and Cactus fertilizers and Tomato fertilizers. Don't ask me why I have those but I do and I use what I have.
I also have used a bunch of prodcuts marketed for orchids including K-lite. I honestly never see any differences in plant growth, which is why I use whatever's at hand. However, I usually just use my tap water

 

[Justin]

Some updates:
First roth of the year opening. This is an Orchid Zone cross 'Chester Hill' x 'Red Baron'. This is one of the better plants from this grex, which tends to have more of an old school look. This will be the second blooming for this plant, and it will have four flowers. There is supposedly Rex in the background which comes through with the dorsal and yellow color. I really like this one.





lowii 'Albino Beauty' x 'Mem. Agnes Hebling'



Another pic of my big lowii plant, which has 2 spikes with 11 flowers/buds.



Stilll a lot more coming...

 

[Tony]

That roths is definitely a keeper.

 

[tnyr5]

Did you know it's actually illegal to post a pic of a roth without measurements?

 

[gego]

Something about my conditions did not work well with K-lite. Things seemed great the first year or two, then I started seeing signs of deficiencies. New growths were shrinking and I had a hard time keeping old growths on plants, they would waste away leaf by leaf going chlorotic and dying off. Flower counts were low with most first bloomers only giving two or occasionally even one flower. I changed up my feeding program last year based heavily on Xavier's work published here and in his pdf books. The biggest changes were incorporating ammonium and urea based nitrogen sources and tweaking the micronutrient ratios. My plants are holding their old fans now and flower counts have improved dramatically, my haynaldianum that has always bloomed 2-3 flowers per spike has 6 this year and my first bloomers have averaged 3-4 flowers.































































































































I'm not sure what cultural differences account for it but K-lite either seems to be a big hit or a big miss with no in-between.















My take is that most paphs are coming from limestone area. When acidic rain gets in contact

with lime, calcium carbonate/Bicarbonate is formed. This will eventually flow towards the plants. Cal nitrate is not present naturally. The plant grows in a patch of humus which becomes very acidic with rain. Nature brings it back to the right pH by the flow of calcium Bicarbonate to this patches of loom debris. Just my two cents.

 

[Ozpaph]

lovely roth
(you can post the photo rather than the thumbnail with postimage)

 

[Justin]

lovely roth
(you can post the photo rather than the thumbnail with postimage)

I run into size limits with posting into the forum. I use my Android phone to take photos. Is there a setting that keeps file size small enough to post here?

 

[papheteer]

Some updates:
First roth of the year opening. This is an Orchid Zone cross 'Chester Hill' x 'Red Baron'. This is one of the better plants from this grex, which tends to have more of an old school look. This will be the second blooming for this plant, and it will have four flowers. There is supposedly Rex in the background which comes through with the dorsal and yellow color. I really like this one.





lowii 'Albino Beauty' x 'Mem. Agnes Hebling'



Another pic of my big lowii plant, which has 2 spikes with 11 flowers/buds.



Stilll a lot more coming...

Paph Heaven!!!!

 

[papheteer]

I have found this to be true. I grow in a bark Based mix. I saw significant improvements with my plants when I started using some ammoniacal and urea based fertilizers here and there.

 

[NEslipper]

Love that roth! I have a Wide Horizon x Chester Hills cross that looks similar, but has the bad habit of spiking late in the season, usually the end of July, right before we hit the dog days of summer, and it invariably blasts. Great dorsal and synsepal on yours!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

That lowii is so happy! Well done.

 

[Justin]

Some lowii time...

'Albino Beauty' x 'Mem. Agnes Hebling'



Here is my big lowii. I bought this as a mature plant about 20 years ago. Flowers are OK but the plant grows like a beast. It is virtually continuously in bloom throughout the entire year. As one inflorescence is finishing up, another growth has matured and is spiking. It can carry 4-6 flowers per spike. There are two spikes currently, with 11 flowers/buds. Quite likely a 4n plant, it is in a 7" tall pot, and there is almost no medium in the pot. It is just roots.





And some little seedlings on the way...'New Horizon' x 'Grand Masterpiece'

 

[papheteer]

Wow!!!! I love the color on that light lowii!

 

[Justin]

A nice micranthum. This was originally a select division from Orchid Inn, which I received from a member here a very long time ago. Happy plant that blooms pretty well. The flower is always a treat.

 

[papheteer]

A nice micranthum. This was originally a select division from Orchid Inn, which I received from a member here a very long time ago. Happy plant that blooms pretty well. The flower is always a treat.
View attachment 38791

an exceptional micranthum!! Do you grow this any different compared to your other plants? Cooler temps?

 

[Martin]

I love micranthum, and this one is especially nice!

 

[Justin]

an exceptional micranthum!! Do you grow this any different compared to your other plants? Cooler temps?

It does grow on the lower shelf where it is probably mid 60s in winter. I grow it in orchiata, and try to keep it pretty moist at all times.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Beautiful lowii and its hybrid and that chunky micranthum!!

 

[NEslipper]

Love that micranthum! Seems to be hard to find these day, var eburneum is everywhere, but not the type. If you ever have a division….

 

[hkunberger]

Some lowii time...

'Albino Beauty' x 'Mem. Agnes Hebling'

View attachment 38762

Here is my big lowii. I bought this as a mature plant about 20 years ago. Flowers are OK but the plant grows like a beast. It is virtually continuously in bloom throughout the entire year. As one inflorescence is finishing up, another growth has matured and is spiking. It can carry 4-6 flowers per spike. There are two spikes currently, with 11 flowers/buds. Quite likely a 4n plant, it is in a 7" tall pot, and there is almost no medium in the pot. It is just roots.

View attachment 38763

View attachment 38764

And some little seedlings on the way...'New Horizon' x 'Grand Masterpiece'

View attachment 38765

What a beauty!