Hello all, based on the current growth rate, when do people think I can expect this plant to flower. The cross is P. Rothschildianum (King Kong x Sandy). The images are from June 2021, 2022 and 2023. It seems to be growing fairly quickly, but could it be doing better? I have no idea the size of the parents. My 'New Horizon x Raptor' flowered on a plant not much bigger than this, but I recently purchased a Roth that is enormous and looks like a peacocks tail, must be around 70cm wide and perfectly semetrical, so massive variation in this species size wise. Does plant size have much bearing on flower size/quality?
P.Rothschildianum growth rate
- Thread starter LukeC
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My New Horizon x Raptor were both huge plants for first bloomers, around 36" ls, and the flowers were trash. I've had a number of good first blooms on 16-24" plants of various other parentages. They should improve as they grow larger but there definitely isn't a simple correlation between plant size and flower quality.
I'd expect your plant to bloom in 3-4 years. Two years could be possible under optimal conditions but I wouldn't count on it.
I'd expect your plant to bloom in 3-4 years. Two years could be possible under optimal conditions but I wouldn't count on it.
krisk
Well-Known Member
I find they like stronger light than many other Paphs. They’re perfectly fine under 70% shade cloth here in Adelaide. Multiflorals in particular might not flower consistently if they don’t get enough light.
at least 2 years - mine are slow. Agree, re-Raptor cross.
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3 years, unless you are Xavier, then 6 months. 
emydura
Well-Known Member
You guys are better growers than me. In my conditions, I would be unlikely to flower that within 5 years. It still looks pretty small to my eyes. I find plants with wider leaves will more likely give you better flowers.
winter heating helps, David
emydura
Well-Known Member
I do heat my greenhouse (minimum 15 degrees). But you have longer warmer winter days that would help.
tnyr5
Well-Known Member
Even 70 cm really isn't that big for a roth. The select Orchid Zone plants, of which King Kong was one, were well over 100cm, some were pushing 150.
I had no idea Roths could achieve such a large size. All the Roths I have flowered have been fairly small, by those standards. I have to grow under lights as I live in Scotland (not much light at ths time if year), but they do seem to all flower on single growths. The other Roth I have is 'Knight sunshine x Tarantula' will that likely reach those sizes too?
15C should help but, you're right, day length is hard to fix without lighting
emydura
Well-Known Member
The smaller roth plant in the photo below I believe is similar size to yours. This is 'Giant Wings' x 'Canadian Club'. The larger plant is a FS seedling of the cross 'Black Diamond' x 'Tarantula'. Should be similar to your seedling. It is 90 cm LS. This plant should flower towards the end of next year. If I grew the smaller plant really, really well, I might be able to get it to the size of the larger plant in 5 years, but most probably longer. But I grow in a cooler climate in a greenhouse with natural lighting. Also don't forget that often with roths, you need to get a new growth of significant size before they will flower. So that can add another year at least. You can see the new lead in my larger seedling. It will be double that size at least when it eventually flowers.
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That is a really useful picture, thank you for sharing.The smaller roth plant in the photo below I believe is similar size to yours. This is 'Giant Wings' x 'Canadian Club'. The larger plant is a FS seedling of the cross 'Black Diamond' x 'Tarantula'. Should be similar to your seedling. It is 90 cm LS. This plant should flower towards the end of next year. If I grew the smaller plant really, really well, I might be able to get it to the size of the larger plant in 5 years, but most probably longer. But I grow in a cooler climate in a greenhouse with natural lighting. Also don't forget that often with roths, you need to get a new growth of significant size before they will flower. So that can add another year at least. You can see the new lead in my larger seedling. It will be double that size at least when it eventually flowers.
