Paph. concolor did well this year

[Paphluvr]

Thanks!

How do you get the potting mix in properly with such a tight clump?
I need to repot my Armeni White, but I'm dreaded. lol

Patience is the key! On this one I'd probably go up at least 1½-2" in pot size in order to be able to get new mix into the pot. On very large pots I use a Rands Aircone trick and drill extra holes in the large pot and invert a small pot (also modified) in the middle.

Now the fun part. Carefully add a small amount of mix to the pot and, with your fingers, work it down into the roots and toward the center while maintaining the proper position of the plant. While supporting the plant, give it several sharp raps on a hard surface to settle the mix into the pot. Using your fingers to get the mix between roots is encouraged. Continue to add, work and rap until the pot is nearly full, remembering to support and maintain the position of the plant. It's a bit tricky on a large plant to maintain the correct height because the leaves are covering everything you do, but you want the final addition of mix to cover the base of the plant so that new roots can go directly into the mix. I also firm this last addition down a bit. Depending on your mix, the use of a rhizome clip is optional. In my case I'd probably damage the plant by using one.

Hope this helps!

Don

 

[Erythrone]

Gorgeous

 

[Happypaphy7]

Patience is the key! On this one I'd probably go up at least 1½-2" in pot size in order to be able to get new mix into the pot. On very large pots I use a Rands Aircone trick and drill extra holes in the large pot and invert a small pot (also modified) in the middle.

Now the fun part. Carefully add a small amount of mix to the pot and, with your fingers, work it down into the roots and toward the center while maintaining the proper position of the plant. While supporting the plant, give it several sharp raps on a hard surface to settle the mix into the pot. Using your fingers to get the mix between roots is encouraged. Continue to add, work and rap until the pot is nearly full, remembering to support and maintain the position of the plant. It's a bit tricky on a large plant to maintain the correct height because the leaves are covering everything you do, but you want the final addition of mix to cover the base of the plant so that new roots can go directly into the mix. I also firm this last addition down a bit. Depending on your mix, the use of a rhizome clip is optional. In my case I'd probably damage the plant by using one.

Hope this helps!

Don

Thanks.
I hate repotting, especially the big ones with rather rigid leaves.
At least Armeni White has slightly flexible leaves, but as you say, big specimens usually have so many leaves covering everything, so putting in the mix is rather a challenge. Hence the headache.
Plus, certain brachys like leucochilum (mine also needs repotting but it is budding at the moment and I will repot next spring) have thick fleshy leaves that can easily break off. To make matters worse, older leaves tend to point slightly downwards making it even more difficult to mix in the potting material.

Ok, I gotta repot my Armeni White within a week for sure. It's already quite late I feel bad.

 

[JeanLux]

:clap: bravo :clap: !!!!! Jean

 

[Ozpaph]

definitely worth viewing!!!

 

[theorchidzone]

Terrific!
JC

 

[Justin]

if you ever divide please think of me

 

[Stone]

Well done Don the Paphluvr! This achievement deserves the highest commendation! To me, getting a plant (especially a brachy) to this size should be the aim of all. The only plant I can think of which comes close is e-spice's bellatulum from a few years back. So :clap::clap::clap:
Only one question. I'm always interested in what temperatures throughout the year different folks give. (that's kind af a question isn't it?)

 

[Paphluvr]

Well done Don the Paphluvr! This achievement deserves the highest commendation! To me, getting a plant (especially a brachy) to this size should be the aim of all. The only plant I can think of which comes close is e-spice's bellatulum from a few years back. So :clap::clap::clap:
Only one question. I'm always interested in what temperatures throughout the year different folks give. (that's kind af a question isn't it?)

Thank you for the kind words.

If you've followed some of my other posts you know that I'm an indoor grower (by that I mean indoor living area, living room and dining room mostly, of my condo). Summer day and night temperatures rarely exceed 77ºF because I indulge myself with the AC. Winter days are normally 71-72ºF and nights 58-60º depending on my mood. I supplement humidity in the winter the best I can with a room humidifier.

 

[Spaph]

Late to the post, very impressive! So great to see this type of specimen plant achievable in cultivation! Great growing.

 

[Stone]

Thank you for the kind words.

If you've followed some of my other posts you know that I'm an indoor grower (by that I mean indoor living area, living room and dining room mostly, of my condo). Summer day and night temperatures rarely exceed 77ºF because I indulge myself with the AC. Winter days are normally 71-72ºF and nights 58-60º depending on my mood. I supplement humidity in the winter the best I can with a room humidifier.

Thanks Don. It's mainly the min winter I'm interested in to see what concolor can tolerate and still grow like that.

 

[paphioboy]

Gorgeous specimen of concolor! Sure proves that brachys can be resilient and rewarding, given the right conditions. How big is the pot size for this plant? Do you tend to overpot it or keep it root-bound?

 

[polyantha]

Stunning! Well done!

 

[Paphluvr]

Gorgeous specimen of concolor! Sure proves that brachys can be resilient and rewarding, given the right conditions. How big is the pot size for this plant? Do you tend to overpot it or keep it root-bound?

Right now it's in a 7" (180mm) azalea pot. An azalea pot is shorter than a standard pot by about .75x (i.e., 5.5"). It's definitely due for a repot so I'm expecting it to be rather root bound. I'll probably have to go to an 8.5 or 9" pot just to be able to get new mix into the pot.

 

[paphioboy]

Thanks for the info..

 

[Happypaphy7]

Thanks for the info, yes!

By the way, what's your fertilizing like?
Looking at your potting mix ingredients, I don't think you would give it much other than some nitrogen every now and then?

What other paphs do you grow into big specimen like this??

I think I saw your big thing of Paph. delenatii and Magic Lantern also?
I don't think three big plants are not just accidents. You truly have a green thumb and maybe a slight luck. hehe

I love looking at this large clump of paph because it is inspirational!
It can happen!

Managing long term can be a tough deal.
My big thing of Armeni White is slightly on the decline or that's how I feel.
I might have to split it up into two or three just in case.

My leucochilum is on its way to a small clump already, which is exciting.

The main issue I run into in an attempt (and dream & hope to grow paphs into a specimen size is that even the ones that do clump up rarely send up several spikes at once because most of the clumps are made up of old fans and the direction of growths seem to stay one or two.
Rather frustrating.

Another thing is that once they get big, they start to get ugly brown leaf tips here and there. I don't think I've seen any such dirty leaves on your specimens. It might be that I'm too lazy in repotting or my fertilizing is off. Or the air here is too dry for their liking. or the water has some crap in it. I don't know what it is.

Lastly, it is funny to note that usually for me, the ones that I like the least never get issues. They look perfect. Go figure! lol

I might have to give greensand and bone meal a try. I know you mentioned greedsand before, but I totally forgot about it.

 

[Paphluvr]

By the way, what's your fertilizing like?
Looking at your potting mix ingredients, I don't think you would give it much other than some nitrogen every now and then?

What other paphs do you grow into big specimen like this??

Generally I give them MSU RO formula with Ca and Mg, 1/2 strength twice/mo. in the summer and once/mo. winter. A couple of times per year I hit them with fish emulsion for trace elements.

The only other Paphs, other than the ones you mentioned, that I would consider specimen size are one of my Paph. spicerianums and a Paph. Iantha Stage that finally decided to bloom for me last year. The spicerianum, like the concolor, doesn't have outstanding flower quality but it grows like a weed.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Thanks!

My spicerianum is about 10 growths clump now and I see three spikes starting now. Yes, it is a pretty weed.
I'm always looking for a nice spicerianum that are very small. Mine is rather large sized clone, but it also comes with a large flower.

Congrats on your Iantha Stage! How long have you had it and how many fans does it have?
I hope the flower will be good as I have seen some hideous ones. hahaha

 

[Paphluvr]

Thanks!

My spicerianum is about 10 growths clump now and I see three spikes starting now. Yes, it is a pretty weed.
I'm always looking for a nice spicerianum that are very small. Mine is rather large sized clone, but it also comes with a large flower.

Congrats on your Iantha Stage! How long have you had it and how many fans does it have?
I hope the flower will be good as I have seen some hideous ones. hahaha

Yes, it's the time of year for spicerianum. Mine are starting to bud up, too. Again I have three decent sized plants all descended from a common ancestor many years ago.

I don't remember exactly when I got the Iantha Stage but I think is was post 2000. I got it as a rescue plant from a Florida grower after a tropical storm. It appears to have about nine growths but there could be a couple of smaller ones hidden in there. I started a thread on it on 9-12-2014. There's a picture there. I guess since I'm not seeing a spike starting now that I'm not going to see one this year unless it's season is off. We just moved into this condo about this time last year so it's bloom initiation would have been influenced by the conditions in our former house.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Oh, wow~ that's a long time and the plant is yet to flower? phew~
not sure if I could do that.
That's the thing about certain hybrids.
They may take forever and when they finally do, the flowers are hideous, then all that time spent waiting and taking care of the plants...

Hope for the best on yours!