Paphiopedilums that bloom more than 1-2x per year?
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Justin
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Species and hybrids from the subgenus Cochlopetalum: glaucophyllum, liemianum, primulinum, moquetteianum, etc.
These are all sequential bloomers that can stay in bloom for a year or more.
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There probably are some that bloom that often providing the culture given them by you is good. There are very few "automatics" in orchid growing. You learn from experience as to what conditions you can provide and then match orchids with those conditions. We orchid growers could recommend great plants for you to try but what is the point if you can't grow them? Not everybody grows Paphiopedilums well where they bloom all the time. You learn through experience what you grow well. You will not find simple solutions or short cuts in orchids.
Helpful, thank you! I thought I replied but can't see my reply so if this is a repeat apologies. Do you know of any for sale or vendors I should check with? Thanks!
Justin
Well-Known Member
Try Paph Paradise.
On there now and have P liemianum and P appletonianum. Any other recs?
Justin
Well-Known Member
The liemianum will be easier to grow and is a sequential bloomer. Paph appletonianum has a much better flower in my eyes, but this species blooms seasonally and may be a little more challenging. Get them both.
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
I'm a lover of species orchids and I certainly don't want to talk you out of anything, but if you're not already experienced and successful with Paphs, you might want to consider starting with hybrids first to maximize the chances of success. Hybrids often benefit from a phenomenon called hybrid vigor, which in a very general sense, but with lots of caveats and nuance, means that hybrids tend to be easier to grow and flower than species.
From that perspective, I took a super quick peek at Paph Paradise's catalogue and here are some hybrids that caught my attention in regards to plants that may bloom at least twice a year (but no guarantees obviously).
https://paphparadise.com/product/paphiopedilum-hengduans-qin/ - Paphiopedilum Hengduan’s Qin (villosum x helenae)
The species P. helenae blooms at least twice a year for me, typically in fall and spring, but sporadically it will send up a spike or two almost any time of year. I've got at least one primary hybrid of this species that seems to have a similar blooming characteristic, so I will assume that it's possible this hybrid can bloom more than once a year after the plant has matured into a multigrowth clump.
https://paphparadise.com/product/paphiopedilum-helen-milton/ - Paphiopedilum Helen Milton (sukhakulii x violascens)
This is a primary hybrid, and a type that makes me think it will bloom as each new growth matures, which can happen in as little as 6 - 9 months. That translates roughtly into it may be able to grow quicky enough to bloom multiple times per year, but I can't say with much certainty that it's a guarantee.
https://paphparadise.com/product/paphiopedilum-magic-rainbow/ - Paphiopedilum Magic Rainbow (Magic Paradise x liemianum)
Paph. liemianum is one of my favorite Paph species, and in a section with lots of great species (i.e. cochlopetalum), it's still somehow a standout. This intrasectional hybrid of liemianum is guaranteed to be a sequential mulitfloral, meaning each spike produces multiple flowers but typically only has 1 or 2 open at a time. As the old ones die off, new ones are opening. The best of these in ideal conditions can bloom for a year or more on the same spike, producing dozens and dozens of flowers. So in other words, depending on your defintion of blooming more than 1-2x a year, this is the closet you'll get to a guarantee.
https://paphparadise.com/product/paphiopedilum-mini-vini/ - Paphiopedilum Mini Vini (Petula’s Sensation x barbatum v nigritum)
I have a P. barbatum nigritum, and it blooms sporadically throughout the year. Growths are small, so it can produce several crops of those a year, and in good conditions, each growth will bloom as the foliage is maturing. So, by extension, I would expect at least some of the progeny of this hybrid to have similar characteristics. No guarantees on this.
https://paphparadise.com/product/paphiopedilum-qf-burgundy-blush/ - Paphiopedilum QF Burgundy Blush (Laurie Lei Quintal x Satchel’s Legend)
Figured I should throw at least one semi-complex hybrid in there. These are hit and miss, but the best of them take about 6 - 9 months for growths to mature and produce spikes. So if you get a vigorous one, there's a chance of it blooming more than once a year after it achieves some size and becomes multi-growth.
As much as possible I stuck with plants that are primary hybrids or hybrids where a species is being crossed to a hybrid. If that sentence doesn't mean anything to you, no worries. Regardless of what you decide to get, good luck!
Hey thank you so much! Paphs are new to me, I have a handful of phrags that are doing pretty well. I mostly collect Phal species and vanda species. So I totally get what ur saying about species vs hybrids.
When I have switched genera I usually need something that gets my attention or I lose interest bc I'm thinking it's not going to do well and is it getting the energy it needs to flower n all that, so easier beginner plants and semi quick rewards get me interested in that genus - then it's a whole new thing to check out.
And thanks again really appreciate it, esp checking out the actual site w suggestions - going to check them now.
Drew
Oh dang I think majority are sold out tho, know of anyone else to check with?
Sorry, the ones in the beginning are in stock and neat thanks
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
Oops, sorry about that. It's one thing I don't like about the Paph Paradise catalog, they intermingle in stock and out of stock listings and clearly I wasn't paying close attention to that aspect of things when I was looking for options that might suit your needs.
In general, I would say most any intrasectional sequential multiflorals will work, by the fact that they can continue to bloom for many months at a time on the same spike. This group is in a section called cochlopetalums, and would include that Paphiopedilum Magic Rainbow that's out of stock. Another hybrid in this general line of breeding and which is common to see for sale in the USA is Paph. Pinocchio. That shows up in various vendors' listings from time to time and I've seen it on OrchidWeb, Carter and Holmes, and Akatsuka.
If you see any other Paph. helenae hybrids on Paph Paradise or other vendors' sites, those aren't guaranteed to bloom multiple times a year, but there's good potential for it. They're so small, I guess that translates into taking less time to grow and mature new growths, and in good conditions mature plants will bloom on each new growth as soon as it's full sized.
Similarly, most of the "Maudiae" types (and I'm using that term loosely) are fast growing, can produce multiple flushes of new growths a year, and in good condition, will bloom on each growth once it's matured.
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Now this is a hybrid that I have grown a few times before. Honestly I did not have any real success with any one or 5 or 6 clones.
If there are two growths does it mean
i cannot tell if my posts go thru sometimes, so apologies if I post 2x? If there are 2 growths does it mean it's mature? Is this one mature?
https://gardinonursery.com/product/paphiopedilum-liemianum-2-pot/
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As I mentioned before. It depends upon your knowledge and experience with growing Paphiopedilums. If you have none or very little of both, your general success will be impacted to some degree.
Then you mention “that they need to capture your attention, or you lose interest”. If that is remotely true, then why are you growing orchids?
There is no better way that I can think of to have limited success growing orchids. And that is to buy them and have no idea as to how to grow them. I frankly do not know how to respond to that.
You can not buy orchids that will grow for you if you don’t provide some level of care.
Orchids that thrive on absolutely no care, bloom constantly and never die…… silk ones. Or plastic ones in Michaels.
Then you mention “that they need to capture your attention, or you lose interest”. If that is remotely true, then why are you growing orchids?
There is no better way that I can think of to have limited success growing orchids. And that is to buy them and have no idea as to how to grow them. I frankly do not know how to respond to that.
You can not buy orchids that will grow for you if you don’t provide some level of care.
Orchids that thrive on absolutely no care, bloom constantly and never die…… silk ones. Or plastic ones in Michaels.
Or Epipactis helleborine?
