The Hardest Paph I’ve Ever Grown - Paphiopedilum charlesworthii fma. alba (New Wave AM/AOS x First Class AM/AOS)

[Phred]

For me this has been the hardest Paph I’ve ever grown. I bought two of these plants June of 2015 as 3 fan, near blooming size charlesworthii from Sam at Orchid Inn. The plants were great and immediately put on a couple new growths... then they died back to one growth. Both plants repeated this process several more times and I was about to toss them both into the trash. I noticed a bud on one of them a few weeks ago and it’s finally open.

 

[lanthier]

And it's a beauty Phred! !!!! Persistence......

 

[Ozpaph]

so whats the secret?

 

[GuRu]

Sometimes such things happen. How good you threatened only with the bin and didn't throw it away 'cause it's a lovely flower.

 

[musa]

Looks great! Your persistence has paid off!!!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Well done in your attempts to save them. But the journey isn't over yet. It may be a last ditch attempt to bloom before expiring.

What cultural conditions were you growing them in? And what media?

All of mine grow in open bark mix with lots of perlite and charcoal, under cool winter nights of 15C, never dried. These cool winter nights are important to keep plants healthy for the rest of the year. Days in winter can reach 25-28C no problem. Hot summers are fine. They also like bright light up to 1800 fc.

Really nice flower BTW. Please save a pollen for me?

Oh, sometimes I use a small tuft of NZ moss under the new growths to encourage more roots.

 

[NYEric]

Nice. I wish I could say that was unusual for us. We have a hard time with (probably) overwatering Paphs.

 

[Justin]

Nice! I had two seedlings but neither one made it.

 

[BrucherT]

For me this has been the hardest Paph I’ve ever grown. I bought two of these plants June of 2015 as 3 fan, near blooming size charlesworthii from Sam at Orchid Inn. The plants were great and immediately put on a couple new growths... then they died back to one growth. Both plants repeated this process several more times and I was about to toss them both into the trash. I noticed a bud on one of them a few weeks ago and it’s finally open. View attachment 25648

As expected from a Sam Tsui plant, spectacular flower.

I have had this pattern with his charlesworthii and also henryanum, where they die back to one or two growths, down from a multi(small)growth plant. I sense that it’s something about his water, or mine, and/or his magical secret fertilizer components. I have watched him repot plants — always to perfection — and there are some secret ingredients that I do not recognize tucked in during the process and at end. In both cases, the plants gave me a scare as they shrank down and down over maybe 3 weeks, then stabilized. Repotted, they grew back strong but no clumping yet, just one deliberate growth marching out at a time. I actually removed the last set of buds from each, to let them grow stronger. No idea of any of this info is relevant but thank you for posting your excellent flower.

 

[Duck Slipper]

A bit temperamental for me also...excellent flower!

 

[masaccio]

Hearty congratulations! Lovely.