Deflasking Paphiopedilum rothschildianum

ok, firstly, I'm going to try and be optimistic but not crazy so let's say *fingers crossed* six years??? I wonder if the amount of light that the plants gets makes a difference, ie if they are in constant light, so during the night a substitute light is given. Or, maybe it's the heat, maybe a combination of both... Although with the heat, don't roth's need a drop in temp to flower?

Now, I was suppose to go shopping for stuff like heat mats and mini-greenhouse today but got diverted... My Paph Honey, Millmanii and [philippinense x Jolly Roger] plants arrived today.. woo hoo... (separate thread, if I philippinense plants like loads of light and the other parent doesn't, how much light should I give them?)

In a way, I'm glad that I didn't end up shopping today... got me to read some more of your replies

1. microwave sphag moss - I thought I had to sterilize it...
2. easiest will probably be to use what I have been given by the seller, ie the pre-treated bark...
3. light, well looks like a little shady at first and then slowly introduce more light as time goes...

ok thanks again, and will post next when I have done the deed and have de-flasked.

Cheers
Tim

Hi Tim,

Even though I know little about flasking and even less about what roths like, I'll toss in my two cents (careful - you get what you pay for!)

Sphagnum moss actually has natural antibiotic properties that minimize bacterial and fungal problems. I've never heard of the need to sterilize it, and in fact nuking it may well neutralize its antibiotic ability. Don't know. Use New Zealand sphag - it's the very best (although I'm sure Australian sphag is lovely too) and the plants can tell the difference. Must be the accent...

As for speedy growth, it's got to be about making the plants as happy as possible. This is not, 'if a little is good, a lot is better.' I love sunlight (particulary as I wait for 4 feet of snow to melt!), but I wouldn't want 24 hours of it every day. Too much sun will stress the seedlings and slow their growth. Same for heat, water, fertilizer, etc. There's a 'best' amount for each factor and too much or too little will slow growth. The trick is finding what the best amount is.

Oh well, that's the limit (and then some) of my knowledge on this thread. Alls I can say is, I admire your patience! I possess none of it! Good luck!

Julie

Ok, I've done it. The plants are out of the bottle!

1. Louis, I didn't use the sugar solution. The remaining sugar went into the coffee... it is a necessity otherwise, I can be, well let's just say, it would not be a good look if I am deprived of coffee.

2. Julie, Ozzie sphag is the best!!! hehehe... I didn't know about the anti-fungal quality of it though, so I thought I'd best nuke it to sterilise it. As it is, I didn't end up using it because I wanted to keep the mix simple. Although I had to use some perlite (soaked in boiled water, I didn't know if I could nuke it) to raise the level of the media in the pot.

3. Compotted plants have gone into the study... the temperature there is more constant.

Pictures and process in website. Fingers crossed they don't all die overnight...

Cheers
Tim

The little compot looks good, Tim!

Keep a close eye for damp-off, given the plastic bag covering.

Here's wishing lots of luck to the little guys--nice going!

(Link to Tim's website again, so you don't have to scroll to top: http://www.geocities.com/oz-tim/proth.html )

__________________
Louis J. Aszod

Cool journal, Tim! Good luck! Mack sure you post your first blooms for us in six years...

Julie

Hi Louis, Julie,


I've taken the plastic off this morning... I figure a week is long enuff... I'm not gonna molly cuddle these babies

A few of the bottom leaves are browning off, however, there seems to be new leaves forming so guess there's a trade off. Will post update on the website in a little while, ie after I get back from luncho... a boy has got to have a life... sorta...

cheers
tim
oh yeah, forgot... Julie, I hope it does take only six years... but everyday, I start to think that maybe it might take that eighteen years

Hey Tim,

With all that obsessive-compulsive love, how could they not want to grow for you in record-breaking time?

To quote some forgotten self-help book (I was more impressed with the quote than the book...a friend insisted I read it), "If at times we weren't challenged to believe in the extremely unlikely, then faith wouldn't be faith - would it?"

So bro, keep the faith! You'll have happy little roth brats beating around your windowsills/grow-lights/green house in no time!

Julie

Hello Every One,

Does any one have specific cultural information on growing paph. roth.? I just purchased a 20 in leaf span seedling and would appreciate any advice on making it happy in it's new home.
My current conditions are intermediate temp, about 50-75% humidity and light ranging from 500 fc to 2000 fc. Also I water with municipal supply but it only has about 100 ppm or less, will that be ok? THanks.

Hi David--welcome!

I give the roths here high light--at the upper end of the spectrum you mentioned; they might acclimate to lower intensities but I'm not sure how well or even if they'll bloom at 500 fc.. However, I don't give ours any direct sun at all, not even early morning. Whether you should or not is going to have a lot to do with your latitude. Here, I've gotten impatient and burned them, so had to learn that lesson the hard way. Purists might frown, but I use municipal water as well without any problem. We have good quality water here so that hasn't been an issue. Your humidity range is where it should be.

A 20 inch leafspan plant is going to be very close to blooming size, if not there already. The greatest deterrent to getting them to bloom is not giving them their cold winter rests. Here, during winter, they're allowed to go down to 40, and they're not watered again until their roots have dried off from the previous watering. If you don't give them a couple months of cold, they won't set buds. I also use a thin top-dressing of crushed oyster shell on ours, as much to provide a little extra calcium as to buffer the pH slightly when watering. Some growers don't do this and their results have been fine, so it may be just "magical thinking" on my part, but it's worked for me, so I believe in it.

Above all else though, have patience. Roths grow quite slowly, and even mature plants can have minds of their own and they won't bloom like clockwork. Years ago when I got my first roth, it was terribly expensive and I used to stare it and baby it as if I could will it into doing something with "extra-special" care. That doesn't work! Give it "tough love;" keep it cold and bright in the winter, and it'll do fine for you.

__________________
Louis J. Aszod

Hello Lja,


Thanks for the help. I will try to give it a nice cold spot next to a window in my light garden. Do you let all your paphs get a bit dry before you water them again, or do you keep them "moist?" Moist is a confusing term to a new orchid grower because in a well drained medium it can be moist for several days defore it is dry. THanks again for the help.