Paph St. Swithin

[TADD]

Howdy,
I received a Paph St. Swithin from a local grower for free. It is a 2 division plant with one previous bloomed, a future, and a small new start. The leaf span is roughly 36 inches. The problem I have is how in the HECK am I going to grow this monster? I grow under fluorescent lights, and all of my plants are pretty small and close to the lights. I need to raise the lights up really high to fit this monster in. Should I build a new shelf and get 2 more sets of lights for this huge plant? Now taking suggestions....Thanks! -Tadd

[Jmoney]

do you have an unobstructed east window? or a shaded south? even a west, slightly shaded during the dog days of summer.

[TADD]

I am not even quite sure what kind of culture to give this thing I don't have any of these type of multiflorals. My windows are really obstructed by huge Oaks, so not really. I guess I will need to build another shelf and get some lights. Thanks for the quick response Jason. Nice website too.

[Aerides]

Paging Paphraguy. This might be a good time to consider an HID light, Tadd. Ladyslipper.com (Antec) states that this cross is "easy to bloom" and lists it among their picks of 25 paphs for every collection. From this I would guess that it still likes the brighter light preferred by these types of multiflorals, but maybe is less fussy about temperature (?)

Good luck with it.

John

[PAGrower]

Paging Paphraguy

Pete and his fluffer were last seen over at ******************.

[Jmoney]

Paging Paphraguy. This might be a good time to consider an HID light, Tadd. Ladyslipper.com (Antec) states that this cross is "easy to bloom" and lists it among their picks of 25 paphs for every collection. From this I would guess that it still likes the brighter light preferred by these types of multiflorals, but maybe is less fussy about temperature (?)

Good luck with it.

John

Mature St Swithins require a good amount of light, as both parents (philippinense & rothschildianum) are sun lovers. Relatively speaking, for paphs, of course. I would still give it something less than standard catt light. Ideal temps are warm, humid, but with air movement. That's why multifloral paphs grow so well in Taiwan. A cool spell in the winter helps blooming.

Paging Paphraguy.

HID lights can produce excellent results if you don't have sufficient natural light. However, if you were to page him, and if he were to answer, you would be told to grow sanderianum in full sunlight and never to put a phrag hybrid in a saucer of water. Which brings me to my next point...advice can be solicited, but one must always be wary and choose what advice to follow.

[Aerides]

Which brings me to my next point...advice can be solicited, but one must always be wary and choose what advice to follow.

Absolutely. I generally decide on a course of action by seeking several different sources of info on a given plant, to get an idea of what most people do, just to get a perspective. That being said, the diversity of approaches one encounters for a given plant often amazes me -- particularly in regard to light.

[TADD]

Hehehehehe PAgrower said "fluffer" hehehehe. Thanks guys, I am not sure what I am going to do yet.

Tadd