While emersonii can be quite frustrating, I find it easier to bloom than any other parvi except delanatii. In fact, I have one in spike right now...and my last one to bloom is pictured on Jay Pfahl's site. (unfortunately that one died the season after blooming). I pot it in my standard parvi mix- fine coconut husk chips, lots of sponge- rock, and a little charcoal. I give it a top dressing of oyster shell. I used to keep marble or limestone chunks at the bottom of the pot for parvi's and brachy's, but I've stopped that...I feel that they impede drainage. I give it as much light as malipoense and micranthum...bright dappled southern sun, not direct as I would give armeniacum. I keep it in a cool sunroom, where temps can drop to 40 on the coldest nights, usually stays around the high 50's on most winter nights. It goes outdoors in late April, or when it finishes blooming. It gets regular water and fertilizer from Feb through Sept. I used to use Dyna-Gro 10-5-5, but have recently switched to First Ray's MSU formula, both pH adjusted with Pro-tekt. I stop fertilizing it in Sept, and keep it drier between nov and Feb, watering it no more than once a week. I bring it indoors in Late Oct, early November, depending on frost predictions. The bud is obvious as a swelling when its brought indoors, but doesn't really come out until December or so. It is a very slow grower, and while the bud takes months to develop...anywhere from 4-6 months, the bloom itself is very short lived, lasting only 2 weeks. But...the flower continues to increase in size for nearly a week after opening..my last one reached nearly 4", and it has the most incredible fragrance. This is definitely a paph worth growing...it has its faults...unimpressive foliage, slow growth, crankiness, interminable bud development and a short lived bloom. But all is forgiven the 2 weeks or so that it blooms! Take care, Eric Muehlbauer
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