Paphiopedilum bellatulum

[oile]

I was reading an interview in a newsletter from an orchid society in New Mexico. The interview was with a woman who has specialized in growing paphs for years and she said she just uses the municipal tap water. She said they love the alkalinity. Either tap water in Albuquerque is really good quality or paphs are not as picky about water as I thought.

I live in the tap water is very hard, has a pH around 8.0 and with the addition of chlorine, not only unusable x orchids, but also the x most plants.
What you read is true, many prag not like alkaline or sweet water (osmosis), in particular the Paph. bellatulum, for these I raise the pH to 7.0, the ideal would be the rainwater corrected to necessity, but finding the required amount is impossible for me, so I have to use the reverse osmosis water suitably enriched with various salts, proceedings now tested and used for years, also I add to the bark intended to Paph. of CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) and / or crushed seashells, for some pragmipedium, Phragmipedium kovachii add the type of limestone.

[Parryaw]

Very nice! like how red it is!

[oile]

I thought they all are sensitive to salt.

I do not wish to contradict you, but I agree with your statement only partially; it is true that the Paphiopedilum are sensitive to salts and therefore the fertilization are reduced, but they are not all to the same extent, some more, some examples: Paph. bellatulum, Paph. armeniacum, Paph. charlesworthii, Paph. fanaticum, Paph. godefroyae, Paph. javanicum, Paph. malipoense, Paph. mastersianum, Paph. violascens, Paph. virens and others, for these after fertilization in the doses necessary, after about two hours do another irrigation so as to remove the salts were also repotting I do every spring.
We are currently testing the '' Orchiata ", a bark from New Zealand," seems ", again it seems to prevent the accumulation of salts or at least delay, but until they are completed the tests, it will take at least another two seasons, I do not pronounce, by nature are skeptical; surely if it worked it would be a great help and would justify the higher cost.

[78Terp]

I should have been more specific in my statement. My experience is with s/h and my tap water which allows the hard-water chemicals to precipitate out and is deadly. I hope in the next year to get some RO capability installed in my kitchen.

I also understand that salt softened water is a killer for orchids too.

[HailmiAziz]

very nice looking paphio...congrats elio

---------- Post Merged at 03:56 PM ----------

very nice looking paphio...congrats elio

[oile]

very nice looking paphio...congrats elio

---------- Post Merged at 03:56 PM ----------

very nice looking paphio...congrats elio

Thank you all, too polite and with best wishes for a Merry Christmas.

[zainal abidin]

This an awesome clone congrats,

[oile]

I was reading an interview in a newsletter from an orchid society in New Mexico. The interview was with a woman who has specialized in growing paphs for years and she said she just uses the municipal tap water. She said they love the alkalinity. Either tap water in Albuquerque is really good quality or paphs are not as picky about water as I thought.

What you read is true provided you have tap water is of good quality, which is unheard of in my part, chlorine, pH 8 over, etc ..., but not all, many paphs. like water toughest including bellatulum I grow osmosis with 120 ppm, pH 7.0, also I am convinced that the best is represented by rainwater obviously correct, provided you have a chance to pick it up in the necessary quantity and not polluted, for I can not.