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Thread: growing paphs

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  1. #1
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    Charity
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    Default growing paphs

    what can you tell me. I grow phals, oncidium intergenetics, trichopilias,encyclias, and a cattleya. Are they going to be that different? I'd like to try one ....again. One of my first orchids was a paph a long, long time ago. I killed it and have been affraid of them ever since. I think I've learned some since then and would like to try again.

  2. #2
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    Leigh
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    good question Charity. I'm interested in what folks have to say on this topic as well.
    I've never had much luck with Paph's either.

    Quick story....... I have been sorting through my plants and just found a paph mixed in with my Phrag's (which people tell me are amazing), and it had a big fat bud on it!
    None of my others which are all on the next bench over do much of anything. Phrags get fringe of misters benefit and maybe slightly more light. Is that what they want?

  3. #3
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    Geoff Hands
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    I grew the UK National Collection of Paph, some years ago.... about ‘85 x 2004. Reckoned I had all but three of the known species... but that was before lol the new ones, when China opened up.
    Then I moved house, nd set my target at Vanda conditions in the top of the single ( large for an amateur) greenhouse, and the push did not like it at all. Too warm, too dark ( th

  4. #4
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    Ray Barkalow
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    Default

    Personally, I find paphs to be some of the easiest orchids to grow, especially in semi-hydroponics.

    With proper selection, they do very well under similar conditions to phals, with maybe a bit more - still indirect - light. Those with mottled leaves are the “warmer blooded” ones, while the solid green, strap-leaves ones can handle it a little cooler. Personally, being a charter member of EOAOP (equal opportunity abusers of plants), I grow them all side by side - phals, paphs and phrags.

  5. #5
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    Leigh
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    Interesting Ray. My Phals, Phrags and Paphs are all in pretty close proximity to each other as well, I treat them the same, Phals and Phrags do great and the Paphs just stare back and mock me. I picked up a philippinense last year so if that doesn't do well here, nothing will. Time will tell I guess. It's a piece of Jay Phal's who lives here so I'll have no excuses.

  6. #6
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    Ray Barkalow
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    Default

    I find that they need quite a bit of water. Not as much as phrags, but using a very airy medium, I try to never let them dry out.

  7. #7
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    Geoff Hands
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    I gave up trying to correct and continue my earlier post, when I lost connection with the site... for several days.
    To finish now, as I only have a few minutes before a bus leaves, I reckon that compost is very important. You have to find what works for you of course, but most of my experiments failed. Quite a fine grade and well drained, but nevertheless kept fairly moist, worked for me : pine bark not much larger than a few grains of rice stuck together, plus Perlite. They respond well to repotting at all stages of growth, quite unlike most other orchids. I repotted small plants every 6 months, and flowering size ones annually. If the old compost can be just shaken off, and the new poured in, there is no root damage, and after 6 weeks, away they go. If I watered every two weeks I could see the actual growth since last time. And they need a lot of light. I have seen about 5 or 6 species growing in the wild, never in dense forest, but always on paths or in clearings, or alternatively on exposed cliffs. Feed - not very much, quite a low tolerance.
    Hopes this helps .
    I’m off for the day now, taking a week of walking on a mountainous island in the Atlantic - La Gomera. Thinking about quite different things .......

  8. #8
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    Lutz Haunert
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    Nearly only Paphs grow well with me. And I want to say that I treat them as Dorsettman said. That works well in Northern Europe.

  9. #9
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    Charity
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    wow, vandas . that's a tough one. I'm not brave enough to try that again.

    ---------- Post Merged at 07:19 PM ----------

    Thnks for all the info dorsetman. ok, so I'm thinking my oncidium mix/perlite maybe with some added moss for water retention(got remember I have central air here)? Do you think the light requirements would be similar to a oncidium or encyclia? I am growing a cattleya bt too soon to tell if it is enough to get it to flowering. My trichopilias have a low fertilizer tolerance too and I don't fertilize much so that works. Enjoy yourself!!!!!

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