The Orchid Garden

'beginner' paph?

Question:

  Hello, all!  I am trying to talk myself into acquiring a paph and wondered if anyone could suggest a good one for a beginner with this type of orchid?  I currently have phals, Laelias, some assorted catt types and a couple of dens of unknown origin.  (Someday, we will have to talk about ‘beginner’ dens, too<g) I confess to being a little afraid of the paphs-scared I’ll kill them or something   How different are the care requirements for paphs as compared to phals?   TIA!   Regards,   Karen   http://www.rollanet.org/~mknisbet/ Before you buy.

Response:

  Thanks to everyone who offered advice and suggestions on ‘beginner paphs’!  I appreciate it   Regards,   Karen   http://www.rollanet.org/~mknisbet/ Before you buy.

Response:

Karen, I second this recommendation. A cool looking paph if ever there was one, too! If I find a pic I’ll post it… In the meantime this is my Paph spicerianum, which is another Good Candidate! http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4971/spicer.jpg K Barrett – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Karen! Paph. sukakhulii is easy and vigorous, and adaptable. Pretty too. Susan   Hello, all!  I am trying to talk myself into acquiring a paph and wondered if anyone could suggest a good one for a beginner with this type of orchid?  I currently have phals, Laelias, some assorted catt types and a couple of dens of unknown origin.  (Someday, we will have to talk about ‘beginner’ dens, too<g) I confess to being a little afraid of the paphs-scared I’ll kill them or something   How different are the care requirements for paphs as compared to phals?   TIA!   Regards,   Karen   http://www.rollanet.org/~mknisbet/ Before you buy. Before you buy.

Response:

    How much do you want to spend?  *grin*  That rule always applies, but fortunately the easy paphs are also the cheap ones.  Cheap because they are easy, mostly.  In general, my rule is to pick the plant to fit the conditions, rather than the other way around.  So, you are going to have to decide what kind of place you have available for it, and go from there.  For most standard growing conditions (as you describe), Maudiae or Maudiae types are a pretty good bet.  I like Maudiae as much as any of them, and a good one is hard to beat.  Maudiae is callosum x lawrencianum.  I believe one of the first hybrids made and still one of the best.  A maudiae type is anything with those parents or parents from that section (don’t worry too much about it) – or complex hybrids going out many generations now.  Generally they have mottled leaves.  They are robust growers, and may bloom several times a year.     No real trick to growing them.  Remember that they don’t have huge water storing organs like catts and laelias (pseudobulbs), and hence they don’t take to prolonged dryness very well.  Water them as they approach dryness, treat them in all other respects like a phalaenopsis, and I doubt you will have any problems at all.  Paphs are remarkably pest free, with mealy bugs being the main culprit.     You can probably pick up a Maudiae type pretty cheap.  Blooming size under 15 bucks would not be unreasonable.  Everybody and their cousin is selling them, so just ask around. Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   Hello, all!  I am trying to talk myself into acquiring a paph and wondered if anyone could suggest a good one for a beginner with this type of orchid?  I currently have phals, Laelias, some assorted catt types and a couple of dens of unknown origin.  (Someday, we will have to talk about ‘beginner’ dens, too<g) I confess to being a little afraid of the paphs-scared I’ll kill them or something   How different are the care requirements for paphs as compared to phals?

Response:

  Hello, all!  I am trying to talk myself into acquiring a paph and wondered if anyone could suggest a good one for a beginner with this type of orchid?  I currently have phals, Laelias, some assorted catt types and a couple of dens of unknown origin.  (Someday, we will have to talk about ‘beginner’ dens, too<g) I confess to being a little afraid of the paphs-scared I’ll kill them or something   How different are the care requirements for paphs as compared to phals?   TIA!

Hi Karen,    Paphs are reasonably hard to kill…culture is quite similar to that for a Phalaenopsis.  My problem is that they make lovely foliage plants for me, but never seem to want to bloom.  I do have some new acquisitions that I hope will do better than my first Paph (a Paph. St. Alban, which has remained bloomless for nearly a decade).  My Paph. hainanense has tried to bloom several times, but blasted the spike due to unknown causes, and then the last time I accidentally broke the spike…it gets my vote for ‘easiest Paph’.  P. appletonianum is related to hainanense and may be about as easy. Another Paph that at least opened a 2nd, sequential bud for me is Paph. Pinocchio…then it blasted its spike and started a new growth. I hear these can be in bloom for over a year, opening one bud after the next on an ever-lengthening spike. My other Paphs are waiting to mature their new growths, so I can’t fault them yet for not blooming. — Prem – Animator, programmer, and orchid and fossil nut extraordinaire… – DNRC Title: Minister of Lightwave 3d Plugin Design Foolishness – Home – http://www.PremDesign.com "We in our foolishness thought we were wise He played the fool and He opened our eyes We in our weakness believed we were strong He became nothing to show we were wrong." "God’s Own Fool" – Michael Card

Response:

Hi Karen! Paph. sukakhulii is easy and vigorous, and adaptable. Pretty too. Susan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   Hello, all!  I am trying to talk myself into acquiring a paph and wondered if anyone could suggest a good one for a beginner with this type of orchid?  I currently have phals, Laelias, some assorted catt types and a couple of dens of unknown origin.  (Someday, we will have to talk about ‘beginner’ dens, too<g) I confess to being a little afraid of the paphs-scared I’ll kill them or something   How different are the care requirements for paphs as compared to phals?   TIA!   Regards,   Karen   http://www.rollanet.org/~mknisbet/ Before you buy.

Before you buy.

Response:

Filed under: Phalaenopsis Orchid

Related Posts