How fustrating is this...

[taradale]

For Mothers Day I sent my Mom a Paph – actually a sibling of Tallulah’s - Paph Petula's Dream from the same seller and my Mom’s has already bloomed!!! While my Paph ‘Tallulah’, which I’ve had for a month, is still deciding whether she’s going to open or not. She’s had a lot of activity this week (if you can call it that) – she stuck out another ‘tongue’.

Of course, Tallulah was a witness to the murder of Freddy and then probably watched in horror when in a last ditch effort to save him – I bagged him for 3 days. BTW, in hindsight – it occurred to me that I should of just cut Freddy’s flower/stem and put it in a vase. He was ¾ of the way in his bloom and probably would have done great! How unfocused is that! Oh, the hard lessons we learn.

I do have to mention that when I was growing up my Mom was a fanatical African Violet grower and everyone always commented on her collection. I read somewhere – if you can raise African Violets that you’ll probably do well with orchids. Well, guess what – she does.

Kath-
(If you think I ‘project’ on my orchids, you should see my post in the Airedale forum regarding my Moxie & Buster.)

[love2cee]

I feel your pain, and my regards to for freddy's death.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, I guess not only do orchids growers need patience, but I think they also need the ability to handle a lot of frustration. How abut when you have a plant that has not been growing well, is on it lasts legs, and hasn't started a new growth in much too long a time. Then you are snooping around in the pot looking for activity there and discover that in the process you just knocked off the minute start of a new growth. I just did that yesterday. For most of us, the addiction is strong enough to make us learn these desirable traits. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[jerrymeola]

Your mom should do well with paphs since they grow in the same conditions as African violets. This is not true of other orchid families.

Do not be in a rush for the flower to open. If it is developing slowly it will also die much more slowly.

I grow a lot of Paphs in water culture and this really slows down Paph blooms from opening. I have waited 6 weeks for a developed bud to open but then had as much as 4 1/2 months of flower (usually I get 10-12 weeks out of a water culture Paph). The ones that open the fastest finish the fastest.