paph. micranthum questions???

[NBAMA]

Any suggestions on getting positive results with this plant? It is a seedling that I have had for about six months. It has not done much but it is still alive.

Any suggestions???

[Ron]

Hi I fund all mine are slow grower and need a cool winter to flower.
otherwise same as most Paphs

[NBAMA]

How cool of a winter does it like? Remember it's a seedling, so I am looking for more growth than blooms. The leafspan on this plant is barely two inches. Will warmer temps help the growth in winter?

[Ron]

Originally Posted by NBAMA

How cool of a winter does it like? Remember it's a seedling, so I am looking for more growth than blooms. The leafspan on this plant is barely two inches. Will warmer temps help the growth in winter?

Hi, I have tried them at around 15 C minium in winter and some down to 5-6C in winter, was not a lot of difference in growth.
From a 2 inch leafspan mine took about another 2 to 3 years and flower on perhaps a total leafspan of about 5 inches and a good size flower
Produces pups or side plants at a rate of 1 or 2 per year.
Magic when the flower.

[NBAMA]

Thanks Ron,

5-6 C seems awful cool to me. Is micranthum not an I/W grower?

[Ron]

Hi I have about 17 of them and now they are growing with my Phallies and the rest of the Paphiopedilum, these are from a flask about 9 years ago and very poor flowering now.
When I live in the last house, my green house was a open to the fresh air and no heating in winter, hence some nights it wold get down to 5 C, not very often but some nights through winter.
Now it is in my Phallie house and although it is on a side wall bench with the rest of the Paphs.
Room is set to a minium of 15-16 C (60F) and now they do not regulary flower, still grow very well but according to the other good Paph growers in needs a cooler winter resting period to flower.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by NBAMA

Any suggestions on getting positive results with this plant? It is a seedling that I have had for about six months. It has not done much but it is still alive.

Any suggestions???

Yes, I have a few suggestions:
1) do some research on the needs of this particular species. Check out the Phillip Cribb book The Slipper Orchids of Vietnam. There's some useful info in there about Paph micranthum.

2) Be patient. It is a slow grower and bloomer.

Originally Posted by NBAMA

5-6 C seems awful cool to me. Is micranthum not an I/W grower?

No it's not an intermediate to warm grower. Paph micranthum is a cool-cold grower. 5-6C is not at all too cold for this species. Check out that Cribb book or another reliable source of info for the culture of the "chinese" paphs.

[Bolero]

micranthum is not an intermediate grower. It needs a cool down to actually flower.

I grow mine down to 2C with no problems and it grows well, I am expecting flowers in the next year or two.

Kmarch always beats me to these posts......lol.

Oh and it's a slow grower, I agree with Kevin, it will be slow and when you eventually get a spike it will take a long time to develop as well.

[NBAMA]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I'm in for a long wait.