Paphiopedilum spicerianum

[patticake]

I'm pretty happy with this guy this year. Last year for its first blooming, it had one bloom, and that was really screwie!! This year, there's 3 and they seem to be behaving! It earned its keep, for sure.

[lance]

very cool, interesting pattern!

[gongo77]

Very nice!

[Ron]

Hi Patti, very nice flower, well grown to produce 3 flowers
Cheerio
Ron

[dtje2000]

I LOVE your photography! Hope to see that first photo somewhere else...hint hint...

[jim blanford]

VERY!VERY!!! Nice Patti, I think it's P. spicerianum. season, I have 2 in bud, hope they look 1/2 as good as yours, good growing..... Jim.

[Azure]

Very very pretty! Great growing: it's obviously very happy!

[trinigirl]

Good growing! Very beautiful.

[Anton]

Yep. That's a keeper Patti.

[oncidiumlover]

Beautiful Patti!!! Well done!
I really like the angle in the second photo. Fabulous!

[patticake]

Thanks, all! This was from our species growing project a couple of years back. Are there any more out there

[kmarch]

Very well done!!! Congrats and enjoy your flowers! It's really a very nice display!

[mayres]

Excellent! I have a triple "spicey" just about ready to open too! Hopefully I will be able to post soon as companion pics to your great shots!

[cerastes]

Very nice. Well done. My P. spicerianum just opened several days ago with 2 flowers.

[PhalPal]

Wonderful Patti!!!! Great growing - I am so envious!!!!!

[lmartiny]

Very pretty. I like the pink and green.

[Schlyne]

I really like those. I take it the top sepal (I can't recall what the top petal name is exactly for paphs atm) does not have a veining like look? That's a hybrid specific thing for paphs right?

[abiom]

just beautiful paph!! very nice images too!

[PhalPal]

Okay guys....fess up! I have killed two P. spice in two years and I grow them with my phals indoors. They just fail on me even though I have grown many other paphs successfully. They were quite small plants but BS and I don't have a good track record with indoor babies. The last one was from Oakhill and when they wrapped it they creased most of the leaves around the side of the pot and it never did very well.

What are your secrets???
Mike - we grow in similiar styles....do you do anything differently from your phals??

[mayres]

Connie - I currently grow my paphs in fine bark and perlite. Since paphs are more sensitive to seasons in terms of amount of light as a trigger for blooming (at least that is my current thinking) I no longer grow my paphs under constant fluorescent lighting year round - like I do my phals. If I was good at figuring it out I could probably change the artificial lighting over the course of the year for them and get the same result, but have not taken the effort at this point. So......my paphs for the past 1-2 years are mostly just getting natural east light. Quite honestly they would probably do better if they got a lot more than they get? What media are you using and how often do you water? When they died did you check out the roots? I have killed a couple of paphs myself (fortunately it has been awhile) and each time it was from root rot - not really sure if media not drying out enough, broken down media, or what. I usually only water them once per week except during the very hottest period of the summer maybe twice. How about fertilizing? I think they are much more sensitive (root wise) to fertilizer burn than phals - at least that is what I'm told. A very good hybridizer of complex paphs in my area only foliar feeds all her paphs and says to never water the roots directly (especially before watering with plain water first). I can't say that I've been an obedient student - but something to consider? On the other hand I believe phals will take fertilizer/water right from the get-go without any negative effects (I'm certain some will cringe at this thought).
My triplets are TAKING FOREVER to open - these are growing in my office sitting in a NE facing window - constant 72 degrees year round. The office is air conditioned and heated with forced air. Pretty amazing that they seem to put up with it?!

[PhalPal]

Wow Mike she's beautiful!!! It will be lovely when all those flowers open. Paph spicey is one flower I can just stare at for hours. Really nice job!!

Okay, I have controlled conditions indoors. I am growing mine in smaller monterey bark (rpm) and cork bits, which serves the same purpose as perlite. My pots and plants have been much, much smaller than yours. The one I have currently that is circling the drain is in a round, clear, slotted three inch pot. Every single leaf was creased badly when it was packed, being from Oakhill I should have sent it back. The roots are decent but not anything to be proud of when they die - it's not root rot just failure to thrive. I haven't fertilized since May and I am overly enthusiastic when it comes to flushing pots. I do need to water much more than you because of our dryness and I haven't been able to keep my humidifier filled because of my recent surgery. I am pretty bad at changing my lights to correspond to the natural light outside and I have kept my paphs under lights all year. That seems to be the biggest difference in our growing habits. I have two paphs in bud right now; in fact they are two of only a handful with buds or flowers.

I think I will invest in a larger more established plant. It's hard to hand over that much cash when I have killed two already, but if it starts to fail on me I will mail him up to your house.

[mayres]

Connie - my "spicey" #2 is at home, and is actually the plant I got from Oak Hill Gardens as our project plant - the plant above is another that I've had a year and a half longer. My Oak Hill plant is not growing real fast at this point - I can't really say that it is dying nor thriving. It was left outside under a cherry tree from May through September and I'm not certain if it did or didn't appreciate it? I'm hoping it will soon take off and follow in the steps of big sister?! Don't give up! I agree with you - I could look at 'em for a long time too - I can hardly wait for the triplets to open.......

[Jaser]

Paphiopedilum spicerianum 'Unique' is one of the nicest of the species that we own,with its extra full dorsal and petals,imposing presence and vibrant color.

[maiseymoo]

wow I can't wait for mine to look like that Pati, thanks for sharing! Mine look nie and healthy but no sign of any spikes, so I will just need to keep

[kusdra]

beautiful paph

[Bolero]

Nice growing! Thanks for sharing.