Paphiopedilum's proper medium

[j.schroeder]

Good point Ray. It is true that Paph roots don't tend to grow in what we would consider soil, but they do tend to grow on or very close to the ground. Most of what I have read and have heard from people that have seen them in the wild is that only occasionally do they grow in trees, usually in very deep shade, and very close to the ground, and tend to prefer decaying wood over live wood. I did fail to mention that there are some that grow almost strictly as lithophytes, sorry for any confussion.

Its hard to make general comments on most orchid genera. Even within a specific genus, there is alot of variation between species. What might be true for most, rarely is true for all.

On a side note, I wanted to say hello and welcome to you Ray. I think that your photos are great. I have some saved on my screensaver at work. You really inspired me to try to take better photos of my orchids. Hopefully we will see some of your great plants in the classifieds soon.

I look forward to talking more with you,
Justin Schroeder