The serial Paph killer (wall of text)...

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by katrina

leaf -- Paph malipoense is fragrant. Smells like raspberries! Mine is in spike right now!

I think micranthum is fragrant too but I can't remember for sure and mine is years away from blooming.

I don't grow too many paphs these days (just 3) but I love these ginormous pouch paphs.

I tend to have the best luck at finding the clones that are the rare exception to being fragrant. :| With a few orchids, I have had to try a few times before getting a fragrant clone.
Interestingly enough, I have been reading about why 'fragrant' flowers are not fragrant any more. The breeding has been going in the direction for bigger, longer lasting flowers and, as fragrance sometimes shortens the blooming period, it often gets shuffled aside. It is happening to roses, too, and many other flowers. Even some carnations have lost their famous scent! When I am buying orchids that are 'fragrant', I am often getting seedlings from attempts at breeding to win orchid shows....

[plantbuddy]

Kudos to you!!!!

Let me offer you some extra hope Mutant.

I haven't killed a Paph in years, because I don't have any more. hahaha.

I'm currently busy killing Catts. and find they die a lot slower. Try one.

[HighSeas]

I have two that have "tolerated" me for some time now. They grow new fans but roll their eyes at me when I approach. We have a "love-hate" relationship. NEVER have they bloomed. I've moved them several times...nothing. I think they just like tormenting me.

[ddivey36]

Mutant- you have a way with words and may I suggest a career in writing when you are done with your serial killer escapades. I enjoyed your story and have sent my share of phals and catts to the Great Orchid Jungle!
Although I hate learning from the demise of one of my babies, it seems to be a common occurrence with people with orchidosis.
The lightbulb was also slow to connect with me as I purchased three Draculas online without research. (love those monkey faces) The box was small upon arrival and to my discovery, the plants were miniatures and required a place to hang (since the flowers come out of the bottom of the plant) in the cold and dark with high humidity. Although they are struggling, I haven't killed them yet.
Orchids teach us patience even though they know that I want them to be in bloom all the time........

[bil]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Another thing to consider is that not every human nose can smell the kinds of fragrances that a lot of the slippers produce. I know people who cannot detect the kind of sweet, berry or rose fragrances such as Paph. delenatii or Phrag. schlimii. Other people might have a hard time with the fainter, less floral scent of a flower like primulinum.

Way back in my education when I was doing zoology at Liverpool I remember we were given lots of test tubes with liquid in to taste. There are clear lines of genetically inherited abilities with taste and smell, and we were able to divide the class very easily into those that found the tastes of the chemicals strong, weak or not at all. Just the same as people having blue or brown eyes.

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by plantbuddy

Kudos to you!!!!

Let me offer you some extra hope Mutant.

I haven't killed a Paph in years, because I don't have any more. hahaha.

I'm currently busy killing Catts. and find they die a lot slower. Try one.

That's a way to deal with it I guess.

Nah, I'm no fond of Catts (I know, I know, writing that is like farting in Church or something), but I've started getting interested in some Dends. My killing career regarding them haven't kicked off just yet, since I only have one and it doesn't look like it has any plans to die just yet. I'm quite obviously doing something wrong...

I'm going to get a little friend for it, however, so that one I might kill instead.

Originally Posted by HighSeas

I have two that have "tolerated" me for some time now. They grow new fans but roll their eyes at me when I approach. We have a "love-hate" relationship. NEVER have they bloomed. I've moved them several times...nothing. I think they just like tormenting me.

How long have you had them and what species/hybrids are they? I have two Paph gratrixianum that refuses to flower, and I realized a few weeks ago that I was probably giving them too little light. I've moved them and will see if it makes any difference.

It could be something like that.

Originally Posted by ddivey36

Mutant- you have a way with words and may I suggest a career in writing when you are done with your serial killer escapades. I enjoyed your story and have sent my share of phals and catts to the Great Orchid Jungle!
Although I hate learning from the demise of one of my babies, it seems to be a common occurrence with people with orchidosis.
The lightbulb was also slow to connect with me as I purchased three Draculas online without research. (love those monkey faces) The box was small upon arrival and to my discovery, the plants were miniatures and required a place to hang (since the flowers come out of the bottom of the plant) in the cold and dark with high humidity. Although they are struggling, I haven't killed them yet.
Orchids teach us patience even though they know that I want them to be in bloom all the time........

I'll write criminal mysteries then... Involving orchids.

Thanks for the compliment though.

It seems some of us are worse killers than others, however. I guess people like me need a bit more time (read: victims), before they're able to fintune their caretaking abilities. Or to learn that some genera/species/hybrids are just not for them.

I've bought two Paphs that I know are difficult, even for people with greenhouses (their culture requirements are not too far off from the ones of your Dracula's). In your case, you can at least claim ignorance, while with these two, I can't. They're both still alive and growing, but there's still plenty of time for me to kill them.

Yes, they're great at teaching us patience, which I find relaxing (and occasionally frustrating). It doesn't matter how hyped-up, impatient I am, they won't grow/bloom any faster for that.

[phraggy]

Mutant. Only just picked up this excellent thread. You have given a great deal of knowledge to the would be paph killers!!. Instead of putting extra holes in or near the bottom of the pot ,put a few 3/4" holes at varying levels on the sides -- helps the drying period no end.
Thanks again for the thread.

Ed

[Ray]

My best success with paphs began when I moved them into semi-hydroponic culture. The are Constantly wet, yet airy, I take no extra effort to keep them particularly warm. Granted, they are in a very humid greenhouse environment, so there is essentially no evaporative cooling to deal with. I water very frequently -every two or three days this time of year, no less than every other day in summer, with 80F RO water and a tiny amount of K-Lite.


Ray Barkalow
firstrays.com

[bil]

Originally Posted by phraggy

Mutant. Only just picked up this excellent thread. You have given a great deal of knowledge to the would be paph killers!!. Instead of putting extra holes in or near the bottom of the pot ,put a few 3/4" holes at varying levels on the sides -- helps the drying period no end.
Thanks again for the thread.

Ed

I melt 1 cm holes in the sides of all my orchid pots. Holes at the bottom let water out, but the ones at the side increase ventilation.

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by phraggy

Mutant. Only just picked up this excellent thread. You have given a great deal of knowledge to the would be paph killers!!. Instead of putting extra holes in or near the bottom of the pot ,put a few 3/4" holes at varying levels on the sides -- helps the drying period no end.
Thanks again for the thread.

Ed

Thank you. Well, we all learn through our mistakes so why not try to ensure that others make less mistakes than I have? I'll probably be able to write a book about how not to do after 10 years of Paph growing.

Make more holes and at various places is something I will start doing, thank you for making me actually decide to go through with it instead of just thinking it's a good idea. Now I just need to get my hands on some tools first, since the ones I have are just not good enough. I know what I need, just have to go and buy it (could actually do that tomorrow I just realized).