opinions about these paphs?
 

Hello! I am considering trying one or two paphs (have had relative success with blooming phals). I find selecting a bit hard as the ones that appeal to me might not necessarily be the best for my conditions. I grow under lights with somewhat low humidity, and the maximum space from the lights to the tray is about 20 inches . Because my growing space is getting pretty full I would have to limit myself to small paphs. I am considering miniature ones, but I wonder if these would be more difficult to grow under my conditions?

I've narrowed the list to these (from a local grower), but I don't have adequate information on them:

Paph Pinocchio - I've read that this is easy, but might be too big?

Paph French Curve (Paph fairrieanum hybrid?) - I really like this one, so hope it is easy to grow and bloom

Paph gratixianum, Paph Herbert Fouraker, Paph Maudiae or Paph Salvadore Dali: small, easy paphs, I hope?

Paph Wossner Minstar (helenae X henryanum) - miniature

Thanks!

Salvadore Dali is as big, if not bigger than Pinnochio. What type of lights do you grow under? If it is flourescents, 20 inches under light is very minimal light.

If you are really out of space, I'd recomment the Wossner Ministar, hands down. It's very compact, and it clumps quickly and is an easy bloomer with large and beautiful flower IMO. :)

Hi latebloomer, I have gratrixianum in a east window with an average 40% humidity. It's flowered in a 2 1/2" pot. The plant is about 10" high to tip of leaves and in bloom total height is about 14-16" if I remember correctly. Paph. delenatii is another one to consider. Mine blooms each year without a problem. The leaf spread is about 8" in a 3" pot and in bloom the height is about 12-14".

Bill

if you want species a tiny one I like paph barbigerum is easy to grow, one of my favs is henryanum which will give you multiple growths with blooms eventually, I've had easy success with both on my windowsill no excess humidity added. If you want a small multiflora wilhelminiae is easy to grow.

Just today I was struggling to re-stake the two stems on my Pinnochio. It never seems to stop growing. Just last Friday I purchased 2 "complex hybrid" Paphs at the Maryland Orchid Society Show from Woodstream Orchids. They are compact plants, although the leaf spread is about 16 inches the stem is only about 6 and the flower is practically to the ground. Some might call them awkward or even grotesque but I found them charming and satisfied my space constraints.
I got Paph. Oumaru Bay and Paph. Sailor's Delight. The grower specializes in these and has several on his online catalog.(have not photographed yet)
Nick

Thank you for your suggestions! I'll have to look up if the varieties you've mentioned are available this side of the border. I'll certainly look them up. I am glad to hear that the miniature types are not fussy.

Jorch, I probably do have minimal lighting. I have a light unit that has one warm and one cool fluorescent T12 bulbs. I have been reading other threads about lighting but I thought I'd start with the simplest and most affordable set up and see from there. My phals do seem to be doing well and I am hoping to try other types of orchids.

Thanks again!

If you have the chance to get Paph Wossner Ministar (helenae X henryanum), I would say go for it! it's a very nice, compact and easy to bloom plant, and it is one of the Paph helene prymariy hybrids with the nicest color...

another nice option, if you can get it would be paph. Wössner Zwerg (Paph. helene x barbigerum) Paphiopedilum Wössner Zwerg on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Paph. sukhakulii is relatively compact. The spike tops out at about 10". I have found it to be very easy to grow. Paph. Pinocchio has a very tall spike. It's a sequential bloomer and can be in bloom for many months. The plant itself isn't that big. Paph. henryanum is tiny and has the cutest flower ever. I would imagine a cross between henryanum and helenae would be too cute for words.

Ramon! I must find that Wossner Zwerg hybrid. It's just stunning! I remember when you posted it last I went gaa gaa over it. Good thing I have a short memory! :lol:

Wossner Zwerg is very cute, but I'm afraid it isn't available from the local grower. I did find a P. sukhakuli cross. That's another one to consider :)

Terry, I'm attaching a picture of the henryanum and helenae cross.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Ramon, the Paph Wossner Ministar is beautiful, like a pot of sunshine! Love the yellow tones. :)

Latebloomer, the helenae x sukhakulii cross "Paph. Wössner Goldsuk" is also in my flickr website: Paphiopedilum Wössner Goldsuk (Paph. sukhakulii x Paph helenae) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

this particular plant has a very nice coloration, even though not the best shape (first bloomer, I hope it improves with time ;)) I have seen a lot of variation with this cross (I could say more than with anyother of the helenae crosses I have seen)

and now, if you like the Paph Wössner Ministar but you cannot find it, I recently found a quite similar one: Orchid Web: Paph. King Henry VIII

Ramon, thank you for sharing your pictures on Flickr. Are those all yours? What a collection! Beautiful photographs as well. It seems that a good camera is a must in this hobby!

Actually, the Wossner Minstar is available from a nearby grower :biggrin: After the comments I've read here, I think I will definitely go for that!

Latebloomer
Could you share where you found the Wossner Ministar?
Nick

Hi, Nick. The website is cloudsorchids.com. It is in Ontario, Canada, but I think they may ship to the States as well.

yeap, all of them in the set "My Orchids" are from my collection in Switzerland... and the large C. mossiae in the set "Other's orchids" was my plant while living in Venezuela. This plant is still in the house of my mother.

Not necesarily, but it adds an extra kick to the hobby :biggrin:

Cool.. Paph. Wössner Ministar is a very nice plant :)

Latebloomer,
Thank you for starting this thread! I have growing conditions almost identical to yours (2 T12 tubes) and am interested in purchasing a compact easy-growing Paph as my first one. I'm going to the orchid show in San Antonio in a couple of weeks and want to be prepared with a short list of varieties that may do well. Please keep us posted of what you decide to get and how it does!
Regards,
Dan in Austin

Latebloomer,
thanks for the cloudsorchids site. they have several interesting items and the US surcharge is very reasonable.
Nick

Not a problem, Nick and Dan! I hope you'll do the same and let us know what you got too. Enjoy the show!