Paphiopedilum orchid requirements

My way of hopefully cultivating these beautiful and fascinating plants.

[@ingridfoessl1075]

Thank you for sharing.

[@EdsOrchids]

My pleasure Ingrid....thank you and take care,
Ed.

[@FernandaNascimentoOrchids]

Hi Ed, I always love to hear your advices about growing orchids in general and Paphiopedilum in particular. Have a lovely day my friend !!!!

[@EdsOrchids]

Thank you Fernanda.......hope all is well with you and yours.....take care,
Ed/

[@ThreeRivers2014]

Great video Ed, this was very helpful info for me since I just started with Phaphs about a year ago. My two plants are doing well. Thanks very much! 💚👍

[@EdsOrchids]

Nice to hear when someones paphs are doing well Susan. I hope they continue to do well and that in the not too distant future they will reward you for looking after them so well.......take care,
Ed.

[@lindaannb]

Paphs are my favorite orchids and I love the one you showed blooming! I have a few that are similar in appearance.

[@EdsOrchids]

The trouble with paphs are they are such slow growers you can never tell how they are 'feeling '......you just have to wait and see,
Ed.

[@catherinedinh1837]

Thank you Ed for sharing your knowledge with this paphiopedilum. I could not survive under my care. I watched your videos about the care for it and I bought one with blooms six months ago and it is hanging out with me still. I just bought another one. Wish me luck. These are matured plants and I am waiting for the second blooming cycle (I wish). Thank you Ed and have a great weekend. Catherine

[@EdsOrchids]

The mature plants will be OK Catherine although they may cause you a bit of anxiety waiting for them to flower again. I wish you all the luck in the world with them.......take care,
Ed.

[@scottkauffman6075]

Thanks, Ed! Love the paph videos 🙂

[@EdsOrchids]

Glad you like them Scott....thanks for taking a look,
Ed.

[@patsfreund9164]

I think almost every orchid grower becomes enchanted by the beautiful flowers from these orchids. I only have a few in my collection. Haven't gotten any to flower for me, but I'm always hopeful. Thanks for your thoughts about cultivation of these plants.

[@EdsOrchids]

They take a long, long time Pat and sometimes I wonder why I ever kept them. A few of the plants I've shown I've has well over 5 years and they still haven't flowered. Hope yours don't take as long !!...........take care,
Ed.

[@shirleytodish6581]

Hi Ed, I love the Paph. thank you for all the info. I have a lot of videos to watch, a bit behind. Take care.

[@EdsOrchids]

Thank you for looking at my channel shirley.....hope all is well with you,
Ed.

[@ot7stan207]

I keep mine in cattlyea mix for well draining and i water it every five days. I like them to rain so they dont rot since i have to water so often since they like to stay moist (my house is 65F and 70% humidity usually)

[@EdsOrchids]

Good morning Stan. In my experience over the last 70years of keeping orchids I find the Cattleyas do like a very good watering but love to dry out completely for two of three days. I wish you all the best for 2024.
Ed

[@EdsOrchids]

Sorry I misread your comment. Tou are correct saying that paphiopedilums don't like to be dry for any length of time although a couple of days won't do them any harm. The only thing I would say is that the bark in your Cattleya mix ( and Cattleyas like a large bark ) would be a little too latge. There again if your Paphs are doing well leave them alone and continue the way you are doing. May I wish you All the Very Best for 2024,
Ed

[@lindam9018]

Thank you, Ed! So they like to get just a little bit dry before a good watering, don't let them sit with fertilizer.

[@EdsOrchids]

Exactly correct Linda....all orchids should be flushed at very regular intervals when you are feeding in the growing months.......take care,
Ed.

[@jaybudd1617]

Thank you Ed. I will be putting my request for the previous mentioned plant Saturday morning. He doesn't accept orders before 6:00 AM central daylight savings time. So he's an hour behind me.

[@EdsOrchids]

Best of luck when you get the plant Jay.......just make sure the plant gets wet feet and not too much fertiliizer.....take care,
Ed.

[@jaybudd1617]

@@EdsOrchids yes. Well my order was accepted and should be shipped next week.

[@fernando_doering]

Hello and greetings from Brasil! What about those Ladies Isabels of yours? Weren' t them shopping spikes?

[@EdsOrchids]

Good morning Fernando. The Lady Isabel plants are doing fine at the moment.....growing well but no signs of spikes yet........thank you and take care,
Ed.

[@alejandratorres3857]

Dear Ed, do you have any window recommendations for paphiodeliums growing indoor ? Thank you for share your invaluable knowledge!!

[@EdsOrchids]

Hi Alejandra. Paphiopedilums grow very well in indoor circumstances. There are several others I could recommend and they all grow their Paphs differently, The one I can recommend in all honesty is one with the unusual name of 'Here-but not!------he also grows lots of phragmipediums and Phalaenopsis. Thanks for your question and take care,
Ed.

[@suethompson6497]

Good evening Ed, thank you for the reminder for flushing with Epsom salts. What temperatures are you keeping your multifloral Paphs at in the greenhouse? Mine show no signs of blooming, I was wondering if they could benefit with a cool period. I will give them as much light as possible over this winter. I really like your Enchantress Paph, perhaps the colour will liven up as it opens further. Have a good evening and take care.

[@EdsOrchids]

I don't keep the multiflorals in the greenhouse with the winter nearing. The greenhouse goes down to 9c and only warms up a few degrees unless the sun is shining. In the house the temperature drops to 13c and risesto 20c or more..Thank you Sue,,,,take care and enjoy the weekend.
Ed.

[@suethompson6497]

@@EdsOrchids Thank you for the information Ed, good to know they can go to quiet low temps at night without harm.

[@georgiabarth2066]

Ed, thank you very much for this information.
I bought my first paph 2 weeks ago & have not re potted it as it looks fine as it is.
Hope so.
Any comments on my not re potting yet?
Thanks very much again from the USA.

[@EdsOrchids]

Hi Georgia and thank you for your question. If the plant is looking fine then don't repot unless you have to.....your plant will tell you when it isn't happy.. Please make sure that when you repot the media is free draining they require slightly larger media than the phragmipediums. and you ctoan add just a little sphagnum
Ed.

[@RareRootsOfJoyMelbourne]

Hi Ed. Thank you for the information here. I have 3 paphs. All seedlings. It’s almost impossible to get a mature plant here where I am. Even through the societies. On the rare time I’ve seen one, they’re $400+ which is just cost-prohibitive for me. One of my seedlings, ‘Angel Hair’ - a cross of St Swithin x sanderianum - she is SO tiny! I actually didn’t realise how tiny she was when I bought her online. She is in sphagnum moss and I’m keeping the moss moist like I do - and assume you need to do - for all seedlings. Do you have any advice for those of us who are trying to do our best with seedlings? Also, at what size so they stop being seedlings and are considered mature plants? I also have the Phillipinense x sib. She is much larger than the Angel Hair, but I personally think she’s still too small to not be treated as a seedling. But I do wonder how one can tell.
love your work, again thank you 🙏🏼

[@EdsOrchids]

Hi Sharon, Thanks for your comment. It's difficult for me to tell you what to do with your small seedling. The only thing I could suggest is the you use some small seedling bark and just feed them with micro -nutrients until they have a good root system. I wish you the very best of luck with them and make sure you don't over-pot them when the time comes......hopefully!! Thank you and take care,
Ed.

[@RareRootsOfJoyMelbourne]

@@EdsOrchids thank you Ed. Two of my seedling paphs are in seedling bark already and that’s how they came to me. It’s good quality bark too, not broken down in any way, so I have no desire to repot them yet. The Angel Hair, being she’s so tiny, she came in the sphagnum moss in a 1 inch seedling pot and again, I’m not looking to repot her either as she has two healthy roots and … she’s just started her first new leaf under my care 🥰😁🙌🏼 - so clearly she’s happy for now.
I’m in Melbourne Australia where we would say we are in a ‘warm temperate’ environment. I’ve found a combo of bark and perlite seems to work best given my conditions, and given my habits and behaviours as a plant parent/orchid grower. So longer term they’ll probably go into that set up.
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend 🌿🌸🌿

[@nariepittman4632]

Thanks Ed, always enjoy learning and watching your videos. Do the mottled leaf paphs need more or less light in your opinion? And what season do they flower?

[@EdsOrchids]

Hi Narie. I don't follow what the ' experts' say about light for Pahs I give them all the same. It all depends on your whereabouts in the world. I'm in the UK and what is called good light in this country is probably equivalent to poor light in the tropics so to work out what light I should give them can not be worked out.......so I give them as much light as I can in the winter months making sure I don't let them get into the sunshine in the warmer months. Thanks for your question ....take care....have a very good Sunday.
Ed.

[@nariepittman4632]

@@EdsOrchids thanks Ed. So far they are getting the same light as my others, perhaps a little less as they are just small. I live in Hervey Bay Queensland Australia- which is hot and humid!

[@EdsOrchids]

@@nariepittman4632 Hot is not too good but the humidity is excellent for the Paphs. Thanks once again Narie.
Ed

[@richardlawton1023]

I use popsicle sticks or Wood tongue depressor

[@EdsOrchids]

if they work well for you Richard I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for your comment and take care,
Ed.

[@aaronowen4425]

Do you have any advice on Paph. sanderianum the species? I have been growing hybrids for a while but have discovered for the most part I prefer the species. I have grown a few species now and finally broke down and purchased a Paph. sanderianum. I have had it for about a month now and seems to be doing well, however after getting it I heard that this species has a tendency to mysteriously die once it reaches the 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm I think) leaf span but that if you can get it past this point it is usually ok. The plant I have is just barely over the 10 1/2 inch span (25.5 cm ) So for as expensive as this plant was I am still kind of worried. Do you know anything about this mysterious tendency to wither away at that size and do you know if the size I have is truly out of the "danger zone" any advice would be greatly appreciated and great videos by the way!

[@EdsOrchids]

Good evening Aaron and thank you for your comment. The first thing I would suggest to you is that if it is growing well then on no account repot the plant.....only do this if the media has broken down. I don't keep many Paphiopedilums now but for me the best potting mix was a bark size of 14mm -18mm with perlite and a little sphagnum to add to the dampness. The only other thing I can say is that in the place where they grow in the wild the ground is rich in magnesium. so a rinsing with Epsom salts every so often should be beneficial. Sorry I can't help you more on this expensive plant so just leave it has it is and only take measures if you see the plant declining. Take care and I wish you the best of luck ,
Ed.

[@aaronowen4425]

@@EdsOrchids thank you!

[@YnseSchaap]

😁

[@EdsOrchids]

Cheers Ynse.......just going to have a look to see how you managed to do the flasking!!!
Ed

[@YnseSchaap]

@@EdsOrchids First time so I probably killed them all 😁