I am contemplating an orchidarium that will not have the benefit of cooling beyond what naturally occurs in a normal house (maybe high 60s in winter would be the lowest). So I would be very interested in knowing which species and primary hybrids you have been successful in blooming in normal household temperatures, i.e., without benefit of a cool winter rest. I think a diurnal differential of several degrees will occur naturally.

Thanks for your input,

John

The obvious choice, boring as it may sound to some, is the Maudiae group of hybrids....built on callosum and lawrencianum, along with superbiens, etc....species wise, the ones already mentioned...also the cochlopetalums, primulinum, glaucophyllum, and their easy hybrid Pinocchio. Among the brachy's, niveum and possibly concolor would be good bets. haynaldianum will bloom without a chill, although cooler temps bring out better color. Take care, Eric

Hybrids should be easiest to bloom. I would stick, as Eric says, with Maudiae types, just try to give them good water. Some of the typically easy yet boring hybrids are the pinnochio, helvetia, honey, blah blah blah.

Ok. Thanks. Maybe I'll skip the paphs in the orchidarium.

Hi aerides,
These species of Paph have grown and bloomed easily for me in the house. (I have a day/night dif of about 10 degrees in the winter. We try to conserve on heating costs.)

Paph concolor
Paph spicerianum
Paph delenatii
Paph tonsum
Paph fowliei
Paph barbigerum
Paph primulinum
Paph bellatulum

I have bloomed many other species in the house, but these are some of the more consistent and easy to bloom. All are also quite compact. If you have further questions on any of these or would like to see pics, let me know.

Thanks for your post, Paphreek. I'm making a note of these. Do your winter temps for your plants get much lower than 65?

Thanks,

John

I try to lower the overall temp in the house to around 60 F. During periods of extreme cold( 0 to -30F), however, I set back the temp to about 64F. This is because the edges of the house, where most of the orchids are, tend to get a little colder than the thermostat setting. I would like to experiment with colder night temps, but the wife has her limits and one of our sons had the audacity to move back and 'takeover' the cold room, acting as if it was his bedroom! I had the heat shut way down in that room and I shuttled the micranthum, armeniacum, and disas into that room at night. Temps were 45-50F. I got the armeniacum to bloom, the micranthum is still in sheath but appears to be swelling a little.

:roll: Imagine the nerve of some people. I understand bathtubs can be very comfortable. My apartment never drops even to 65, assuming that the general building heat is on. One of the reasons I sequestered plants in my kitchen is that it only has a riser pipe for heat, and I insulated that. As well as replacing my gas oven with electric - you'd be surprised how warm a little pilot light can keep an oven! Even so, the room doesn't drop much below 70 in the dead of winter even with the window open. I tried pulling cold air directly into the room from the outside, but that doesn't even work. The only thing that will get the room down to 60 is a Kenmore air conditioner with a digital thermostat that goes down to 60. I'm probably the only person who actually uses that. That suits my intermediate growers but still isn't enough for many paphs. I've never even seen a sheath on my micrathum or Armeni White, though they are both handsome plants.

Thanks again for your response.

John

Upon further researchig min/max temps for some Paph species, both concolor and niveum grow in the lower elevations of SE Asia. (concolor also grows at higher elevations). At the lower elevations where niveum grows in Maylaya, however, daytime avg. maximums are in the 80's and 90's and avg. night minimums are in the 70's year round. Some concolors also grow near sea level and would be adapted to this type of climate. (This information 'loosely' paraphrased from "The Genus Paphiopedilum" by Dr. G.D. Braem, Charles O. Baker, Margaret L. Baker)
I've had good luck with both , although my niveums have been a little less consistent in blooming. Both are generally tiny plants that would fit well into an orchidarium.