Grow and care Paphiopedilum rothschildianum orchid - Rothschild's Paphiopedilum - Gold of Kinabalu orchid

Rothschild's Paphiopedilum is native to North Borneo. Plants are found in two places only on the low slopes of Mount Kinabalu at an altitude of 600-1200 m. They grow in deciduous humus attached to rock ledges of steep, limestone cliffs and slopes of the northeastern exhibition. They often grow near flowing water, 6-12 m above streams.

 Paphiopedilum rothschildianum orchid, also called as Rothschild's Paphiopedilum, Gold of Kinabalu orchid, Cordula rothschildiana, Cypripedium elliottianum, Cypripedium neo-guineense, Cypripedium nicholsonianum, Cypripedium rothschildianum, Paphiopedilum elliottianum, Paphiopedilum rothschildianum var. elliottianum, is a species of the genus Paphiopedilum. This species was described by (Rchb. f.) Pfitzer in 1895.

IDENTIFY PAPHIOPEDILUM ROTHSCHILDIANUM ORCHID

 Rothschild's Paphiopedilum is native to North Borneo. Plants are found in two places only on the low slopes of Mount Kinabalu at an altitude of 600-1200 m. They grow in deciduous humus attached to rock ledges of steep, limestone cliffs and slopes of the northeastern exhibition. They often grow near flowing water, 6-12 m above streams.

© Felix | CC BY-SA 2.0

 Gold of Kinabalu orchid is a medium to large sized, clear leafed, multiflowered, warm to cool growing terrestrial, sometimes lithophytic species with very narrowly elliptic or ligulate, suberect leaves. The leaves are 40-60 cm long and 5 cm wide, they are leathery, bright green to yellowish green and have reddish hair at the base. At a sufficiently high level of light, the leaves will be yellowish.

 This Paphiopedilum orchid species blooms in the spring and summer on an erect, terminal, reddish, to 2 1/2' (75 cm) long, pubescent inflorescence with ovate-elliptic floral bracts and carrying 2 to 4, large to very large, showy flowers. The flowers are very large; some even reach a diameter of 30-45 cm. The ovate, sharp tip of the dorsal petal may be pale-green, cream-colored or yellow with purple stripes. The lower petal is similar but smaller. The inner whorl flakes, which are inclined a few degrees below the horizontal line, are of off-white ivory color or yellow, with chestnut veins. These petals open widely, and at the base have small dark spots with short hairs. Their banks are wavy with thick cilia. The lip may be bright gold-green to buff with large purple or chestnut spots.

GROW AND CARE PAPHIOPEDILUM ROTHSCHILDIANUM ORCHID

 Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.

Light:

 Paphiopedilum rothschildianum orchid needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. Scattered light should be enough so that the leaves have a bright green color, but they should not be burned. This species is rather easy to grow and will also cope well in the shade, however in such conditions there may be problems with obtaining flowering.

© Dick Culbert | CC BY 2.0

Temperature:

 The plant is thermophilic, but requires a cold rest period. In summer, the average day temperature is 28-29 ° C, night 16-17 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 12-13 ° C. The average winter temperature is between 26-27 ° C and at night 15-17 ° C, giving a diurnal difference of 10-12 ° C. In the rainy season the night air flowing down from the slopes of Mount Kinabalu is quite cold, so during the winter, a large temperature difference is recommended - the days should be warm and the night cool (even below 13 ° C).

Humidity:

 Because Gold of Kinabalu orchid rows naturally in the streams - it is necessary to provide a year-round high humidity. This orchid can grow in greenhouse, where moderate to warm conditions prevail, as well as high humidity ranging from 65-95%.

Substrate and growing media:

 Plants should grow in any loose, well-drained substrate that maintains moisture, but does not absorb. The addition of chopped sphagnum moss is preferred, especially when the plants are grown in places with low humidity. With age, the plant grows and its upper part becomes hard, so it is easier to deal with it, if it is planted in a heavy, quite flat, ceramic pot with a wide base.

 The addition of calcium in the substrate is very important because this species grows in the soil with a basic pH - the correct pH can be ensured by adding crushed shell to the substrate, which should replenished as they dissolve. Alternatively, you can add natural rock to the substrate, which is a crushed dolomite available in stores.

 To avoid the accumulation of mineral salts in the substrate, you should regularly rinse it. Once a month is good, first soaking the roots and the substrate, and then pour over the clean rainwater in the amount of double the volume of the pot.

Watering:

 The plant should often be watered with only slight drying between waterings. The substrate can never be stale or soggy.

© Bernard DUPONT | CC BY-SA 2.0

Fertilizer:

 During active growth, the plants should be fertilized every week or every two weeks with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids, dissolved in a rainwater with a small addition of stagnant tap water. After this cooling, the night temperatures should then be raised to 16-17 ° C and the plants should bloom after 2-4 months.

Rest period and repotting:

 In winter, cultivated plants need less water regardless of the temperature they keep, especially if the light level is much lower than in summer, but the substrate should never completely dry out. Fertilization should be limited to one per month until new increments appear.

 Plants should be repotted as soon as the substrate begins to decompose. These plants need large amounts of water, so repotting may be necessary every year, especially when the composition of the substrate is a lot of sphagnum moss. Plants can be repotted at different times of the year, but it is best done in autumn or winter, which allows you to regain full form and root before summer heat.

Note:

 This plant is quite easy to care for, but difficult to bloom. New growths on a mature plant usually blossom in two years, and on a young plant, in order to reach maturity and bloom, they may need 4-5 years. Seedlings to bloom, sometimes it takes 10-12 years.

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