B: The point of growing the bigger plants

1)Watering

The watering is the most important procedure to grow Brachypetalum. I prepare a dish under the pot. This is very important for my way. The dish is not special one and is sold in market. As the height of dish is not so high, even if I put water full in the dish, it is not too much water.
 As I said we divide 2 groups of Brachypetalum before dependent on the distribution. It is also very important for watering. The group of Paph. niveum is less water than the grope of Paph. bellatulum in a whole year. And for the former, we have to care water path through easier.
The growing period from spring to autumn:You have to give water enough for the plants in this growing season. Sometimes, the beginners ask how long the interval of watering is better. But it is dependent on the kinds of, the size of and the rate of materials. And it is dependent on the condition of the pots in your green house too, in truth. So, we can not the answer so clearly. Saying critically, there is the difference between each pots in your green house. The best way is that you know the weight of the pot in wet enough and in dry. It is very easy to identify the difference between them. And when you take the pot and feel it light, you water to the pot. This is the basic way for watering. It means that it is different intervals for each pot you know. In this season, you may water from the head of plants directly. Because it is very easy to dry on or between the leaf before the evening. But be careful for the plants damaged by spider mites and/or mealybugs. The plants might be infected by microorganisms and cause the rotted disease. In the case, you water on the compost when the plants are small and we can see the compost between the leaves easily. Or in case of the plants were so huge and we can not see the compost between their leaves, we put each pots into the water bath and give water through the bottom of pots. Never wet the leaves in this case. Sometimes, water might overflow from the dish after watering and back into the dish, you don't care about it.
The rest period in winter:It is the most difficult to water in this season for Brachypetalum. Too much water bring the plants to rot their roots soon. Especially for the group of Paph. niveum, you and better dry the compost. But keep it wet very slightly. When I want to water to the plants, I put water into the dish. The water in dish will be sucked up and dry the dish soon. This is the good way for me dependent on my experience. After watering, you check the weight of the pots and make sure the compost wet slightly. For the group of Paph. bellatulum, you had better keep the compost to dry but a little bit wet than the species of the group of Paph. niveum. In this season, you have to control the watering for each pots individually.

2)Temperature、Shade and wind

The growing period from spring to autumn:In this season, we can not help the temperature and it dependent on the natural temperature outside fundamentally. But it is no problems in Japan. As it is too hot sometimes, we control; the condition by the shade and winds. For the group of Paph. niveum, the shade should be about 50 % and on the other hand, for the group of Paph. bellatulum , the shade should be about 60 ~ 70 %. And the winds, especially a natural wind is very important. Especially for the former species, they like good cooler winds a whole day long. So you need to select the good position for them to keep them in better condition. Of course, outside is much better.
The rest period in winter:In winter, for the group of Paph. niveum need about 18 ℃ at least in truth for the Min. temperature. Of course, you may grow them in 15 ℃. But remember that they like higher temperature. For the group of Paph. bellatulum , it is enough to keep at 15 ℃ for the Min. temperature. It is no problem to keep them at 12~13℃. But if you want to keep them at the lower temperature, you had better keep the compost in the more dry condition than usual.

3)Fertilizer

The growing period from spring to autumn:In truth, Brachypetalum like fertilizer very much. But is is very difficult to give it for them. When and how much .... Usually, we use solid type of fertilizer in the growing period. But for growing to be the bigger plants, it is very difficult and no good. Because the chemicals will be accumulate in the compost and will damage to the plants slowly. So I recommend that you use a liquid type of fertilizer and the 3 ~ 5 times more dilution than the regular dilution. And give it instead of watering. For the group of Paph. bellatulum, you give it so often and for the group of Paph. niveum , you give it some times.
The rest period in winter :In the rest period, we never give fertilizer for the both groups. But if you grow the young seedling in the higher temperature , 18 ℃ , you may give the liquid type of fertilizer in this season too. But never forget, you have to dilute it much more than regular dilution.

Continue to No. 4

Back to the index of HP