Paph. Wossner Bellarmi

Base Price: $50.00

Cross: (bellatulum x armeniacum)

Intro:
This is a beautiful hybrid between the species bellatulum and armeniacum. It produces very large (up to 5”) flowers that are well-rounded in colors of yellow to gold overlaid with small purple to mahogany spots. The flowers are long lasting and plants can bloom when quite small.

Light:
This plant prefers low to medium light from 800-1500 foot-candles. The plant can be exposed to more light during the winter and early spring months when the days are shorter. This will also help initiate flowering.

Temperature:
This plant prefers intermediate temperatures to do best, with daytime winter highs of 70-80 degrees, with nighttime lows of 58-63 degrees. Summer temps can be 10 degrees warmer.

Humidity:
50% or above is ideal. Growing on humidity trays at windowsills will help.

Water:
Because both species grow on limestone outcroppings, this plant will tolerate municipal water or well water that has limestone added if the pH is below 7.5. Water as the plant approaches dryness during the growing and flowering season of spring through fall. During the winter months, allow the plant to dry out more thoroughly between watering, as this coincides with nature’s cooler, drier rest period.

Fertilizer:
We highly recommend using Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water if plants are planted in bark. Be sure to flush the mix with clear water only once per month to prevent fertilizer salt build up. For plants in moss or mounted on slabs feed every third or 4th watering as the moss holds a lot of nutrients.

Or use GrowMore 20-10-20 Ureafree for municipal or well water. Use at the rate of ½ teaspoon per gallon. If using GrowMore with rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis water, add back in 5 - 10% municipal or well water to supply the necessary calcium and magnesium. Fertilize every other watering in the summer and every third watering in the winter.

Flowering:
This plant typically flowers in the spring, from March to May or early June. When you see the buds beginning in the center growth of the plant, it is important to keep the plant more evenly moist, as the development of the bud utilizes a good deal of moisture. The flowers are large for the size of the plant, sometimes almost dwarfing the plant. They have an excellent shape, and are gold and yellow overlaid with purple to mahogany fine spotting. The flowers last approximately 8 weeks.

Repotting:
It is best to repot this plant in the spring months after flowering, or in the fall during low stress periods. After repotting in the fall, keep the plant fairly dry between watering for the first month until the new roots get established. Use a fine mix for plants in 3” or smaller pots and a medium grade bark mix for plants in larger pots. You can divide this plant once it is large enough to leave at least two growths per each division. Be careful to seal the wound where divided with sulfur or tree seal to prevent infection. This plant does not like stagnant or stale mix, so it is best to repot every 12-18 months.