While I have never done so, I have known a number of folks who have had great success with Paphiopedilum and Phragmepedium in semi-hydo set-up.
Jaker00 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:10 pm
i like miniatures especially if they're cheaper, ...
I'll disabuse you of that misconception right now.
If anything, miniatures -- especially true mini's (those staying under 6" tall when fully mature) -- are typically as expensive, and often MORE expensive, than the larger growing plants. Many newbies to the orchid world are shocked by this because the majority of their experience is with "normal" plants. With the typical non-orchids one sees in stores, small plants cost less because they are: a)
young plants; or b) small growing plants which reproduce readily and/or grow quickly. Orchids are not known for for doing either. From pollination to mature
seeds is generally 5-9
months. With some Paphs, it can take up to a year. From a baby seedling to flowering size, one is generally looking at 3-4
years for the "fast growers" but typically more like 5 years for many orchids. Some of the paphs and phrags will require 7+ years to reach flowering size. (With some paphs, 10 yrs is not common.) Miniatures do not grow any faster. If you are a dog person, this might make mini vs large grower more understandable. Let's say you are in the market for a pure bred puppy. You love dogs big and small so check out shih tzu and great danes. The dane is, even as a pup, far larger than a shih tzu. However, depending upon the pedigree and breeder, danes average anywhere from $500-$3000 and shih tzu average $750-$3000. Small grower does not mean cheaper.
If interested, contact me in the fall. I will be dividing a few of my orchids and selling off the divisions. (Too hot for me to want to ship now.) We'll see if I have anything of interest for you.