Question regarding tilting paph - Orchid Board

Paul Mc · #1 03-09-2011, 05:57 PM

I bought this Paph Pinnochie (sp?) about 4 months ago and I am realizing more and more that I do not know how to handle Paph's.

This particular paph has the top portion of the plant starting to lean. It was originally leaning towards the light so I turned it to see if it would move back.

I'm concerned because either I'm not giving it enough light, or something else is going on like too much water/too little water.

What do you guys think? As a newbie, I want to hear everything you guys have to offer. I'm like a sponge, lol...

silken · #2 03-09-2011, 07:27 PM

Well, your Paph. is a primary hybrid between Paph. glaucophyllum and Paph. primunlinum. They both require low light. According to OrchidWiz, they should have 60 to 70% humidity and mature plants should not be allowed to dry out completely between waterings. Not sure if that is any help, but is it maybe getting too much light or not enough moisture so it is flopping over?

Maybe someone who grows it will help out too.

nenella · #3 03-09-2011, 07:46 PM

I am not an expert, but have had one of these hybrids (pinocchio) for about 5 years. Looking at your plant it is fine... IMHO.. you need to water it more frequently? probably a day or two before you you usually do ex: if you water once evrey 7 days you should water once every 5/6 days and see how the leaves are...
I find it an easy plant to grow once it attains a mature level (it flowers year round) Good lucK & keep us posted!

johnblagg · #4 03-09-2011, 09:46 PM

LOL I am sooo glad I read this thread ...I got one of these ate the St Louis show in Jan and was needing a bit more info ...all though I will say mine is doing really good sitting with the catts and is on the third bud starting to open and new leaves emerging too now

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #5 03-09-2011, 10:18 PM

While I'm not good at growing Paphs yet, I feel that I don't need to know how to grow a Paph in order to tell you that certain Paphs will behave like Phals because they grow in much the same orientation as Phals do.

Some Paphs are lithophytic and hang off of cliff faces. Sometimes they grow on the sides of hills or rocky outcroppings.

Perhaps those two species do exactly that and their long floppy leaves naturally hang down like that.

quiltergal · #6 03-09-2011, 10:22 PM

I agree they don't like to totally dry out. I have a Paph. hirsutissium that went 10 days between watering and one of the newer growths started to do that. After I got it back on track with watering the growth perked back up.

You'll love Pinocchio. You'll get tired of the flowers before it quits blooming. I've got one that has been in constant bloom for 2 years.

Paul Mc · #7 03-10-2011, 08:49 AM

WOW, I really hope I can learn hot to bloom paph's then!

I noticed that the medium is dry (at least around the surface) within 3 days. So, I've been watering them on Wed's and Sat's. That's why I was a bit concerned that I might be overwatering. I fertilize every other weekend.

The light it is currently getting usually falls around 1000 to 1500 footcandles, with a very brief period (about 30 to 45 minutes) in the morning of about 2500 footcandles. I had assumed it was getting the right amount of light, but wanted to catch it early if something was wrong.

It was not mature when I bought it, and the grower said it should bloom within the next blooming cycle. I'm assuming that since I bought it late last year (early winter) that it should start blooming this year. I can't wait!

Congratulations John! Enjoy the show of blooms!

PleuroPal · #8 03-10-2011, 10:42 AM

I think it's fine. I've had mine for about 5 years and it has been in constant bloom, had multiple spikes and continues to put out new fans of growth. Mine does the exact same thing. I think Phillip is correct that this particular paph kind of acts like a phal in that it wants to grow out to the side towards its light source. I just let mine do what it wants to do and it seems to be as happy as it can be.
I even have mine on top of a high book shelf with no stakes, so the spikes grow naturally out over the edge like they would in nature.

P.S. I water it once a week, but it's in a slightly larger pot and never gets direct sun.

quiltergal · #9 03-10-2011, 12:55 PM

Paul Paphs also really need to be repotted annually. If it's not been repotted since you got it last year you might want to do so. You'll find new root growth takes off like a rocket after a repot.

Paul Mc · #10 03-16-2011, 10:09 AM

OK, well I repotted this particular paph as soon as I got it late last year so the medium should be fine.

I am starting to wonder something though. I just noticed that the window that it is seated in does not have it's storm window shut. It's been really nice weather here for the past several weeks (as in we have been opening all of our windows). However, the past two days the temperatures have dropped and it snowed again. Last night, I noticed the top leaf had fallen all the way over the other direction. I had turned it to see if it was just the light doing this, but the quick drop to the other side was quite drastic time wise.

I have removed it from that window as I am beginning to suspect temperature might be the issue.

What do you guys think? Could temperature be affecting it and making it do this so quickly? If it just leaned I'd be fine, but the top leaf has completely folded over now.

Sorry for the 20 questions when you guys might have already addressed the root of this. I just want to make sure I don't kill my "baby."