Very sad leafed Paph

[jenilee]

So I recently got this beautiful Paph...I have one already(the first orchid I ever bought, actually) but he (Herbert) is still a wimp and kinda slow growing....I needed one in bloom so I could explain to friends that I wasn't crazy to have a plant that I've named and check daily but hasn't bloomed in years...*if you think about it, that little guy has been through alot, first orchids get to live through all the "learning" experiences* I'm suprised he is still around!

Anyway, my new one (pictures below) is large and was happy when I brought it home. As I walked in the door, grinning ear to ear...the husband said "I said no more Orchids!" hahaha...To which I quickly quipped back "it's for my office!!!"...well i think my office air sucks (Acutally I know it does...ALLERGIES!) and within a week I started losing a leaf...

Do you think it's just shedding it's old low leaf or is it tied to its environment??

[glengary54]

Jenilee -

Your plant looks very healthy, a yellowing lower leaf is nothing to worry about, it is just part of the circle of life.

I'm more concern about your other plant that hasn't bloomed in years, please tell us more about your growing habits and environment.

[jenilee]

As requested, here are some pics of Herbert....I got him about 5 years ago and he bloomed once...much smaller than this new one but similar colors (anyone know what the new one is called? It didn't have a name flag)....

Herbert has been through alot, being my first orchid ever, he got way too much light, probably not enough water, chewed on by a cat...etc
But recently he has really perked up (over this last year)...he has grown one whole leaf and started a new one!...he has been repotted once (cat knocked him off the counter!)...currently lives in a small s/h pot. I think it might even be two plants because the one leaf that is attached to the old spike (do paphs spike or stem?) isn't really connected to the new plant with 4 1/2 leaves (learned that in the repotting)....

What do you think?

I wish I had pictures of him at the worst...then you could see that he has REALLY gotten better...so I'm just patiently waiting...given the amount of torture; I don't blame him for being timid.

[glengary54]

jenilee -

Paphs given proper care and culture should produce at least one new growth a year. It takes approx 6 months for the growth to mature and it should flower on the mature growth.

There are a few things that may have added to it's poor growth rate: not enough light, being allowed to get too dry and not receiving enough fetilizer. Outside of that I don't know what to tell you.

As to whether or not you have one or two plants in the pot, new growths are attached to the mother plant, they eventually grow their own root system and sometimes release from the mother plant by themselves.

[RosieC]

The first one looks like it's just shedding an old leaf to me. I wouldn't worry.

Your second one looks OK, but does seem it has been growing VERY slowly. I find these mottled leaf ones tend to grow much faster than some of my other Paphs.

Poor roots on one of mine slowed it down. As Glen said, sunlight and fertiliser could be other factors. Other than that I'm not sure.