Two Paph questions
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

Two Paph questions
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
Register Two Paph questions Members Two Paph questions Two Paph questions Today's PostsTwo Paph questions Two Paph questions Two Paph questions
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
Go Back   Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! > >
Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 04-08-2012, 08:13 AM
Discus Discus is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Grahamstown, Eastern Cape
Age: 46
Posts: 1,191
Two Paph questions Male
Default

The reason paph medium typically breaks down faster is because we tend to water them more (they like it, assuming a fairly well drained medium); most people report seeing a burst of growth after repotting paphs, and most people recommend repotting most paphs yearly (some even advocate twice a year for small ones). Like phals, most paphs will take being repotted when in flower.

They also seem to enjoy being extremely pot-bound, in the sense that the pot seems way too small for them - struggle to fit all the roots back in, and they're happy. The mature paph in the smallest pot I have seems the happiest, I'm expecting two spikes from it; another of the same clone is in a bigger pot, but looks a little less thriving (although it already has a blooming spike). Most of the time, your paph can go right back into the pot it came from.

With most orchids, it's a good idea to keep a consistent direction with regards to uni-directional light sources (windows, artificial lights) once buds/spikes have started showing, otherwise you can end up with some interesting corkscrew effects!

You're more likely to damage the flower through not enough water than too much with paphs.

I think Ray speaks a lot of sense with regards to air/water in potting media (and particularly "bridging water"); hardly any of our orchids naturally grow with "suffocated roots", so they enjoy having access to both moisture and air, one reason his S/H method seems so effective for many orchids. Assuming you can provide the humidity and frequent watering required, growing them mounted also seems to keep them very happy (for the epiphytes); of course this more closely replicates what they've spent millions of years adapting to, so you'd expect them to cope with it!

Paphs are techincally mostly terrestrial (they live on the ground), but they live essentially in leaf litter (pretty airy, quite damp) not soil (as do most cymbidiums); this tends toward "keep these guys damp-ish, but make sure there is adequate air". The "fuzz" on paph roots has been hypothesized to act a bit like a snorkel along their roots, making sure there is a nice pocket of air around them; I don't think (I'm open to correction) they're vascularised and are thus not really of any use in nutrient uptake, unlike similar structures on many plants.

Last edited by Discus; 04-08-2012 at 08:15 AM.. Reason: added more info
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes The Mutant liked this post
  #12  
Old 04-08-2012, 08:37 AM
The Mutant The Mutant is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,690
Default

I would say that Ray speaks a lot of sense in all areas when it comes to orchids!

Interesting that you should mention the fuzz on the roots since I read about it yesterday but I can't the dang article at the moment!
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 04-08-2012, 10:14 PM
Yukonphal Yukonphal is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2011
Zone: 2b
Location: Whitehorse,Yukon,Canada
Age: 55
Posts: 115
Default

Words to live by
Use the Force
and
Obey the Paph
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
days, paph, question, questions, skewer, water


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Paph Questions WhiteysTA Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum 5 02-23-2012 11:22 PM
Complex/Bulldog Paph questions and recommendations The Orchid Boy Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum 10 02-15-2012 03:13 PM
Paph. delenatii questions... The Orchid Boy Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum 8 01-10-2012 09:29 PM
Trying to ID an Orchid Collection at Local College SilverDreamer Identification Forum 28 02-02-2011 01:47 PM
My orchid list......... Bolero Orchid Lounge 9 05-22-2008 07:24 AM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:19 PM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.