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  #11  
Old 04-08-2012, 07:13 AM
Discus Discus is offline
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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 07:15 AM.. Reason: added more info
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  #12  
Old 04-08-2012, 07:37 AM
The Mutant The Mutant is offline
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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!
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Old 04-08-2012, 09:14 PM
Yukonphal Yukonphal is offline
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