Need help and advice with Paphiopedilum

[lotis146]

Last spring I picked up my first Paphiopedilum (first Orchid I've ever had with registration info): Paph. Hsinying Majakun #7 X Paph. Hilo Green 'Perfection'.

The flower lived about a week or so after I brought it home. Oh and all my Orchids are about 4 feet from an east facing window that gets maybe an hour and a half of more direct light in the morning; they've all seemed to do well here. I keep the heat in my house relatively high (72 degree F).

Its spike died a couple of months after the flower, I'd say late fall probably. New growth that has a flat profile (is this how they send up new growth) came up about an inch, half inch wide then stopped along with the yellowing and subsequent death of one of 4 leaves (a basal). I thought the plant was dead (ignorance because I didn't know Paph roots were supposed to be brown) and started setting it in a mug of water for anywhere from 20 min to hours (I'd forget sometimes) then set on top of its medium. It's survived with no new growth. I'm carefully watching the other basal leaf that has a very light green color and has recently taken on the slightest of yellow hints. After doing my research yesterday I checked the roots and found some of the ends to be soft but none with a thing "wirey" appearance.

I've had it in a store bought Orchid mix of charcoal, lava rock and bark in a 4-5 in ceramic pot with holes (butterfly designs really) on all sides. I hope to repot today and probably add fertilizer, which I've never done. How do I know if I should cut any of the roots back? Should I use a finer medium for this species? Is there any harm in adding fertilizer to a compromised plant just after repotting?

With this form of medium it's very difficult, near impossible, to "detect" when it's time to water as it does not retain water (which I know is good). I've heard people say you can judge by the weight of the plant, well mine is in a ceramic pot so that won't work. Over-watering has always been my curse, so would it be best if I just "schedule" weekly waterings, soaking it in the sink for 15 minutes and letting the water run out? Or spritzing it? Can I put it on a dish of pebbles with water to increase humidity, will it benefit from this given the temperature in my house this winter and even in the summer when I run the A/C?

The roots on this plant are a darker brown, not so much cinnamon in color. Any advice?

Thanks everyone!
Lotis

[jeremyinsf]

You only need to cut off dead roots. It sounds to me like you mostly know the difference. Make sure it's a clean cut with a sterile instrument.

In terms of the watering, is it possible to plant this in a plastic pot that can then sit inside your ceramic pot? Then you can remove it, look the roots, and also see how heavy it is to determine if it needs to be watered. Schedules rarely work, as other conditions in the environment change how often a plant like this needs to be watered. When you do water it, you don't need to soak it. Drench it with several volumes of the pots worth of water and that will do.

I suggest you wait to add fertilizer until after the plant is a bit more re-established in the new pot.

For the roots, would need to see pictures of what you mean.

Good luck with it all!

[quiltergal]

I agree with Jeremy. A clear plastic pot is much easier to work with when trying to determine when to water, and also gives you the added benefit of being able to see the roots.

Paphs are semi-terrestrials and grow best if their roots are kept evenly moist. I think you may have overcorrected your watering technique for this one and let it get too dry. They really do not like to completely dry out. I'm growing all of mine in fine grade CHC mix because it is more moisture retentive. (I don't like to water.)

[WhiteRabbit]

I use skewers in all my orchids to determine when to water. My orchids have been much happier since

[lotis146]

Thank you everyone for your help. :-D

I repotted it last night and went ahead with combining Orchid mix (charcoal, lava rock, bark), with bark from the nursery, and some sphagnum moss as I've come to understand with your help that they like a little bit more moisture than Phals, in so many words. It's not a majority of Sphag by any means but I mixed it all up, picking the lava rock out of the old mix (they're small pieces) and putting a layer at the bottom of the ceramic pot with holes in it. I soaked it all for over a half an hour prior to potting. I believe this mix and layering (hoping) will provide enough air and water retention. I also didn't add any sort of fertilizer although I have heard in my other threads that spraying some under the leaves (diluted of course) might be good although in those other threads I believe those plants have far more compromised root systems than this one. I trimmed some roots off and a dead leaf.

I've decided to stick with the ceramic Orchid pot with the holes and will follow the method of using a stick (like a skewer someone mentioned) to put in the medium center and determine moisture.

It's currently in the other room that only has a little bit of light coming in through the side of a mostly blocked window. I just cracked the blinds a bit to allow for a little more light to come in and covered the group (the Paph, mini Phal., 2 Phal. keikis, and soon to join is the repotted mother keiki) with a clear plastic bag.

I'll post some pictures when I can and will keep posted when I see any progress. Thanks again, hopefully I will witness the plant begin to thrive yet again.

Cheers! :-D

[NYCorchidman]

I have this very same hybrid and I love it because it has probably the biggest flower I ever seen!

This type of paph is generally easy to grow and bloom. Regarding the new fan (growth) not developing any further, did you keep your plant too dry? There must have been something that upset the plant growth.

Yellowing of leaves can be natural, especially when it starts with the oldest, the bottom most, leaf.

How much root did this plant have?
Dark brown can also be normal for paphs. I think I see this more often with plants potting in old bark mix. The dark color is just dirt I believe or stain from the dirt as I do not see this dark dark brown on my paphs planted in fresh bark or other mix.
They might very well be alive though. The best way to tell is to GENTLY feel the roots with your fingers.
If they are somewhat firm (do not squeeze them too hard), then they are alive. The dead ones will be hollow.

How large is bark chips in your mix? I would not use too big particles. It simply dries out too quickly and paphs do not want that. Of course, there is a way around it. Water more often.
Since you mixed in some moss, I think it should stay a bit more moist.

Remember, when the potting mix particle is very fine, the skewer method to detect the "wetness" of the mix is very helpful, but the larger the particle, the less accurate it is.

How many growth does your have? Was there only one growth? How many roots? Usually single growth plant do not yet have many roots.
This is important to know when and how to water your plant.
For paphs with shallow roots, I mist the top inch or so of the potting mix often (even daily as it is dry in my apartment except for summer) because if I were to water regularly, say once a week or once every five days, the top portion where most of the roots are will dry out in one day or two while the rest of the mix stays moist which doesn't do any good to the roots as there are none down there.

Once roots grow all over in the pot, then this may not be necessary, although I do mist the top just a little bit between watering, just not as much.

This paph should stay in bloom at last for one month up to three months. So I think you must have bought yours near the end of its bloom life span.
Each new growth should flower. This can happen once a year until it gets to a certain size, which then will start blooming more often.

I hope yours survive.

Good luck!

[Optimist]

Phaphs (ladyslippers) are terrestrial orchids, not epiphites. They grow in earth aka. Dirt. That would mean that your large chunk bark and fast flowing water and pot with holes may just kill it.

From what I know about the wild phaphs that grew around our house, they like more cool, shady areas.

---------- Post added at 04:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 AM ----------

It is also fairly common for an orchid to bloom only once per year. Most of the year, an orchid is just leaves in a pot like any other houseplant. It is common that a basal leaf goes yellow and falls off. Orchids have regular leaf turn-over.

I think you are over-mothering. You most likely did not need to do anything other than continue to water the plant. You likely did not need to un-pot it and expose or soak its roots. Some orchids are really pouty and will refuse to bloom or do anything else if you man-handle it too much.

[jeremyinsf]

Originally Posted by Optimist

Phaphs (ladyslippers) are terrestrial orchids, not epiphites. They grow in earth aka. Dirt.

Optimist - Might want to check into this a bit more. It's perhaps an over-generalization and not correct (imho).

[NYCorchidman]

Also, may I add that species making up maudiae type hybrids are VERY different than what Optimist is talking about, the cypripedium, which does grow in "dirt", although they do best in the dirt that does contain lots of leaf humus, hence it is nothing like regular soil, but very light, rich, moist, and airy.

In that sense, maudiae types may also thrive in the "dirt" given the right composition.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I have this very same hybrid and I love it because it has probably the biggest flower I ever seen!

This type of paph is generally easy to grow and bloom. Regarding the new fan (growth) not developing any further, did you keep your plant too dry? There must have been something that upset the plant growth.

Yellowing of leaves can be natural, especially when it starts with the oldest, the bottom most, leaf.

How much root did this plant have?
Dark brown can also be normal for paphs. I think I see this more often with plants potting in old bark mix. The dark color is just dirt I believe or stain from the dirt as I do not see this dark dark brown on my paphs planted in fresh bark or other mix.
They might very well be alive though. The best way to tell is to GENTLY feel the roots with your fingers.
If they are somewhat firm (do not squeeze them too hard), then they are alive. The dead ones will be hollow.

How large is bark chips in your mix? I would not use too big particles. It simply dries out too quickly and paphs do not want that. Of course, there is a way around it. Water more often.
Since you mixed in some moss, I think it should stay a bit more moist.

Remember, when the potting mix particle is very fine, the skewer method to detect the "wetness" of the mix is very helpful, but the larger the particle, the less accurate it is.

How many growth does your have? Was there only one growth? How many roots? Usually single growth plant do not yet have many roots.
This is important to know when and how to water your plant.
For paphs with shallow roots, I mist the top inch or so of the potting mix often (even daily as it is dry in my apartment except for summer) because if I were to water regularly, say once a week or once every five days, the top portion where most of the roots are will dry out in one day or two while the rest of the mix stays moist which doesn't do any good to the roots as there are none down there.

Once roots grow all over in the pot, then this may not be necessary, although I do mist the top just a little bit between watering, just not as much.

This paph should stay in bloom at last for one month up to three months. So I think you must have bought yours near the end of its bloom life span.
Each new growth should flower. This can happen once a year until it gets to a certain size, which then will start blooming more often.

I hope yours survive.

Good luck!

How cool that you have the same hyrid! The flower really is striking. I was under the impression when I bought it that they don't flower for long, I was even told that it may not flower again. Glad to be learning that this is not necessarily the case. It does have really pretty mottled leaves though which I quite enjoy.

I do think that I let it dry out too much and I think Optimist has a point in that I over-mothered it, much as someone else said I over-corrected. These are the things I believe contributed to the new growth giving up but I'm keeping an eye on it now that I've repotted it.

As I said before I repotted it back into the ceramic with holes with some moss. Some of the holes are bigger so I can reach my finger in and feel the moisture of the medium, however I do need to keep in mind that the roots are shallow as you said. It has about 5-6 roots; I did do some trimming of them as parts of the roots were pretty mushy and/or hollow feeling.

The bark chunks themselves are I'd say medium pieces but those of the other mix with charcoal and what-not are a bit smaller. So far it seems to be doing okay since I've repotted. The leaves seem a bit more rigid than I remember them to be prior to repotting.

It only has one growth at the moment and the new one that started and stopped. It's a little guy. How big is yours? One question I have is, how long should I keep it fairly shaded since the repot? All of my Orchids are about 3-4 feet from an East window. In the morning the light is very bright with I'd say about an 1 or 2 in this season of more direct light. I understand that Paphs prefer a bit more shade than say my Phals, is this too much or just right and I should worry about in the summer? Mind you I did get this plant last Spring, I'd say mid to late spring and opened the blinds every morning to let the sun in.

Thanks for your advice, glad to know you have the same hybrid. It's amazing to me that this is even so when I'm learning just how many different hybrids there are. Seems kind of crazy really. :-)

Cheers!

And thank you to everyone else as well. Since I've already repotted I'm going to leave it be as it is. If I don't see any positive changes, i.e. growth, I will consider repotting again into a different pot and medium but for now we'll see.