When is it time to divide paph?

[mimigirl]

I know that it is probably too early for this one, but how will I know when this needs to be divided? I am a little confused. This blooms well and dont want to do anything that isnt necessary. Thanks!

[littlefrog]

Way too early... The bigger the division the better it will bloom. I only divide a paph when it divides itself. Sometimes not even then. If you go to repot it and it falls into a few pieces, then that is a good time to divide. But depending on how much space I have, I will often just put all the pieces back into one pot.

[NYCorchidman]

I read the title and then looked at the picture and went, "Oh, honey, you got a loooooong way to go!" lol

While your paph has flowered twice ( at least that's how many old spikes I can count) and one new fan is on the way, it has nothing to be divided off of it. lol

You want your paphs as big as possible and it may take many many years before you can consider dividing.

With bigger plant size comes more and better flower show each time it blooms.

Even when it does get quite big, you want to have at least 4 or more growths on each division.
Even then the division might sulk for a season or two like one of mine did.

Wait until your paph has about tripled in size, then if you want, divide in half.
Sometimes, dividing can cause growth spur.

I have one maudiae type hybrid that grows and blooms so well (at least twice a year blooming), but it will only grow one fan at a time even after having it for years.
I cut the whole thing in half. One half with an active growing end kept on growing fine.
The other half with no active growing end took over one year to get going again, but for the first time, it gave it two fans. Since then, two flowers each time instead of one.

[mimigirl]

Thank you both so much. I wa just afraid i was crowding it. I have another thread with a pic of a dend. I puchased over the weekend. I hope you see that one or should i post here?

[Optimist]

I think in all cases, you want as strong a plant as you can have. Dividing only weakens the plant and it is unnessesary, unless you are selling a piece or something like that.

[Fairorchids]

I generally allow Paphs to divide themselves - unless it is something where I want a division for someone else.

Putting it another way, Paphs like being under-potted better than being over-potted. As long as I can fit the plant into a 6" pot or smaller, all is well. If I have to go to an 8" pot, I start twisting the plant to see whether it is ready to divide.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

Way too early... The bigger the division the better it will bloom. I only divide a paph when it divides itself. Sometimes not even then. If you go to repot it and it falls into a few pieces, then that is a good time to divide. But depending on how much space I have, I will often just put all the pieces back into one pot.

Same here.

I used to think I didn't want to divide any orchid, I like big plants. But then as my collection gets older I find sometimes because of the way they grow it's unavoidable. On an older plant often old fans (or bulbs in orchids that have them) die back, as they were what joined parts of the plant together it means when you repot it just falls into pieces.

I try and stop them separating if I can, but if they do I usually pot them up separately. I sometimes get small divisions which struggle, but sometimes make it. Much better when it naturally splits more evenly.

I definitely only divide when the plant naturally falls into pieces though.