Coconut water for Paphiopedilium druryi

[nicola]

I bought this plant in August this year.
It has had a difficult start due to delays in shipment.
It took 10 days to receive the parcel, with temperatures that reached 100 ºF.
However it seems to me that it has not suffered too much.
It is in a bark medium and potted in a 5 inches black plastic pot with good drainage.
I keep the plant on a bright window sill facing south, with about one hour of direct sun in the afternoon.
Temperatures range from 95 ºF to 80 ºF, RH 70% in the day, and 80% at night.
Now the temperatures started to drop, I wonder if this plant needs a winter rest.
I water every 10 days with RO water and use a 19-19-19 water soluble fertilizer once a month.
I had read in a post that this plant likes the addition of calcium and magnesium, I was considering adding coconut water when I give the fertilizer.
In addition to calcium and magnesium coconut water contains many substances including cytokinins that should stimulate growth.
Has anyone tried it?
What do you think ?
Thanks Nicola.

[Fairorchids]

I do not have druryi, but I do have 400+ Paphs.

Watering every 10 days is NOT enough for a Paph. It should never go fully dry; drench, and rewater every 3-4 days.

I fertilize every 2 weeks with light dose of 20-20-20, except for Dec & Jan when we scale back to once a month.

The Paphiopedilum sub-group should get shade similar to Phalaenopsis (= 55-60% shade from full sun). You might have this plant in too high light.

I do not think watering with coconut water is recommended.

[tucker85]

I've never used coconut water but I agree that orchids do need calcium and magnesium. Since reverse osmosis removes all minerals from the water, I think it's important find a way to provide cal/mag. There are cal/mag fertilizers, cal/mag supplements or products that can be added to the mix to provided the minerals.

[nicola]

Thanks Fairorchids,
This is my first Paphiopedilum, and I appreciate your advice.

At the beginning I watered every 5 days, but I was not sure because I'm used to transparent pots where it is easier to see.
So after reading the post "Using skewers to determinates when to water" I tried.
And after 10 days the skewer is still slightly moist in the middle.
I tend to water too much, and I do not want to risk rot, but I'll keep your advice in mind.

How could I tell if the plant receives too much light?

The leaves of my Phalenopsis if they receive too much light become a very light green almost yellow.
Paphiopedilium react similarly?


Thanks tucker 85
specific fertilizers or supplements would be the simplest solution, but here in India they are not available.
Even import is not an option.
This is the reason that led me to look for "natural" alternatives.
Here in India, coconut water is used for rooting Pepper cuttings, in Brazil it is used as an ingredient for flasking orchid seeds.
After all the coconut is a giant seed with a stock of everything that is necessary for the development of the plant.
I also found some scientific studies online and I would give it a try.
thanks Nicola

[estación seca]

Hello Nicola, Are there any places near you that sell fertilizer to farmers? They may have such things as calcium nitrate. You would need to do some reading to find the find the proper dilution.

Druggists often sell Epsom salts, which contain magnesium. Again, you would need to calculate the proper dilution.

And druggists also sell antacids containing calcium and magnesium salts. These, too, might be diluted for plant use.

[NYCorchidman]

First of all, water more often than every 10 days.
Especially a plant with many growth like yours have quite a bit of roots and all those leaves lose water as well. So definiately water more often, like twice a week depending on how fast it dries in your particular conditions.

Second of all, I would not water orchids with coconut water, which is high in Potassium, which plants need but not in access.
Too much of potassium blocks plants from absorbing other cations like calcium, magnesium, etc... that plants also need.
Just use water with balanced fertilizer every now and then, and you should be fine.
Remember, less is more if you are not sure.

Also, Paphiopedilum druyi is not like other paphs in that they grow in nearly full sun in the hot area, Sri Lanka I think.
So give it a lot of light. I think what you are giving it now is probably enough.

You won't have to worry about too much light because of the reasons I mentioned above.
but usually, plants getting too much light either get sunburned, which shows up as either bleached white part with or without browning edges or black or dark brown patches depending on the plant and severity of the burn.
Less extreme, over the course of time, weeks, too much light will cause plants to lighten up in color.
So make note of the leaf color as is now, and shoot for maintaining it that way.

Happy growing!