Phaph Fumu’s Delight, flower bud turned brown

[smenard]

I was very excited when I saw the sheet of a new flower bud emerged few weeks ago.
Unfortunately it stop developing and turned brown.
My plant is potted in bark with a thin layer of sphagnum moss. I water it once a week with tap water, fertilise it once a month during winter period, and mg or calcium once a month.
Any idea of what happened?

I have search OB without success

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by smenard

I was very excited when I saw the sheet of a new flower bud emerged few weeks ago.
Unfortunately it stop developing and turned brown.
My plant is potted in bark with a thin layer of sphagnum moss. I water it once a week with tap water, fertilise it once a month during winter period, and mg or calcium once a month.
Any idea of what happened?

I have search OB without success

How long ago did you pot it? Because Paphs like to stay on the damp side, bark breaks down more quickly than for orchids that dry out between waterings. (Paphs shouldn't) The other growths look fine, this may just be a young plant deciding that it wasn't ready yet. A caution when you repot.. Paph roots are often fuzzy and soft, and may be dark brown from the media but be excellent new ones - and break off easily. so don't rush to remove any that aren't black and come loose very easily. Be gentle, and err on the side of leaving roots that you aren't sure of.

[Paphluvr]

I assume that you know that this is a primary hybrid of micranthum x armeniacum, both of which can be somewhat difficult to bloom. While it has a beautiful flower there are many other primary hybrids that are much easier to bloom.

[estación seca]

Paphluvr, I seem to recall both parents like rather cool temperatures while blooming... is this correct?

[smenard]

Originally Posted by Roberta

How long ago did you pot it? Because Paphs like to stay on the damp side, bark breaks down more quickly than for orchids that dry out between waterings. (Paphs shouldn't) The other growths look fine, this may just be a young plant deciding that it wasn't ready yet. A caution when you repot.. Paph roots are often fuzzy and soft, and may be dark brown from the media but be excellent new ones - and break off easily. so don't rush to remove any that aren't black and come loose very easily. Be gentle, and err on the side of leaving roots that you aren't sure of.

Thank you Roberta for the advice
I bought it in bloom, in October 2016, freshly pot I assumed. I was planning on repotting this spring, Is it ok?

[MrHappyRotter]

I wish I could tell you why the sheath aborted, but without being there and without knowing lots of details about the growing conditions leading up to and during sheath/bud development, it's hard hard to say.

It's pretty common for Parvisepalum (parvies) to abort or blast buds, particularly in young plants and/or newly acquired plants. I assume this is a consequence of producing such proportionally large flowers, and the fact that growing them indoors doesn't make it easy to give them perfect conditions.

To anthropomorphize it a bit, I think they become apprehensive about spending so much energy that they tend to abort if anything seems out of place and sometimes just because.

Bud blast is disappointing, but after the plants get large and mature, it happens less. As long as the plant looks healthy, and yours does, then give it another try. You may find that one or more of the other mature growths start growing a sheath soon. If they continue to blast, then you probably need to do some reading and see if your growing conditions and care routine should be adjusted. For instance, some common things to consider would be light levels, temperatures, air flow, and humidity.

Repotting in the spring should be fine. The new growths will likely start putting out new roots in the next few months, and that's a good time to repot.

[Paphluvr]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Paphluvr, I seem to recall both parents like rather cool temperatures while blooming... is this correct?

According to Birk, Paph. micranthum is an intermediate grower and armeniacum a cool-intermediate grower. However Cash debunks the armeniacum growing conditions as pure intermediate. Both do mention though that basket culture is advantagious due to the stoloniferous growth habit and the need for good air circulation. I never had any luck blooming micrathum and finally trashed it for something easier to bloom under my conditions.

[smenard]

It is maybe my 3rd attemp with a micranthum hybrid, but this is the fist time I have a some success with it, having 2 new plantlets growing since I bought it one year ago . Maybe this cross is more an intermediate grower than the other ones I have tried.
Seeing the bud abort was deceiving but, cross fingers, it will bloom next year.