Paph grow lots of leaves, no blooms

[jeffg]

Hi,

I am equally as lost as you, and while I've had Paph re-blooms, cant explain how I did it. That said, I will pass on what Ive heard from some folks who have been at this much longer than me.

Hadley Cash (of Marriott Orchids) said if you have a Paph that's growing well but wont rebloom - feed it regularly. He recommended in early fall (mid sept) go with a higher P formula (or African Violet Food) in a rotation of 3 feeds and then a flush until you get a spike, then 1x/ mo a balanced food until bloom. He emphasized a set schedule of feeding eg 3 feeds/2 flushes/3 feeds/2 flushes etc to establish a routine.

I have also heard that addition of red spectrum light promotes blooms. So, in my set up, I have a "blue" T-5 and a "red" T-5, in addition to a full spectrum, for the Paphs. Hope this might help.

[quiltergal]

I find the thing my Paphs like the most is an annual repot without fail. They love fresh medium and just go bananas with new root growth. Most of mine start blooming in the fall, though I have one (Paph. sukhakulii) that is free blooming whenever it feels like it which is normally several times a year. I think they take quite a bit more light than most people think they do. I'm growing all of mine directly under T5 lights in a southwest window. I'm even growing my bulldog pretty bright.