How to grow and bloom mottled leaf paphs...

[Vanda lover]

This is great information. I agree about glazed pots. I have had problems with some that I bought that are home made, but commercial ones I have bought in places like Walmart have been fine.

[The Mutant]

Useful thread, but I miss one important thing and that is the SKEWER. It was here on OB that I got the tip about using a bamboo skewer in the middle of the pot, to tell when it's time to water. This, since moving from Phals to Paphs, it can be quite a challenge to know when to water, so this is a very good aid I think. I use these skewers in all my Paphs' pots, and it's thanks to them that I've avoided water some of them to death!

In other words; bamboo skewers in the pots are highly recommended from this relatively new to Paphs grower.

[The Orchid Boy]

Thanks for sharing all those pictures NYCorchidman. I've found that species and hybrids of the parvisepalum subgenus can be grown in a mix of 1/3 to 1/2 sphagnum with the rest of the mix consisting of bark, charcoal, and maybe perlite. I pot them in a clay pot. With armeniacum and micranthum (which I haven't tried yet) I would put them in this mix and put them in a vanda basket. For brachypetalum species, I put them in a courser mix in a plastic pot or a little less course mix in a clay pot.

[ALToronto]

Thank you for starting this thread. I just bought three mottled leaf seedlings - a micranthum, a dilenatii and a leucochilum hybrid. They're very small, but I couldn't afford large plants in these varieties.

I just spent several hours looking online for culture information, and I'm a little confused. From what I understand, the micranthum needs to be kept very cool in the winter, and it likes high pH water with a lot of calcium. The dilenatii likes slightly cool temperature in the winter, and fairly pure water with below neutral pH. The leucochilum likes it warm and humid, with slightly alkaline water.

Do I have it about right? Now, does this all apply to seedlings as well, or should I keep them a little warmer this time of year, and keep the water a little less alkaline?

As for the potting mix, they're planted in bark/perlite. Should I keep them in it, or should I repot the micranthum and the leucochilum (the limestone growers) into a high calcium medium like lava rock?

These are my first paphs, and I'm a little nervous.

[The Orchid Boy]

The above conditions and temps sound good. The Paph. leucochilum is also known as Paph. godefroyae fma. leucochilum. The micranthum and leucochilum like calcium and high pH. The delenatii likes neutral or lower pH. The conditions for adults apply to seedlings as well. I'd say leave them in the mix that they are in. You can add 1/4 a tsp. of crushed oyster shell per inch of pot if you want. You can find the crushed oyster shells at a poultry feed store.

[carnut]

I have had this plant for at least five years. It has never bloomed but has grown new leaves and seems to be thriving. I do not know what it is and am wondering if the photo would help identify.
Being a newbee, I guess I dont know how to attache a photo.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by carnut

I have had this plant for at least five years. It has never bloomed but has grown new leaves and seems to be thriving. I do not know what it is and am wondering if the photo would help identify.
Being a newbee, I guess I dont know how to attache a photo.

Not a Paph at all... leaves look like a Psychopsis, and it has pseudobulbs like one too. These hate having roots disturbed, so best to pot in a mix of high-quality bark like Orchiata or Kiwi Bark mixed with about 1/3 inorganic (pumice or perlite), then repot only when it has outgrown what it's in. Assuming I'm right with respect to the genus, they need to pretty much dry out between waterings, in that well-drained mix. Also, Psychopsis need more light than most Paphs - and if it is otherwise healthy, more light may help it to bloom. (Increase light gradually to avoid burning, light should be more like for a Cattleya) It will also thank you for repotting into a fresh medium suited for its genus - just shake off the old bark that removes easily, leave any that is stuck to the roots.

[carnut]

Thank you for the diagnosis. I knew it was a very foreign plant to me and I kind of knew also, that it wasnt paph. I just repotted it today for the first time since I got it several years ago and the bark was not rotted or anything. I will put it in the best and strongest light I have and hope it will reward me with a flower.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by carnut

Thank you for the diagnosis. I knew it was a very foreign plant to me and I kind of knew also, that it wasnt paph. I just repotted it today for the first time since I got it several years ago and the bark was not rotted or anything. I will put it in the best and strongest light I have and hope it will reward me with a flower.

Not TOO strong light... I assume indoors... but good filtered light. Once these bloom, they're amazing - they bloom successively on a spike - which can keep putting out flowers for several years. (A flower lasts a week or two, drops, and 6-8 weeks later, another one) So when it does bloom, don't ever cut the spike unless it is totally brown and dead all the way down... even if the tip of the flower spike dies, it can branch.

[carnut]

Thank you for your input. It sounds like its what I wanted way back when I bought it. I usually keep info on each plant for care but I didnt have anything on this one. I cant wait for it to bloom now. Hope I dont have to wait long. I repotted it and moved it into more artificial light and some sun.