Paph Sanderianum Culture?

[GirlGoneWild]

Originally Posted by The Orchid Boy

I do have my plants packed fairly tightly under my T5 light. The RH near my plants is currently 43%, five feet away the RH is 37%. The RH outside my room is around 20% to 30%. I have a nepenthes (tropical pitcher plant) and they usually like very high humidity and cooler temperatures than I have. I've had it for quite a while and I saw it adapt over time. It made leaves that were waxier and a little thicker so the Paph. sanderianum may adapt too.

It sounds like you are indeed getting a benefit from having all those plants together. If you do notice that your plants are having trouble and you decide to go the humidifier route, my advice would be to run it only during the day. I don't have personal experience to back this up, but I have read in several places that running the humidifier at night when the temperatures drop increases your chances of mold/fungus, rot, and the like.

Let us know what you decide to do, and how it goes!

[The Orchid Boy]

I probably won't use a humidifier. In a discusion on another forum, someone suggested trying a Paph. sanderianum in semi-hydroponic culture since they grow on limestone cliffs in the wild with their roots exposed to the air and rocks.

[GirlGoneWild]

I've never been brave enough to try semi-hydro. I did, however, just install a tabletop fountain in my grow area. Does that count? LOL

[The Orchid Boy]

Decide not to go the semi-hydroponic route. I found out it's best if you have RO or distilled water. I conversed with Leo Schordje (basically a P. sanderianum expert) on Slipper Talk and I decided to repot my sanderianum into my own bark/sphagnum mix and add a little crushed oyster shells.

GGW, what is your sanderianum potted in?

[GirlGoneWild]

I actually have my sandie potted in straight bark, which is what all of my paphs are potted in. The weather is weird here in PA...it gets very damp in the fall and the spring, and I have to be careful not to pot things in mixes that retain too much moisture, or I get fungus problems. I also have my paphs in glazed pots, which I know scares a lot of people because of the chemicals in the glaze, but I was assured by a chemist that the glaze would not leach chemicals because it was, in fact, coated with a fine layer of glass. I find that the glaze helps retain moisture as well and keeps the fungus away (anything in an unglazed clay pot turns into a science experiment after a damp, rainy week here...I'm forever battling mold and fungus on the outsides of my plain clay pots, but the fungus doesn't adhere to the glaze).

I've had a lot of success with my paphs (all different kinds) with just using high-nitrogen fertilizer and bark. They grow like weeds. I think I give them a bit higher light than most people, though. They are right next to a window, and they get kissed by the sun for a brief time each afternoon. It seems to be a perfect combination for them...they are suffering no ill effects from the small amount of direct sun, and they are putting out leaves like crazy.

I was debating adding some calcium to my mix, but then I ordered a Paph Micranthum, and when it showed up, it had yellowing leaves that were falling off on all the little growths. I was baffled as to what the problem was...then I did a little research, and I learned that mixes that are TOO rich in calcium can cause yellowing and leaf-dropping. Basically it's like over-fertilizing. A couple of my other paphs from the same vendor arrived showing signs of overfertilization too, and that vendor had been using oyster shells in his mix. So I'm a bit cautious about putting oyster shells in the mix after seeing what it did to these few plants. (Of course, it could have been that he was simply dumping too much fertilizer in...then it wouldn't necessarily be the oyster shell issue)....but anyway, I repotted all of the plants that came from that vendor and they are all looking better in the straight bark.

I will definitely look into the oyster shells if my sandie starts looking tired, though. Right now I'm fertilizing it with a high-nitrogen mix, and it seems to like that just fine. Lots of new growth.

I'm curious to see how yours likes your bark/sphag/oyster concoction! Definitely keep us posted! :-)

Oh, and where does one buy crushed oyster shells, anyway? Are you going to the store and buying oysters and then just whacking away at them with a mallet in your kitchen? That sounds messy.... LOL ;-) Although I imagine it's a great way to relieve stress! Hehee!

[naoki]

Yes, it is good to stick with things which works well for you. That's great you can grow P. sanderianum, so well. I killed my previous attempt (10 years ago). Current ones are growing slowly compared with other paphs. You can get oyster shells from some feed store. Also, if you go to bird section of pet store, they probably have it in a small can (more expensive, but you don't need a lot).

Alternatively, dolomite lime will do similar thing. There could be powdered, pelletized or crushed form. I think people recommend crushed form. I think this one which I use is crushed form:
Amazon.com: Grow More 14120 Organic Dolomite Lime, 4-Pound: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[The Orchid Boy]

Leo Schordje, where I got it from, adds 1 teaspoon of crushed oyster shells per 4 inch pot or 1/4 a teaspoon per inch of pot. I get the oyster shells at a hatchery. Smashing oyster shells would be fun though! I'll also add charcoal to the mix. I always add charcoal to all my mixes because it is supposed to help remove toxins.

Where did you find your safe glazed pots? I can't find safe ones anywhere.

How big are your guys' sanderianums? I may already have said this but mine is 22 inches for the oldest growth and 16 inches for the newest growth, it has 2 growths.

[naoki]

Mines are still tiny, and long way from flowering. Maybe 3-5 years? The longest leaf (not leaf span) is 7-9", and each of them has a single growth. But they were at a reasonable price ($18.75 each). 10 years ago, I paid $65 for 2" leaf span, which I managed to kill within a year. The price of seedling P. sanderianum has been getting pretty reasonable.

[GirlGoneWild]

Thanks, Naoki for the info on where to get the oyster shells and limestone! Super-helpful!!

As for the glazed-pot issue, this chemist told me that ALL modern glazed pots are coated in glass, so they are all supposedly safe (provided they've been recently manufactured and not "antique" pots...not sure about the glaze on those). However, I have had problems with 2 of my glazed pots...I had NOID phals that reacted very badly to them (the roots started shriveling), so I got them out of there as soon as possible. But both of those pots had designs etched into the glaze and felt a bit rougher to the touch, so the "glass" finishing might not have applied in those cases.

The small, reliable glazed pots I love I actually found at a discount store called "Ollie's Bargain Outlet." Unfortunately, this is the kind of place where you get whatever they've recently bought in overstock from other stores, and when the products are gone, they're usually gone permanently.

But I can tell you that the pots I got there had an extremely smooth, thick, shiny glaze on them (inside and out), and I have had no problems. I've probably got 20 species orchids potted in these little pots, and they're perfectly happy.

I could upload a pic of the pots I use if it would help. But I now stick to the rule that, if I'm going to be buying a glazed pot, it must have thick glaze that is extremely shiny, smooth, and reflective, which I interpret as a sign it's been coated with glass. Anything with etched designs or odd, bumpy textures is automatically out, and if it doesn't feel heavy in my hand I don't buy it either. (The ones I've been successful with seem to be "heftier" than the others...possibly another sign of the glass coating).

Like I said, I can upload a pic of one of them if you'd like...and if I ever happen to stumble upon them in a regular retail store, I'll definitely let you know.

As for the size of my sandie, I haven't actually measured it...but it's got a sizable leaf span, although it only has one growth on it so far. But hey, as long as it keeps rapidly growing leaves, I'm happy, because I know it's on its way to blooming.....eventually. I bought a smallish one so I could afford it...but I think I got a great bargain. I found it on eBay, and it just happened to be $35 less than all the other plants of similar size. I have no idea why it was so cheap, but I snatched it up for $32!!

It's probably 1-2 years from blooming, I'm guessing. But since this is my first sandie, I can't be exactly sure.

I vote that we form a little "Sandie Society" for those of us nursing these along from babies!! Then we can rejoice when we finally see flower pics!

Let me know if you'd like me to post a pic of of my glazed pots.

[GirlGoneWild]

Originally Posted by naoki

Yes, it is good to stick with things which works well for you. That's great you can grow P. sanderianum, so well. I killed my previous attempt (10 years ago). Current ones are growing slowly compared with other paphs.

Naoki, sorry to hear that your first sandie didn't make it...but in these situations I like to remind myself that there are a lot of factors involved before the plant even gets to you. Who knows what kind of conditions it was subjected to before you purchased it? I've had orchids show up at my door that looked perfect, only to find upon further inspection that the entire root structure was rotted, or that they were infested with bugs. Now I take everything out of its pot right away and look at what's going on underneath before I install the plant next to the rest of the clan.

Sometimes an orchid is just doomed before it even gets to you...don't be too hard on yourself.

As far as the slow-growing issue, have you thought about possibly giving it a bit more light? Mine is the closest to the window of all my paphs, and it gets direct sun on its leaves for a short while every afternoon. It seems to really like it. I think paphs in general can tolerate more sun than they are given credit for. And fortunately, with sunlight levels, you can tell pretty quickly if your orchid doesn't like it, so you can easily give it less light as soon as you see any signs of trouble and it should recover just fine.

Thanks for the info about where to get the limestone and crushed shells! Although I have to admit the idea of smashing oysters in my kitchen was starting to sound like a bit of fun....hehee....

If my sandie starts looking sluggish I'll definitely get some oysters or limestone. And, actually, I just remembered that I need to get some oyster shells anyway for a Dendrobium Green Lantern that's not particularly happy. When I contacted the seller, he said the plant is a heavy feeder that needs calcium. So there you go...I'm off to buy some crushed oysters...or have a smashing party in my kitchen.... I suppose it depends on my mood at the end of a day of watching 2 toddlers....

Happy growing!