Need help with ID and care of sick paph - Orchid Board

turock · #1 10-21-2015, 12:45 PM

I am pretty experienced rescuing and caring for several varieties of orchids, but I am finding less success branching into paphiopedilums.

I recently was given this 'seedling' (that's what the previous owner called it), which was tagged Bellatulum x sib.

After researching Bellatulums, I really don't find any similarities between that plant and this one. I'm sure a positive ID won't be possible until it blooms (which at its current rate of growth will be in about 100 years), but I was hoping you paph people could at least give me a direction for care purposes. Does this look like a strap leaf variety? Is it indeed a seedling?

It came to me as two small plants, which I assumed to be connected via rhizome. I've been keeping it moist and in the same light conditions as my phals. It came potted in a very fine bark mixture.

As I was watering it yesterday, one plant fell right out of the pot, and I discovered that each plant is an unconnected individual. This worried me, especially as I took a look at the nearly non-existent root structure. No wonder it's taking forever to grow!

I need to repot them quickly, and was planning on using a bark/sphag mixture. What advice could you give me about how to encourage these guys to develop healthy roots?

Also, since I'm not sure yet how to 'read' paphs, here is a picture of some strange pitting in the leaves of my only other paph, a Thompsonii 'Spicy' x druryi 'Ray' (Celtic Cross). What does this indicate?

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estación seca · #2 10-21-2015, 01:13 PM

Paph experts will join soon, but the second one has not had enough water. This might be from not enough watering, or dead roots due to overwatering.

Leafmite · #3 10-21-2015, 02:39 PM

Since spring, I have been trying to rescue a rootless, tiny seedling Paph. delenatii. It has finally started a new leaf. I have it growing in a pickle jar with a layer of LECA on the bottom and NZ sphagnum moss on top. I would not recommend it for yours, though, as they seem to already have some root which will make it easier for them to survive.

Yes, these do seem to grow slowly. I tried to grow these before and ended up giving them away because I wasn't happy with the blooms (and they bored me to death!). Hopefully, this delenatii will be a nicer bloom.

Good luck with yours!

turock · #4 10-21-2015, 03:13 PM

Thanks for your insight, estación seca. I am looking forward to what the paph experts prescribe as far as watering.

Leafmite, oof, that would be pretty lame to wait all this time and find out I don't like the flower. I tend to be pretty fond of the plants I put effort into saving, though, if just because I put a lot of time into them. We'll see how it turns out. Here's hoping that you like yours, too, and that you don't have to wait 100 years to see a bloom

Leafmite · #5 10-21-2015, 05:06 PM

My Orchid Society is really into Paphs. I know when I have ever had questions about them, I can ask nearly anyone there and get good advice. I just got a Phrag as a freebie with an order so I plan to take some pictures with my cell-phone and get some pointers as there are a few people who really grow those, too.

billc · #6 10-21-2015, 06:47 PM

They look like multi floral type(strap leaf). The roots could
be better but they are not the worst I've seen. You could use some moss in the mix but I find the plants tend to stay wet in my conditions, especially with winter coming on. Use a clear pot so you can gauge how moist the medium is. They seem to like to approach dryness before watering again. First Ray's Kelpmax will help promote better root formation once spring comes and they get their growth spùrt. Seaweed extract can also be used but the Kelman really works well.
The other plant looks like it needs water. Check those roots,they may be the problem.

Bill

turock · #7 10-29-2015, 02:33 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I love KelpMax and will try it out in spring. In the meantime I repotted both paphs into a bark-sphag mixture and am learning how to gague their water needs.

This is the dehydrated plants' root system. Looks fairly robust, so I guess I've been underwatering. What kind of water schedule do you guys use?

Ate these plants ok with phalaenopsis light levels?

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Luizacft · #8 10-29-2015, 02:46 PM

As far as i know, they have a same light range as phals, however i don't have any paphs.

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Orchid Whisperer · #9 10-29-2015, 03:07 PM

Turock, the roots on your Thompsonii 'Spicy' x druryi 'Ray' (Celtic Cross) look pretty epic to me. What kind of medium is that growing in, and how do you water?

I am the first to admit that Paphs and I don't understand one another. I may 'whisper' at them, but they seem to always be whining, complaining, or yelling at me, and I'm not getting the message. I suspect that my medium, therefore water management, therefore roots are not what they should be.

The only Paph I have now is a Paph. Hilo Jewel '#4' x Paph. fairreanum 'Green Horn' (grocery store plant - one fan only, which I have had for 3 years). Looks healthy I guess, for a small plant, but my feeling is it should be growing more.

Anyway, good luck with yours, hope you get some good answers!

---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:02 PM ----------

Oh - forgot to mention that I had one plant, a Maudiae type, that went completely rootless. I ended up soaking the base of the plant periodically in a seaweed extract solution, then setting it inside a plastic container on top of LIVE sphagnum moss. It had just started growing some good roots when it developed a brown rot problem - never recovered. Maybe tinkering with live sphagnum, if you can get it, and some seaweed extract, could help?

PaphMadMan · #10 10-29-2015, 08:28 PM

The unknown is probably a multifloral type. Complete culture instructions for that type shouldn't be hard to find. Paphs can survive just fine on sparse roots sometimes. I would pot them up normally, perhaps back together. It is common to pot multiple Paph seedlings together, a compot, and these are definitely seedling size for multiflorals. Just make sure they are held firmly in place, stake them if necessary. If they flop around at all it inhibits new root growth.

The other plant looks very healthy, and describing those roots as epic is not unreasonable. The sunken spots on the foliage could just be mesophyll collapse, a reaction to cold water on foliage in warm conditions sometimes. Nothing I would worry about unless it is spreading.