Help me save my humble Paphiopedillum Collection

[pismane]

Hello all,

I have been keeping orchids for two years and have been having an issue with my multifloral paphs. As a newbie I was able to get a mauidae type to bloom and grow but I just can't seem to get my multifloral culture down.

The smaller orchid is a Paph Rothschild and I bought it as a 1 inch seedling two years ago. It grew well, albeit slowly and produced a couple of new leaves. Everything was going fine with it until this summer when I was on vacation and neglected to have it watered for about a week (big mistake). It has steadily been going downhill. the bottom leaf got these brown spots that started to consume the leaves from the tip. I have slowly lost 2 leaves since July. I re potted it a month ago and it still had some firm roots.

The other orchid is a paph michael koopowitz, which hasn't done anything at all really since I bought it last year. Recently it lost a leaf in a similar fashion to the rothschild although it does look like it is in better shape. I repotted it a while ago as well and it has better roots than when I bought and repotted it when I first bought it.

Both of them are potted in fine bark, perlite, charcoal, with a very small amount of oyster shell and a tiny amount of broken down sphagnum. I water 2 times a week in the warmer months and in the colder months I water them once a week. They are in a window with supplemental lighting (Cattleay in bloom next to them).

I have been using tap water (my tapwater has very low TDS) mixed with distilled water. I have a TDS meter that I recently got and a pH meter and I coming to find that water parameters are a lot more important for these orchids than other varieties and I am not really sure what I need to give them to get them to thrive water wise to get them to thrive (or if that is even possible at this point).

Are these plants hopeless? I really would hate to lose them. Frustrating because I got a dendrobium spectabile to bloom and a cattleya to bloom within 6 months of starting this hobby but I can't seem to get Orchids I really like to thrive.

The one with the bad leaf is the rothschild the bigger one is the michael koopowitz

[ryrycochinco]

I'd say just keep up adequate care and in time things will heal. As long as the root systems are intact there isn't much else you can do but wait. Personally, I'd cut off large portions of leaf which are dying. No need for the plant to waste energy on tissue that is too far gone. Kelpmax from Ray is great for boosting your growth, if you're willing to invest.

[pismane]

Thanks,

I have been using Maxicrop with my orchids for about 6 weeks. It definitely made the roots go crazy in a few of my orchids. (vandas and my oncidium sharry baby roots grew like weeds) Not sure what it is doing with my multiflorals. I have been using it a much lower dose than they recommend (1 tsp per gal). I may switch to Kelpmax when I run out.

If I cut the dying leaf should I put cinnamon on it?

[Roberta]

Frankly, I would not rush to cut anything. When the plant is done with the leaf, it will dry up and eventually fall (be careful pulling off even a clearly dead leaf... they can hang on tenaciously. Paphs grow slowly, and multifloral Paphs like rothschildianum grow VERY slowly. So patience... I think you are doing the right thing culturally. It is amazing how one of these can recover in time.

[orchidsarefun]

I grow my St. Swithin and Harold Koopowitz on a South-facing windowsill and water 1x weekly basically all year round. Humidity is around 50%. They are specimen sized and in fact I divide my St Swithin every year, it grows so fast. My media mix is basically the same as yours. I do however use osmocote granules every 4 months.
I use cymbidium pots, they love the additional depth.
Other than the pots, you seem to be doing the right things. Never cut their leaves, well only when they are brown and dry.

[pismane]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

I grow my St. Swithin and Harold Koopowitz on a South-facing windowsill and water 1x weekly basically all year round. Humidity is around 50%. They are specimen sized and in fact I divide my St Swithin every year, it grows so fast. My media mix is basically the same as yours. I do however use osmocote granules every 4 months.

I am so jealous. I just can't seem to get much out of mine so far. What about the temperature swings? I am running the heat in my house way low at night and using a space heater on a timer with the lights. Hopefully getting my temperature perfect will help them manage to improve their health.

I had done some research and heard that Paph Lowii may be easier so I bought a larger specimen about a month ago. Hopefully I won't screw up with this one. I would just love it if I could get one to bloom. It is so funny because the orchids I am most interested in seem to the ones I have the least luck growing.

[Roberta]

[QUOTE=pismane;858012 It is so funny because the orchids I am most interested in seem to the ones I have the least luck growing.[/QUOTE]

Of course! Part of the thrill is the challenge. (I freely admit to being a "What can I get away with?" grower.

Orchids teach patience, though... that rothschildianum, especially, needs to get a LOT bigger to even think about blooming. A new fan that develops can take two or three years to root, and only then think about blooming. Just for balance, perhaps also get some of the smaller ones to bloom while you're waiting... parvisepalums like Paph delenatii (or its hybrids like Magic Lantern) bloom on small plants... charlesworthii and spicerianum are charming. Also, sequential bloomers like victoria-regina are really rewarding, popping out a flower every 4-6 weeks for a year or more on a spike. If you have variety, you greatly improve your odds of having flowers most of the time.

[orchidsarefun]

My temps are a minimum of 70f but the room goes to about 77f in the day.

[Ray]

Depending upon the particular plants in their background, neither of those is a particularly fast-growing plant, and I think what you're seeing with the Paph. rothschildianum is merely damage caused by the plant resorbing resources from the oldest leaf while under stress.

That'll teach ya!!! (To make sure it always gets what it needs, and hopefully not to worry about it so much.)

[pismane]

Yeah I definitely got lax on my vacation. I am determined to persevere but I have now realized I won't be a young man by the time these bloom. What kind water parameters are you all using to grow yours? I have a TDS meter and I am trying to keep the readings below 100.

---------- Post added at 05:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:19 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

Depending upon the particular plants in their background, neither of those is a particularly fast-growing plant, and I think what you're seeing with the Paph. rothschildianum is merely damage caused by the plant resorbing resources from the oldest leaf while under stress.

That'll teach ya!!! (To make sure it always gets what it needs, and hopefully not to worry about it so much.)

Thanks Ray! You must be the Jedi Mast orchid grower who has pioneered the semi hydroponic system every one is crazy about. I have been reading about your system and am trying my first experiment with a phal someone was throwing away at work. I may be looking into it for my paphs at some point.

---------- Post added at 05:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

My temps are a minimum of 70f but the room goes to about 77f in the day.

Thanks this give me reassurance. I am trying to let my grow space cool down into the low-mid 60s at night during the winter and use a space heater during the day. Living in the southeastern US it gets pretty hot in the summer and I learned a hard lesson.