Quote:
Originally Posted by orchidgirl82
Hi,
In my effort to help this little guy, i unpotted him and took photos of what's left of the roots for you to see. I'm so confused b/c they look dry and there's not much left of them after the rotten one's i cut off a few months back. It seems like a very thin line between keeping it moist and rotting the roots and not overwatering and having them dry out. I'm pretty confused on what these little guys are looking for.
If anyone could look at these pics and give me instructions on what I can do to save him I would be very grateful! Thanks in advance. I really don't want to lose it!
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It may have been that the plant started rotting before, and you didn't get rid of it all, so when you reduced your watering the plant dried out but still has rotten parts. It looks like the lower leaves/sheaths on a couple of those growths are either rotten or dried up and crispy - hard to tell. Either way they'll need to be removed - grasp the leaf with one hand and the growth with the other, and pull the leaf off with a sharp tug downward. If dead foliage remains on the plant it invites diseases in.
There is a fine line between overwatering and underwatering. Paphs like
moderate moisture. They don't like drying out for long periods but they don't like to be wet either. However it is easier to kill them by overwatering. When in doubt, DON'T water! Paphs should be planted in a medium that dries out fast enough that it needs watering at least once a week, preferably twice a week. You are better off with a medium that needs watering often than one that stays wet too long. Refrain from pure moss - instead add a little to a fine bark mixture with small chunks of bark, perlite, and charcoal. Make sure your bark is either soaked for 24 hours before use, or boiled for 15 minutes to soften it so it retains moisture. Water when the mix is nearly dry but not yet bone dry. Using clear pots helps.
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