new here-need help with paphs - Orchid Board

diana long · #1 12-22-2014, 05:24 PM

Hi, this is my first post, dont know what I'm doing but want some help with my paphs. I had a paph venustum that was happy but after blooming the lowest leaves turned brown and died. Then the next leaves up died and so on until the whole thing was dead. I wanted to attach pictures but I read that I need to have five posts first. I just bought a paph spicerianum and the same thing is happening to it. HELP!

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Also have a paph that has been growing and getting bigger for seven years but has never bloomed. The tag says it's Phillipinense x Esquerolie(probably didn't spell that right). Any advice?

Greenthumb.5 · #2 12-22-2014, 06:10 PM

For the first two, are they receiving enough moisture and fertilizer even if they stopper flowering? Do they have multiple growths? As for the philippense hybrid, is it getting enough sun? Also calcium in all paphs go a long ways so supplement with lime.

Ferns Daddy · #3 12-22-2014, 11:04 PM

Welcome to OB

diana long · #4 12-26-2014, 12:20 PM

Thanks for the responses! Only took me about an hour to find my way to my own thread. Hope I get better at this. For the first two, I kept them on the dry side because I thought the lower leaves dying might be fungal. They were both very small, having first bloom with only two fans total. For the Phillipinense, It gets as much light as my phals which bloom really well. Can I give them Ca with eggshells or does it have to be the oystershell stuff you can buy? Thank you so much for the wellcome!

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Another question: what is the difference btw using the Post Reply button and using Quick Reply? Sorry for stupid questions, not on the computer very often.

Greenthumb.5 · #5 12-26-2014, 12:26 PM

Yes, the eggshells or oyster shells can be good for slow release of Ca but you would need a quick way to supplement Ca so lime would be a good source for this. As for your Paph philippense, it is probably not receiving enough light to bloom as they would prefer more light than phals in my greenhouse. Just post it looks beautiful on the posts of other members showing off blooming plants. That way you can post pictures quicker.

Where is my manners? Welcome to the Orchid Board. I hope you will find everything here.

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Quick reply doesn't allow you to add in emoticons or pictures where the regular post allows you more options.

Fairorchids · #6 12-26-2014, 06:12 PM

With the exception only of the Brachys (bellatulum, concolor, niveum, godefroyae & thaianum), do NOT let Paphs go dry. They should be watered while still moist.

For the philippinense hybrid, there are several issues:

1. (multi-floral x std Paph)
This is the type of breeding that can produce reluctant bloomers.

2. Light Requirements
Multi-florals require high light (40% shade, like Cattleya), while std Paphs require low light (60% shade). I am guessing that this plant requires somewhat higher light than the standard Paphs, but probably not quite as strong as Cattleyas.

3. Temperature
When mature plants fail to bloom, it is often a temperature issue. To initiate buds, they need a 10-15 deg F temperature drop at night. In NJ you can leave plants outside till end of September, that gives them the cool nights needed to induce budding.

NYCorchidman · #7 12-27-2014, 06:11 PM

Given your description, your two paph died of fungal disease. Less watering does not do anything once plants get infected because the disease agent is already inside the plant tissue doing its thing.
Usually, that is the end unfortunately.

If you can post a picture of your philippinense hybrid.
I would like to see the leaves and the plant overall.
If your phal is blooming very well, then the light is good enough, but a bit more might or might not do the trick depending on how you are caring for the plant.

If you are a chronic underwater, then your paph might never bloom for you. With out enough water, they will never spike or the spike that was initiated deep inside the center of the plant will be aborted as the plant try to conserve the little water it occasionally gets.

Also, the other parent of your hybrid is the same as Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum. it is not my kind of paph, but I do like the color, so I would love to see how the flower shape and color might turn out on your plant.

diana long · #8 01-01-2015, 08:00 PM

Thanks for all the great feedback. Sounds like I need to water more and probably repot, it's been a few years the Phillipinense x is already in a plastic pot that is around 10 inches across. Any advice on that? I will also look for some lime. I'm going to try to attach some picks. If it works, one is of my Paph venustum as it started getting brown before it died and the other is my phillipinense x a year ago.