Paph seedling showing no growth after almost a year.
 

Hi. I bought a paph seedling at the beginning of last June. Since then it has done NOTHING! It is Paph. Peppermint ( niveum x adductum var. anitum), and was a medium- sized seedling. It looks more like a small seedling to me, with four leaves, each a bit less than and inch long. Anyways, I have been watering it a bit more as I used to underwater as a precaution to prevent root rot. Now that I have the hang of orchid growing, I have been watering my orchids more often and have seen better results in the majority of my other plants. Am I correct to think that seedlings especially prefer moist conditions? Any other tips for seedlings?

Also, I would like to know what the 'var. anitum' means on the tag.

Thanks! :)

Cam

surprised that you've not been answered. I have similar problem, a small seedling, still alive and leaves look healthy, yet no sign of any growth. It's not very sunny here (in devon UK) so maybe that's the problem. Have also changed watering and feeding routines, with no change. Other paphs doing well.

Just a guess here but my experience with seedlings of any kind is that they spend a lot of time in the beginning growing roots. Once the root system is well established they will take off. Just because it looks like it's not doing anything doesn't mean it isn't. You just can't see it. :twocents:

Hi, I am not an expert at all on Paphs.
All I have learnt in the 3 yrs I have had paphs, is, that they take Longer than other orchids to grow & bloom.. I only have 5/6 and out of those I have only had flowers on a couple (at least they last :) )...all I can say is Patience! the growths have to mature before you see flowers & that takes AGES... also yes I agree that I have found that in my conditions they need to be wetter than my phals for example. ..
and one that has re flowered recently has been about 1.5m away from a SW window, getting afternon sunshine this winter & decided to bud..
I Don't know of it's because of the sunshine or because it was mature & ready?
Hopefully an 'expert' will chime in here..
good luck ! ...patience is the 'key'.....

I have checked the roots and NOTHING has changed lol. No growth or loss of roots :yawn::lol:

I am wondering what kind of light levels you have it in right now. Maybe it is as simple as increasing the light it is recieving.

What's your growing condition like?

Paph adductum var. anitum is considered a variety of the species adductum, with the almost solid dark brown / black dorsal. Some taxonomist conider anitum as a separate species (Paph anitum).

Multifloral paph seedlings prefers warmer temperature and higher humidity than other paphs. I would say > 70%relative humidity with no less than 18 C at night. Light-wise, they dont like strong lights when they are young, but once they take off, they like much higher light than regular paphs. Good luck!

I don't grow a lot of paphs either but I do have a few and I have a few babies that sure seem to grow slow.

Recently I potted them in perlite and started watering them everyday. Originally, they were in a fine bark mixture and I was afraid to water everyday.

I mixed a gallon of very weak fertilizer, 1/8 teaspoon per gallon, and water with it.

The little ones seem to have perked up and after taking them out of their pots to inspect after two weeks, they all have new roots growing.

Good luck with yours and let us know how they're growing for you.

I've got a niveum also that has just sat there for over a year. Mostly my seedlings grow like weeds. No help from me, sorry.

This helps a lot :D; I know that you have GREAT conditions for your orchids and then if you have the same issue, it may not be my conditions, but the plant itself.

I guess I will have to wait and see

Cam,

You've pick a slow grower, so you'll have to exercise patience with you're slipper (don't you just hate that) ;)

Keeping it moist coupled with higher lighting levels will help it grow faster.
As I've said in the past to you, I've had my fair share of seedlings that take onward to 4 years just to see it bloom, some will take even more time.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought much bigger ;):biggrin:

Very young plants will need alot more time to bloom then plants with already multi-growths.
Don't give up, you're paph is just slower then some others -- Timeing is everything :biggrin:

Sounds like your Paphs need more light and heat to me.

Well I knew I had to wait, but I expected at least a leaf or a root lol. ;):lol:

Well it gets pretty high light, so that should not be a problem

I don't know if this helps Cam, but my most of my mulits only woke up a few weeks ago. I was abit concerned about the root growth I wasn't seeing. Its gotta warm up - give it time :)

I think for now you have to get use to it being very small and to boot a slower growing paph. Once it gets another growth or 2 then it should be booming :biggrin:

I concur with most of the sentiment here. I have mostly paph species and they are sloooow. Just when I'm about to give up I'll see a new leaf starting that will take forever to grow. I have several I'm still waiting on to bloom and it's been around 3-4 years (I got a lot of seedlings when I first started).

I have about three hundred Rhyn seedlings that I potted (by mistake) I wired them into the pots to grow.......Six months later (after doing nothing) they have actually started to grow...... in the last two months they've doubled in size.
I'm actually finding that most plants I have, they seem to be dormant for a few months and then sprout.
Saying that, I also have dens. that have flowered after being in coconut for 6 months.

I have a TINY Paph. Dolgoldi that has not shown any growth on the roots or leaves for months. It had very little root in the first place and I felt it needed some pampering so I moved it to a little closed in area to raise the humidity and keep the temps a little warmer over winter in our greenhouse. It didn't seem to hurt it, but still no change. It is not receiving high levels of light. I was told not to fertilize if the roots are minimal and it is tiny or you will surely kill it. I can't offer much help but you are not alone here!

Thank you for your input! It sure helps knowing that this occurs to others as well!:lol: