Paph leaves are losing pattern?
 

I have a NOID paph that had these beautifully mottled leaves when I bought it last August.
But over time the leaves lightened and the pattern is becoming harder to see..
Obviously I'm doing something wrong.
What do I do to fix it?
So far it's been an easy grower with very little demand... it's flower even lasted for and a half months....

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Generally they lose their mottled look once they start to loose sunlight. Increase the sun and you should get it back.

Makes sense... I did have it in a very dark place for a while.
My family wanted to enjoy the "alien flower" in the living room.
Hopefully it's new spot will darken it up.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Too much light?

Too much light?


This directly conflicts with they other comment lol...
What to do?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Nutrition deciciency? A little hard to figure out if we cant see what it looks like.

Quite often problems have diametrically opposite possible solutions - for example wilting can be caused by both drought and over watering. The thing to do is consider your plant's situation and then do what's appropriate - you had it in a dark spot so it's most likely too little light. However, if it has only lost colour since you moved it to the brighter spot then it is more likely to be too much light. Bear in mind reactions to a place take a while and make a judgement.

I've found with Maudaie hybrids with mottled leaves that high light caused them to fade. I moved them from west windows to lower light north-east windows and they darkend again.

However I agree with Hedge, it could be either and you need to judge by where it is now. If it was going paler in a bright window, then dry a darker spot, however it it was going paler in a low light spot then try a brighter one.

Having said that I've also had one of these fade when it had root problems and was getting dehydrated due to root rot. Unfortunately it's a bit like a human looking pale... you know they are sick but can't tell why just from the pale look. It may be worth checking the roots, disturbing them could cause the flower to blast, but not correcting a problem in them could also kill the plant :dunno:

It kind of depends on how old the leaf/leaves in question are. Sometimes they fade with old age. It's just a natural process of senescence. If the new growth looks fine I wouldn't worry about it.

That's true Terri, old leaves do always fade for me as well.

You guys are gonna laugh at me...
It's not terribly faded I just noticed that the new growth was a bit lighter than the previous growth...
If you look carefully the leaves way in back are about 4 shades darker than the rest...

I think it needs a new home... it got too little light for the 5 months it had a flower and now it's most likely getting too much.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

That actually looks to me as though the old leaves are darkening with age and the new ones are fresher and brighter. :dunno: I could be wrong.

Ditto. Looks fine to me. It will darken with age once it hardens.

I agree also. It looks just fine. If you think about it the newest leaves have been exposed to light for a much shorter period of time than the older leaves. The new ones will darken up as they crank out more chlorophyll.

That picture clears everything up!
I do think there's nothing wrong with your paph.
As a few people pointed out, with age, the leaves tend to get darker although not always.
Those darker leaves gotta be at least half year older or longer than the newer ones as I see the spent spike on their center.

In your description alone where you said the mottle pattern is disappearing, I was with Josh.
Not enough light cause the pattern fade, not the high light. High light bring out the best color on the leaves. Too high light of course can burn the leaves.
Old leaves, rather than fading, gradually yellow or dry up dark brown and fall off.

Many people think low light as the same thing as shade and put their paphs and phals in the dark spot. never look good and never flower good if ever!

I used to grow my paphs in north facing window, but it was large bay window with some morning sun and nothing blocking outside, so it was very bright.
Paphs grew and bloomed except for a few.

Now I grow all my paphs by the south window with sheer curtain or under LED. The leaves look much much prettier than ever and everyone blooms like crazy!!!

If you are watering with tap water, it might be too hard. Try to use rain water. Hard water can cause calcifuges to yellow due to the calcium blocking uptake of other minerals in the feed and soil.

water does not cause leaf pattern to disappear. If salts level is too high, then leaf tip will brown or blacken.

I use all my plants with tap water, but NYC water is rather soft.
If you are concerned about the municipal water hardness, then you might want to check with the water supplier. They usually have data showing how much of what is dissolved in your city water.

I use RODI water.
Our water is incredibly hard and death to alot of plants and fish.
It's nice to know my paph looks normal.


Now I just need to remember to water it now often then I am.