My First Paph
 

Hi, I bought this paph a couple of weeks ago at a specialist orchid nursery. It's the first paph I've owned and I know NOTHING about them. It is called Paph Hama Chilwin 'T9' x Paph Kilvanna 'Josie', as you can see it has two buds.


http://www.orchidboard.com/community...aph_3_6_10.JPG

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ma_Chilwin.JPG

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ph_03_6_10.JPG

When I bought it the buds were fairly even in size but now the right one is about 4 times the size. Both the buds look very healthy and I don't think the large one is far from blooming.

I have all sorts of questions for anyone who can help, starting with any ideas why that right hand leaf is dying? It had already started when I bought it.

Marion

wow! the buds are HUGE! sorry can't help with the culture... i have 5 paphs and none is flowering...

Hi, You can find just about everything you need to know about paphs and their culture at this site: Paphiopedilum & Phragmipedium Intro Page - AnTec Laboratory

Good luck with yours.

Bill

The leaf looks like normal die back except that the plant is so small it doesn't seem like the leaf should be old enough for that. I would suspect a poor fertilizer program or unhealthy roots, or just a plant that is developing abnormally for genetic reasons. The plant is definitely too small to support even one flower, and 2 flowers is rather unusual for this type of Paph. If you want to just enjoy the flowers for as long as they last and assume the plant will not survive go ahead. But if you want the plant to have a chance to live you can let the first flower open to see what it looks like then cut the flowers off, repot the plant and make sure it gets good fertilizer. This is a 'complex' or bulldog' type Paph. It should be easy to find complete culture instructions.

On the nurserys growing label it's got the potting date at May 2005, could this plant really be five years old?
Also I've read on here that when the flowers die the fan will wither and die too, this plant only has one fan!

Paphmadman I think I will do as you say, I'll let it bloom, take some pics and then remove the flowers and repot it. Would the fact that I use a different fertilizer than the nursery account for the rapid development of the bud? Apart from that fading leaf it seems to be really happy in my sunny kitchen window.

Marion

I decided to take it out of it's pot and look at the roots but I don't know what paph roots should look like. The ones on this orchid are brown, slightly 'hairy' and firm. No mushy ones, there are also signs of new root growth.

Can anyone tell me if this is what the roots should look like?

Marion

It sounds like your roots are fine. The top growth is definitely abnormal though. I would recommend removing the flower spike, repotting into fresh bark mix, and start fertilizing at 1/2 strength every week.

I think this plant may have been under-fertilized, then over-fertilized. That's why you have a small growth with a short two-flowered spike, and a leaf that is dying back from the tip. The small growth is from not enough nutrients initially, and then an overabundance of nutrients caused the plant to flower quickly before maturing the growth, and the leaf tip dieback is definitely from overfertilization.

The flowers may have also been a response to some other environmental change (like light, temps, etc.) that is unrelated to fertilizer. But that growth is definitely too small to support the flowers. In fact, it might actually be shedding that leaf early to support the spike. Hopefully, if you remove the spike, repot it, and get on a good fertilizing routine, it will start a new growth, and then you'll be golden.

Thanks Joe. Is it possible for a plant this small to be 5 years old? There are the remains of several other leaves at the base of the plant.

There's me thinking I was getting a good plant as it had two fat buds.......:(

Marion

It's definitely possible that it's 5 years old. Paphs are slow growers. Complex hybrids like this one also tend to shed their old growths quite quickly, and some of them remain at 1-2 growths, never forming a clump as other Paphs do.

Thanks Joe, could you tell me some names of paph's that do form clumps? I might buy another and see how I do with that. I'm not giving up on this one yet though.

Marion