Paph not flowering

[orchid60]

Could someone please let me know what could be wrong with this Paph, I have owned it for about 2 years and it has never flowered

[shushu45]

How much light does it get??

[orchid60]

It is in a Greenhouse with 70% shadecloth on sides and a white plastic sheet roof the orchid sits about a foot below the roof, it gets morning sun through the shadecloth as you can see the leaves are very light green

[Paphluvr]

Just some observations.

The mix looks very chunky, more like what would be used for Cats. or other genera that like to dry out between watering. To my eye ,the mix also looks old. The plant itself looks dessicated and does not look to be in a good state of health. This could also be due to the lack of roots (none visible in the clear plastic pot.

I don't intend this to sound harsh, but good culture = healthy plants = blooms.

[dounoharm]

ditto the above, too dry, old media, and possibly too MUCH sun....paphs like low light....you said it was a foot from the roof? that's where I would hang vandas and some cattleyas! repot in a media specifically for paphs (small bark, a little sphag, some perlite and charcoal) and don't let it dry out! you don't want it to sit in water, but keep it moist....put it down on the benches, in a protected area...I put a little chicken grit in my paphs, as they like a little bit of rock....good luck!

[orchid60]

thanks everyone will repot, also dounoharm I have read that the speckled leaf variety require low light and the plain leaves higher light, now I am confused, but thanks for the info, I will try your method and let you know maybe take a photo of the roots (if any)

[POLKA]

Also
do you have a plant tag? Which paph is this? If it has P. rothchildianum in it, it takes a good deal of time for a growth to mature and bloom--three years sometimes. And if you aren't an ideal grower, it might take longer.

So, if you know what you have, it might make a difference in your replies, and the help we can give you.

Take care
Rex

[dounoharm]

yes, the speckled ones take 'less' light, but still the strap leaved ones need less than a vanda or cattleya...I had a special corner of my greenhouse, on the north end, that had an additional cover on it (2 shade clothes overlapping) for my paphs....a paph will not do well in cattleya conditions, they mostly grow in swampy areas, near running water, on rocky/mossy outcroppings, hence the chicken grit....good luck!

[The Orchid Boy]

It looks like a Paph. spicerianum... possibly. Doesn't need much light. And that mottled leaf verses plain leaf paphs can be unreliable. I'd say it's more the multiflorals verses uniflorals. Some multiflorals can be mottled leafed and some uniflorals can be plain leafed.

[NYCorchidman]

Agree. This paph is definitely not a multi, so it doesn't need tons light. It will be happy with phalaenopsis.

Second look, I think I see spider mite damage. I'm not completely sure as the picture is rather dull, but it appears to me that some of the leaves on the left have white rust look to them. Check under side of those leaves to see if there are tiny bugs crawling around.