Which Paphiopedilum to move to semi hydo

[Gigi]

first time poster so please be kind. I have a few paphs that have not put out any new growth for years and I was wondering about trying semi-hydo to see if they would improve. They are (Supersuk x sukhakulli) Jaguar x Double Deception and Hsinying Magic #1 x Callosum Nice and Tall. They are currently growing in Orchidia. The leaves and roots appear to be healthy. I believe I have them in the appropriate light/temp/humidity.

I have a sequential bloomer Sunny Delight in the same mix and location that puts out new growth and blooms every year. It is larger than the others.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Roberta]

Welcome to the Orchid Board.

I can't advise on this one since I don't grow with semi-hydro, but there are lots of other members who do and will jump in soon, I'm sure.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

They do well in S/H. But not growing for several years means something is not right, and that's unlikely to be solved by moving to S/H.

How often are you watering? What water? How do you do the watering?

Same questions for fertilizer. What do you use? How much do you mix in how much water?

What kind of light are they getting?

What is the temperature range day and night?

What are the names of the plants? Some need more and some less light.

[Ray]

Paphs we’re the first “Guinea pigs” I used when developing the technique and they did very well.

However, ES’ observations are quite valid. No growth in 2 years suggests there’s a lot more shortcomings than S/H culture will address.

[Gigi]

They are (Supersuk x sukhakulli) Jaguar x Double Deception and Hsinying Magic #1 x Callosum Nice and Tall.

I water 2xweek using tap water, watering from the top. I used a moisture meter to check the day after watering and it registered as dry. I am thinking this is too dry for these. Planted in clay pots that have glaze inside with drainage at bottom.

I use a fertilizer specific to Orchids but do not know the brand as it is not in its original container, 1/8 t per gallon of water. i have just ordered MSU fert and will begin using that instead. I fertilize about once per month, again watering from the top.

Light - all are in front of a large south facing window

Temp - normal household temps, winter low 68, summer high 72, although this is the warmest room in the house during the day.

Thank you for any suggestions.

[dbarron]

I don't know much shading the window gets, but south-facing is a lot of light. Usually that's a good thing if they don't burn.

[estación seca]

I'm sorry, I didn't notice the names in the first post.

Temperature is not the problem. I don't know how far north you live, but this kind of Paph never needs sunshine on its leaves. A south window is probably too much light in summer. But that won't prevent growth.

Paphs need to stay moist and never dry out. I think that is the problem here. You aren't fertilizing enough, either, but that would lead to smaller growths rather than no growths.

In S/H the reservoir for Paphs really must never dry out. Whether moving them would help depends on whether you can look at them frequently enough to keep them moist. I wish I had time to water my Paphs in S/H every day. They would grow much better.

[Gigi]

I can check their water every day. In S/H I just need to make sure there is water in the area below the side holes of the pot (potted in leca), correct? After using the moisture meter I think you are right and they are not staying moist enough in their current media. I think S/H will be easier to control.

In summer I move them further away from the window so they do not get too much sun. Their leaf color is good (I believe).

Fertilizer - will be using the MSU, how much, how often?

I live in South Carolina, humidity is 80% today.

Anything else I should think about?

[dbarron]

They are quite right that most paphs should make abundant growth over a two year period. Despite the general feeling that paphs are slow, if you watch them, they're constantly either putting out roots or growing new leaves...it's just not dramatic (imo). So...yes, something very very wrong.

[estación seca]

Yes, the S/5 reservoir must be kept full. You may be surprised to see how much water they use and how often you will need to water. With S/H, every time you water you should fill the container to the brim, then let it drain. This replaces the air around the roots in the pot and helps flush out salts. Merely refilling the reservoir is not a good idea because it doesn't replace the air and salts will build up rapidly.

There are a lot of different approaches to fertilizing Paphs. Generally people suggest they need less than other orchids but some people fertilize them more heavily. A fertilizer like MSU could be used at 1/8 teaspoon per gallon at every watering with S/H, or 1-2 times per week with conventional potting. For weekly fertilizing perhaps 1/4 tsp/gal. I think plants without storage organs grow better with fertilizing more than once a month.

The time to move to S/H is when new roots are forming. If you want to move them I would water more frequently as they are, and move when new roots form. That should not be long.