Need help with ID and care of sick paph

[turock]

Thank you guys very much for chiming in. I'm relieved that the Celtic Cross has a great root system! I'm used to phals and vandas, so I was unimpressed when I pulled it out of the pot.

The Celtic Cross came to me in some kind of medium-coarse bark mixture, but the bark was breaking apart when I took it out of the pot. I've got it repotted in a generic medium bark mixture with about 30% sphagnum moss to try and retain moisture. It's now in a clear pot so I can see the moisture levels.

Thank you, PaphMadMan for your insight. I had no idea what to expect with these plants, and very much value your experience as a "paph mad man" I'm certain that water got on the Celtic Cross' leaves during the summer, so hopefully that is the explanation for the leaf dimples. Also, thank you for confirming that the multi-floral is seedling-sized. I did pot the two seedlings up together, also in a bark / sphag mixture.

I'll do my best to be patient and hopefully they will hang in there until Spring.

Incidentally, I read from the Baker culture sheet that some of the paphs they were caring for needed a winter dry period. Should I be providing drier conditions for either of these plants?

[Fairorchids]

I tried to google the 'Baker Paphiopedilum care sheet', and came up with something that refers specifically to one species (armeniacum), which is known to be non-typical for Paphs.

As a general rule (excepting Brachys, armeniacum & micranthum), Paphs do NOT want to go dry - EVER. With lower light & temperatures in winter (say, Dec 1 to mid Feb), that does mean a little less water than the rest of the year, but the basic rule is to water again while there is still some moisture in the mix.

I have written a generic care sheet for Paphs. If you send me a PM with your email address, I will send it to you.

[PaphMadMan]

Dry winter rest does not apply to either of the Paphs you have show here. That primarily applies to certain species in subgenera Brachypetalum and Parvisepalum.

The one we have identified as multifloral could also possibly be a species or hybrid of the same general type as Paph Celtic Cross. You can certainly treat them the same for now, and it will become more obvious over time which group they really are. You probably won't see much root development until after a new round of growth begins, probably in spring. Be especially careful not to overwater until then.