my reply....all of them! we just find our paphs do so well with s/h. perhaps a repot will help stimulate them. best of luck!

Hi, I brought back a paph from near death -- a Druri cross-- with Semi Hydro. It took at least 2 years before it perked up because the old growth which was the part that was dying, had to put out a new shoot (leaves), and then that had to grow to full size. So it was an old floppy plant with a new tiny growth which had to grow large. I determined that it was growing really well when the leaf went from dull green to shiny green. It "looked" happy. (Sorry for the anthropomorphizing). In other words, don't give up because the old leaf might not be the leaf that "comes back." I did it with semi Hydro. I did not have a special pot for this. What I did was put a normal pot inside a cashe pot and that was the "reservoir." (I think I see this as a pot-within-pot system).

Recently I got a book on paphs-- one of those old monograph type things that sell for 100s but I got on kindle. They say that the "texture" or "wetness" of the leaf litter they grow in should be about that of a squeezed out sponge. So we're talking wet all the time. So that is when I realized that semi hydro would be perfect.

I have all the phrags in semi-hydro, but the paphs need to be kept a little dryier. To do this, I have put them in taller pots. Some I have had to make out of tallish plastic containers. Also use "leaf litter" type medium-- not big chunky stuff. (You can put some "leaf litter" type stuff in with the chunky stuff. I tend to think in terms of -- broken down compost.

Once they start growing they will really start producing. I would use a root stimulator, and some kind of inoculant if you can find one just to protect the plant while it is regrowing its roots.

Change the water often, and mist the top when you are not watering.

Watering every day now. Will I just "unpot" to check for new roots? Like each week?

Nooo... Once you have place your plant in its new home, you don't want to disturb it! You will see new growth, and likely the new roots will be close enough to the surface to see. The growth pattern for Paphs is that you get a new growth first (a new fan) (which can take a year... nothing happens fast). Then new roots develop (again, that can take a year) and only after the new roots are established, it can produce a flower spike. Some might be a little faster, but orchids teach patience.

One thing to consider is a root promoting product called Kelpak. It is sold by OB member Ray at his Web site First Rays. I use it on my plants at the concentration on the bottle. I have seen new Paph roots growing from old ones out of season with Kelpak. I also soak new bare root plant arrivals in Kelpak.

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.[/QUOTE]

Please clarify - How will I know when new roots are forming if I keep them where they are (in Orciadia medium)?

---------- Post added at 09:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 AM ----------

Nooo... Once you have place your plant in its new home, you don't want to disturb it! You will see new growth, and likely the new roots will be close enough to the surface to see.

Trying to figure out if it is ok to move the to S/H now.

---------- Post added at 09:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

[QUOTE=Ray;1001903]Paphs we’re the first “Guinea pigs” I used when developing the technique and they did very well.

Ray, ok to use Leca for Paphs?

Paphs are much less fussy than most other genera about the timing of potting.

This is a good article. https://www.orchiddigest.org/wp-cont...ydroponics.pdf
It mentions that sections Coryopedilum (Paphiopedilum rothschildianum etc.),
Pardalopetalum (Paphiopedilum lowii etc.),
Cochlopetalum (Paphiopedilum primulinum etc.),
Barbata (mottled leaf, warm growers that generate the “maudiae-type” hybrids), and Brachypetalum
(Paphiopedilum bellatulum etc.) are very happy with this growing style.

It talks about how water becomes "cooled" as it is evaporating, so cooler growing paphs are happiest, especially if the room they are in is warmer. However hot growing paphs may find it more difficult, so you need to use a seedling warming mat or another way to keep them warmer. (The author does a much better job explaining this than I ever could).

Ray is also Cited and hailed!

I was actually wondering about Rothschildianums myself because I recently got two, and I want to make sure they are happy.

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:20 PM ----------

No sorry that was a glitch. With a totally black pot you might have had to check, but it is better to not touch the paphiopedilum. I was talking about phragmipediums. I unpot those a few times a year. Paphs are more sensitive to being repotted. With lecca or similar non-organic media, you will not need to report for several years.

Sorry everyone!