Culture Paphs and Phrags

[kmccormic]

Well, this particular phrag I've been very careful to keep watered so the bamboo skewer was almost always damp every time I tested it, even if only barely damp. I did have to drench it with some Tristar to get rid of what could have been springtails, it's about 1-2 months later now and is starting to show mold. It's got a new growth that just keeps going, and what looks like a new green something at the base (started at the same time as the other growth) that isn't sure what to do yet. The roots look fine, there's one I uncovered in the bottom of the pic. I don't think the roots are dead?

I tend to water with additives on the weekend, and check mid-week to see who needs more water based on skewer and/or pot weight. Once a month I water with 1 round plain water adjusted with citric acid down to about 6.5 to flush the media (my water is full of calcium from the limestone rock around here and usually starts around 8.0-9.5 PH.) My water tends to have about 100-400 PPM after adjustment. Once a month I water with KLite 1/2 teaspoon or less per gallon - I start at that and if the PH is too low once I've added Klite I add more water until the PH is about right. Once a month with Kelpmax, again adding water if the PH is too low after adding the Kelpmax, and in the later fall/winter I lay off the Kelpmax and do just water that round. Once a month I do Dynagro 7-9-5 1/2 teaspoon per gallon, same kind of adjusting extra water to hit PH I want once I've measured it out. I had put it outside with my other orchids once the bugs were taken care of, and within 3 days it started to droop and just started to show veins on the leaves even though the bamboo skewer was still damp -it was in the 90-99 degree range and really humid- so I pulled it back inside and it's under a dropped ceiling light in my kitchen, probably 300-400 fc. The leaves are happy and not drooping. There's a ceiling fan about 20 feet away that runs 24/7 and no central air blowing on it. Temperature indoors is about 75-77 degrees.

I've tried semi-hydro once and I got the same while mold about the media, so I'm missing something.

I'm stumped. What am I missing about this culture?

[estación seca]

Tap water explains everything. Paphs shouldn't have water above 200 ppm TDS including fertilizer, and phrags are supposed to be even less tolerant. Lower than this is even better. You have very good air circulation, so the water evaporating from the surface - including the exposed roots - leaves minerals evaporated from your water.

I would discard all the potting material and repot into fresh. And begin using much purer water.

[kmccormic]

Well that's a relief. So you don't think it's mold, just mineral deposits. OK, then I will just wait and see if it adapts to my conditions and does ok anyway. I can't schlep water upstairs and I am not going to get a reverse osmosis system in a tiny upperstory apartment, so it will have to do. My "outside" is a balcony with shelves

[mexicowpants]

I find either fine pine bark or pine needle mulch (or a mixture of both) perfect medium for my paphs. We have very soft tap water here, so TDS are not really a problem. My paphs are about the only orchids I grow inside, so they have lower light than near everything else, and reasonably constant temperatures (<>23°C during the day, and down to around 17°C at night). Humidity is OK at the moment as we're in the middle of a particularly soggy rainy season, but I have to up the watering post-September to compensate for the drier autumn and winter. Currently soaking the media once a week, this will increase to once every 4 or 5 days when it stops raining. Fertilising pretty heavily at the moment as they're in very active growth - (not so) weakly weekly, with kelp extract and trichoderm supplements. 3 weeks fertilising, one week flush. All positively thriving to the point of expecting multiple blooms from one or two of them this winter

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[Marlena]

Paphs cannot sit in water, but Phrags can.

[bil]

I have (touch wood) never suffered with mould on my paphs and phrags.

If I did, I would wash the medium with a solution of fungicide like Mancozeb.

H2O2 is an indescriiminate oxidiser. I would never use that.

I don't like mixing moss with the bark. However what I do do is with the wet ones like paphs is to put three balls of moss around the outside of the pot, put the orchid in the middle and pot up with fine bark.

That way there is a reserve of moisture that won't suffocate the roots.

[PaphMadMan]

I don't even know where to begin...