Help with potting medium

Steve B · #1 (**permalink**) 07-11-2007, 06:58 PM

I have been busy reading, and I came across a "sticky" about paph. potting. I got my paph. in complete sphagnum moss, so I have been repotting in only sphagnum. I had 2 blooms last year, but so far this year I have only had a small amount of new growth. After reading the "sticky", which says to use fine bark and a mix of other ingredients, and reading the culture sheet on the AOS I am starting to think I should repot it (I'm posting in the newbie because I realy am new pretty dumb at this.)

It sits in a sheared south facing window, I water weekly, sometime more if it looks dry. I have it sitting on a tray of rocks. Will I get better results in a bark mixture? I lost my flower picture from last year, but here is a shot of it today. The flower is green with white striping. It of course came with no identification, so all I know is it is a lady slipper.

Thanks for the help
Steve

mayres · #2 (**permalink**) 07-11-2007, 08:06 PM

We have growers on this forum that use straight sphag for paphs. Depending on environmental conditions different media's work for different folks. I find fine fir bark and perlite work well for me. I used to water once per week, but after visiting a paph grower in my area have switched to twice per week and this seems to be working even better (at least for the time being). Water quality can affect some paphs more than other orchids from what I've read too (?). Good luck - mike

kmarch · #3 (**permalink**) 07-11-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve B

...I got my paph. in complete sphagnum moss, so I have been repotting in only sphagnum. ... I am starting to think I should repot it (I'm posting in the newbie because I realy am new pretty dumb at this.)

Hi Steve,

There's nothing dumb about trying to figure out what mix works best with an orchid, even experienced gorwers with decades of experience will try different things to see if they can get better results. It's not dumb, it's wise!

As you've downloaded and read some reliable Paph culture sheets I won't go into that. Once you know what the plant likes, the next trick is to figure out how to give it to them. Mike is sopt on about different growers using different mixes because their conditions are different. I find, in my conditions, with my watering habits, sphag is too uneven for my Paphs, by that I mean it's really soggy when I water then it can get too dry if I'm not careful in the summer. I find the medium bark mix I use does better at keeping even moisture at the roots.

I'm guessing you're growing in yoru home, the humidity tray is good, the light is probably good, possibly a bit high for a mottled-leaf Paph but if it has been happy where it is don't change it. I believe, given your conditons your Paph could do well with a bark mix. I use a mix of medium bark, perelite, charcoal, and coir chips, with chopped sphag, ground peat, coarse sand and shredded oak leaves (if available). This mix drains well, it does not get soggy when you water, but it does not dry out quickly.

Another thing you might consider is a mix of sphagnum moss with perilite and/or charcoal added. the perilite andcharcoal opens the mix up allowing it to drain better (so no sogginess).

Happy Growing!

**jerrymeola** · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 06:11 PM

With Paphs they like new medium whatever is your type as often as twice a year.

Many Florida growers use Sphagnum and others use fine bark. It depends on your watering habits since Paphs do not want to dry out. (I grow them hydroponically always wet.)

One thing I feel is a must is to loosen the medium so the fine roots can get air circulation and the fine hair roots on the larger root can grow. Sphagnum can mat hard very easy and even if not allowed to dry out the medium packs down over time.

Plants I grow in Sphag are regularly taken from the pot and the sphag removed. I will even reuse the sphag, but feel the need to loosen the medium.

Steve B · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 06:56 PM

Okay,

Thanks everyone. I starting soaking a mixture last night. Sphag, charcoal, perelite, and fine bark (that's all I have)

I will give it a try and see if I can get it to bloom again this year. I will take some pics and post them later.

Steve

Steve B · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 07:30 PM

Well that wasn't so bad. I did find some peanuts at the bottom, so I reused them. I decided to stick with a mostly sphag with a little other mixed in to try to not to shock it too much. The roots did not look too bad to me. There were no dead ones, so I didn't do any trimming. They were all firm, but I was wondering about the colour. Does this look normal.

I switched to a plastic pot at the same time because we have really hard water here and I don't have my rain barrel set up here. Which brings me to my next question. Can you treat your tap water the same way you would for an aquarium. Like the drops you use to nuetralize chemicals so they don't kill your fish.

Just wondered if anybody experimented with that.

Thanks for the help everyone, now on the sherry baby that has yet to bloom for me after 2 years of growth.

Steve

**sandra** · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 07:59 PM

Steve, hi and welcome!

I find paphs to be the most fascinating of all the orchids (well, ghost orchids are high up on my list too). I don't know if I've been lucky or have been giving mine exactly what they need but mine has been actively growing since I got it the beginning of April and such a rewarding flower when it blooms. Mine lasted over 2 months and as soon as I cut the stem, I repotted immediately (in bark) and within less than 2 weeks, I noticed a new bud emerging....very exciting. It's now well on it's way and I'm enjoying seeing it grow almost as much as when it finally will make a full appearance.

Potting it up in plastic is a recommendation that's been given before because of paph's fuzzy roots adhering to clay and making it more difficult to de-pot. Good decision there.

Enjoy!

kmarch · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 08:58 PM

Your Paph roots look ok. Paph roots (as you've noticed) aren't like Phal or Cattleya roots, not smooth and white, instead they're brown and furry. this is normal for them. You seem to understand the gentle squeeze test to see if they're firm or mushy. With continued good culture, I see smooth sailing in the future.

You're wise to consider the water. I've always simply used municipal tap water for Paphs without any problems, but well water is sometiems a different story as it can contain significantly more solids. Maybe someone else who uses well water can offer advice here. I've no experience with the aquarium thing.

Tobi · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 09:15 PM

Steve,
Regarding your Sharry Baby, I was given a division of one from a friend of
mine that last bloomed for her on 8/04. She divided it on 4/05. I am just
getting a spike on it after 2 years now. Sometimes they are tempermental
when coming into a new envirnoment until they get acclimated. Just be
patient and she will come around and bloom for you

Hummer344 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 09:41 PM

We have very hard water in this area which is also chlorinated. I don't do a thing to the water and it doesn't seem to affect my orchids. Unless there is some odd chemical in your local water I would not worry about it although the rain water thing would be good. I should do that here at my house.

I don't have good luck with sphag and do not use it. I either get it to wet or it dries out on me. I have better luck with bark, coir chips, pourous rock, and a little perlite. Fine stuff for phal's and phaps.

kellyincville · #11 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmarch

...I use a mix of medium bark, perelite, charcoal, and coir chips, with chopped sphag, ground peat, coarse sand and shredded oak leaves (if available).

Hi Kevin:

If you don't mind, could you explain a little more what the benefits of the sand and shredded oak leaves are?

Thanks!

Kelly

arleneg · #12 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 12:08 PM

Hi Steve,

In addition to Tobi's suggestion for your Sharry Baby, make sure you place it in medium lighting (1500-2000 fc). A little direct sunlight is fine for a short period of time. The rest of the day, bright light is good. If you get too much direct sun, the leaves may burn.

Since you found the Paph culture sheet from AOS, I'm sure you'll find the Oncidium culture sheet there, too.

Steve B · #13 (**permalink**) 07-25-2007, 06:36 PM

Well, 13 days after I re-potted this guy, I have new growth again. Thanks everyone for your help. I'll keep my fingures crossed that I get a flower soon. I think I have identified this orchid. I think it is a Paphiopedlium Maudiae. If I do get a flower, I will post a picture.

Steve

Steve B · #14 (**permalink**) 08-09-2007, 07:21 AM

Hi Everyone,

I came across this new growth this morning. This is the first time new growth has emerged from the lower leaves like this. Is this normal? Is this anything to be concerned aboot? And finally, what does this mean? Did the plant get stressed and do something funny? I did repot in during a growth period, so is this what happens when you stress this plant at that particular stage?

The second photo is a little blurry. Sorry, still working on my morning tea fix.

Thank you for any help.
Steve

Steve B · #15 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 05:35 PM

I am still not sure what this is?

It has not grown much in the last month, just kinda sitting there. Does anybody have an ideas?

Steve

kmarch · #16 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 08:44 PM

SteveB,

Your Paph is behaving normally. New growths in Paphs come from the base just like you're seeing. Many people think Paphs are monopodial like a Phal because they see leaves growing out of the crown but Paphs are not actually monopodial like a Phal but instead are sympodial like a Cattleya or Dendrobium. They grow a new growth which matures and blooms then that growth grows no more and a new growth starts from the base.

I see you're in Canada so you're headed into Autumn. The cooler days will probably mean the new growth will slow down a little.

Cheers

kmarch · #17 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellyincville

If you don't mind, could you explain a little more what the benefits of the sand and shredded oak leaves are?

In a nutshell they are for texture, moisture, and to provide organic material. Many Paphs grow in rocky (often limestone) outcroppings in pockets of decaying leaf litter. The sand will hold moisture at the hairy roots, the oak leaves open the texture a little and simulates the leaf litter they'd find in nature.

Steve B · #18 (**permalink**) 09-08-2007, 03:10 PM

Thanks Kevin,

I guess I was a little surprised to see growth emerge from where it is. I am use to seeing new growth come up beside the old growth, not from within, like this one.

Steve

jbigio · #19 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 12:12 AM

Steve I've been in the fish hobby for over forty years and I would not use a de-chlorinator you are replacing one chemical with another however if you are into fish and you are doing water changes once a month (10 to 15%) as I do I use the water to water all our house plants including the plants potted on the deck. its loaded with nutrients courtesy of the fish waste. I haven’t tried it on orchids yet. Has anyone tried this on orchids? I may try it on one of my Phalas as a test.