Does it need repotting

[Tommy]

Hi folks, have a question about my Paph. Lawrencenum Hyeanumx Front page
got it at lowes from the bargan table for $5.00 about a year and half ago. it had just finished blooming. was doing great untill now, one of the new growths is turning yellow and brown on the tips. its in the same pot it came in haven't repotted it yet. would some one help me out. don't know much about them would appreciate any advice you can offer. sorry the pic is not the best. could it need repotting if so would small orchid bark be ok.Thanks, Tommy

[orchid_girl]

Welcome to the forum Tommy! I am not much of an expert here but anytime I get a new plant from the store I always repot. This goes for any kind of plant I get. You don't know what kind of condition the plant is underneath everything. As far as the bark you can wait for some of the others on here to ask about that.

[mayres]

Yes, I would definately repot your plant ASAP. Like most orchids there are a number of options you can use for media. Kevin, who is the current expert on paphs on this forum has a somewhat complex forumula/mix. I find that mine do quite well in a small bark and perlite mixture. I believe most good paph growers will be repotting their plants once per year in fresh media. Good luck & Enjoy - Mike

[tom499]

If its new growth going yellow, then there is of course cause for concern.

As Its starting new growths then there will be new roots growing too, so now is a great time to repot. It would be wise to take it out and give it some fresh medium as a year and a half in your care, plus shop life probably means that the medium is to be frank, far past its freshness.

If you want any tips with removing it from the pot safely and repotting just ask

[Tommy]

Thanks, for the Info please give me some tips on removing it from the old pot and repotting. would vermiculite be as good don't have perlite .sure could use your advice, Thanks so much Tommy

[tom499]

With paphs I use a medium to fine grade of bark. Your paph is quite big now so I think it would be suitable for such a medium, but its really down to your environment and watering habits.

The more open the medium the more it will need watering. Paphs never like to dry out, but dont want to be soaked. The skewer method on the newbie questions page is great when trying out new mediums as It tells you whats going on in the centre of the pot when it matters.

Once you've decided on a medium to use, which is often a mix of different materials you need to chose a pot. From looking at your photo, I think the pot its in now is big enough If not alittle too big. It will be good for a few more years growth yet.

I find the best way to judge pot size is once you've removed it from its old pot. Now some people would you scissors or something to cut the pot up so the plant comes out unmoved. But I like to recycle pots where possible and The plant can be removed very easily safely without needing to cut. The best way is to push the pot inwards abit from either side, just gently to loosen the medium. Then, holding the plant in one hand, tip the pot and plant gently on its side and using your other hand to help move away the medium, slowly pull the plant from the pot. It should just slide out. If it doesnt give the pot another wiggle.

Once you've slid it out, gently remove the old media and bin it, or stick it on the compost heap. Once most has come off give the roots a bath in some luke warm water. Any media that doesnt come off easily, usually bark pieces can be left attached.

once washed, find a pot where all the roots can fit in and have a maybe half an inch max space from the side of the pot. In other words, you dont want to be squashing the roots in too much, but you also dont want alot of space. Paphs can be abit trickier because after a long time in a pot they grow their roots round in circles of the edge of the pot, usually with a gap in the middle of the pot. In the case of this, just give half an inch max, error slightly under between the new pots side and the roots. This will allow for new root growth but not give too much room. Too much space in a pot means water will collect where it cant be absorbed by the plant. After multiple waterings this can cause rot to the medium.

At the bottom of the pot, its good to put a few pebbles or bits of polystrene. Not only does this stop the medium falling through the holes in the pots bottom, it also allows for quite drainage layer.

Put the drainage layer in, then add a some media to the bottom. The media being used should have been soaked thoroughly for an hour or so before hand. Such a soaking locks the water in better than water being run over it. This is important as you dont want to water the plant for abit after repotting. A slight dryness triggers the plant to grow more roots. Then put the plant in on top. use one hand to hold the plant in place. You want the main growth point to be in the centre of the pot. With one hand holding the pot, use your other hand to put the medium in. It probably to add the skewer at the same time you put the plant in, so theres no chance it will pierce any roots. Once you've added the medium check the plant is sturdy. the water skewer can help keep it steady until the plants roots itself.

I think, thats It

[Tommy]

Thanks so much, tom499, you have been a great help. would it be ok to add some vermiculite or just leave it out. Thanks again your help will follow the steps you outlined. wish me luck don't want to loose the plant.Tommy

[tom499]

If your using fine bark with some orchid compost then vermiculite would be good to use.

The only trouble is if you use with larger mediums it can be washed out

[mayres]

Don't know if she still feels this way or not, but one of our moderators (Cynthia) once posted that she would NOT use vermiculite with orchids. Maybe she will read and respond in this thread later and explain further? Better to stick with perlite. mike

[kmarch]

Tommy,

It sounds like your Paph needs a good repotting. They do not tolerate stale or decomposing mix well. For this reason i repot every Paph every year. Even if it doesn't look like it needs it. Because Paphs take more time than some other orchids to outgrow their pots, I find I frequently repot a Paph back into the same size pot it was in before.

Regarding the mix, I use: medium size bark chips, coir chips, perilite, and charcoal along with ground peat, chopped sphag, and if available some coarse sand and shredded oak leaves. The goal wiht Paphs is gentle, even, constant moisture at the roots. Never dry or soggy. Some people (like tom499) prefer a drier mix for Paphs. This necessitates more frequent watering especially in warmer or drier months.

Before repotting, i water the plant heavily and if the pot is plastic I squeeeze it back and forth to losten things up a little then gently pull the plant out. Don't attempt to clean the roots off. If mix is sticking to them leave it.

Let us know how it goes!

cheers!