Paph Question

[Brittany]

On 9-6-07 I purchased a X lawerenceanum with 1 spike and one flower which finished buding out and has stayed bueatiful beyond belief.

On 10-1-07 I found another on only on a shorter spike starting to bloom out and with another 4 in spike that had a real tight bloom. The first bloom bloomed out and has been bueatiful for a couple of weeks, but yesterday I notice that the first bloom is starting to hang and the stem is gettin soft. In turn the second shorter bloom is starting to pop open.

Is this normal that this type of plant only has one bloom going at a time. This is the same bloom that K-Marsh uses in her post.

Charlie

[kmarch]

Hi Brittany, Here's a bit of info regarding your plant and your post:

Originally Posted by Brittany

On 9-6-07 I purchased a X lawerenceanum ...

I notice you've put an "x" before lawrencianum. The "x" when accompanied by only one name typically indicates a natural hybrid. Paph lawrencianum is not a natural hybrid but rather a species. Do you mean you have some kind of lawrencianum hybrid?

Paph lawrencianum is one of the species used in breading what we call Maudiae-type hybids. The term comes from Paph Maudiae (lawrencianum x callosum) which as been popularly and extensively used in hybridizing.

These types of Paphs are also sometimes called "mottle-leaf" Paphs in reference to their beautifully spotted leaves.

These Paphs are often the choice when people buy their first Paph because they are very easy to care for, can usually be growing on a windowsill, being hybrids are usually more tolerant of less than perfect conditions, have long lasting blooms and are attractive plants when not in bloom. (Please pardon me if I'm saying a lot of stuff you already know as I'm also trying cast a wide net here for all forum members).

Light - Maudiae-type Paphs are low-to-medium light orchids and will do quite well in east or even north windows (if you're nto too far north) in the northern hemisphere (east ro south in the southern hemisphere). If you have a west ro south exposure in the northern hemishowere (west or north in the southern) you will probably want to difuse the light with a sheer curtain or somethign similar.

Temperature - What's comfortable for most people is comfortable for these Paphs. About 55-60F at night up to 85+ during the day.

Moisture/watering - They like to be kept evenly moist, never dry, never soggy. They can tolerate a wide range of humidities but seen to suffer (in my experience) in humidities lower than about 50%. In cooler conditions keep water out of the crown.

Air Circulation - Paphs, like people like lots of nice fresh air. This typically means fans which create a gentle breeze around the plant. I have 3 fans, 1 oscilating on a stand, 2 small affixed to the plant stand and it feels like there is a gentle breeze on my plants at all times. This weekend I visited a Paph grower who had LARGE fans going in his greenhouse which created a wind.

Blooming - Maudiae-type species and hybrids are "sympodial" meaning that like a Cattleya, they grow a growth which blooms, then they grow another growth which blooms. Bloomed growths do not rebloom. They are also "mono-floral" meaning they have one flower per inflorescence. They often start a new growth at around the same time they bloom, so if you see a new growth starting watch for a spike. While they only put up one flower per growth, these tyes of Paphs do have a tendency to put out multiple growths once the reach a certain size. The result is a nice big bundle of leaves with several growths blooming at once.

Originally Posted by Brittany

The first bloom bloomed out and has been bueatiful for a couple of weeks, but yesterday I notice that the first bloom is starting to hang and the stem is gettin soft.

If by a "couple" you mean 2, then two weeks seems a little short for the life of a flower. My Paph tonsum just dropped its bloom after being in flower for 3 months. Sometimes a bud will blast if the plant gets too dry (I just lost a spike this way) sometimes if there is a dramatic change in environment (like beign it home form a nursery), and occasionally (like any orchid) for no clear reason. I recommend double checking your culture (which is why I gave the cultural info above) and watching the forthcoming buds to see how they're coming along.

Originally Posted by Brittany

This is the same bloom that K-Marsh uses in her post.

Ummm, 3 points to make:
1) The Paph I have as my avarat is Paph Rory Jones which is a Maudiae-type hybrid and probably has some lawrencianum in its background somewhere.
2) Its "kmarch" (check spelling) with the latter part being March as in the month not Marsh as in a wetland.
3) I am a "he" not a "her".

Let me know if you have other Paph questions. I'm always eager to encourage Paph growing!