I have a question for the Paph Pros.

[philthy]

I have a mottled leaf Paph and the tag says Shingletown 'Blushing bride' X Somers Isle 'Jewel Box'. Why do the leaves get floppy and start leaning in either direction sometimes? It seems like watering will make the leaves stand straight up like I would prefer. They usually are sturdy but it seems like they lose their legs every once in a while. My fear is that if it leans too much to either side, it is going to crimp a leaf or break it. The leaves are 11" to 12" long. I try to place the plant so that it can grow toward the sun to straighten itself out. Should a Paph be rotated in its grow area so that the sun hit all sides? Thanks!

[Ron]

Should a Paph be rotated in its grow area so that the sun hit all sides? Thanks!

The plants in the photo look fine, sometime they will arch over backwards, as for breaking, maybe rotation each day will strengthen up the leaves on the ones away from the sun. Be careful when rotating as often the paler leaves could get sun burnt.
Personally I would not worry!

[kmarch]

Is your watering sufficient enough to keep the roots evenly and gently moist?

[orchids4me]

What type of media is it potted up in? When was last re pot?

[philthy]

This is in a mixture of medium grade bark, perlite and charcoal. I repotted after I cut the last bloom off in like March or April 2010. The perlite is no longer visible in the medium from the top. I water about every 3-4 days. I give them a good amount of light. It sits in a south facing window with screen over the window. I give them more light than the Phals I have and slightly less than the Oncidiums.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by philthy

I water about every 3-4 days.

Watering frequency isn't necessarily an indication of adequacy (or inadequacy). Is the medium kept evenly and gently moist? I'm trying to rule out simple wilting from under watering.

I have a handful of paphs who grow their leaves and for whatever reason their leaves just flop over. The leaves are not wilted, they're firm, they just can't hold themselves up. I see this more with my multi-florals which have longer narrower leaves. If the watering is adequate, it may just be a case of a leaf flopping over for no real reason.

[philthy]

I use a skewer to monitor the moisture in the pot and it seems that it is almost dry in 3-4 days. I am cautious not to over water and it appears maybe too cautious. I also have noticed that the humidity level near my south facing window has dropped quite a bit so I am doing best to keep it in the west window now that it is receiving more sun. Is it a bad idea to move plants to different areas of my apartment during the day? Lately I have the plants in a south facing window until noon and then move them to the west window for the remainder of the day.

[Bolero]

I hae some plants that have new growths that lean over but most don't. I am not sure what minor cultural issue causes this but I suspect for certain species and hybrids it's fairly normal.

I am glad I am not the only one to encounter this.

[Ron]

I use a skewer to monitor the moisture in the pot and it seems that it is almost dry in 3-4 days. I am cautious not to over water and it appears maybe too cautious

In winter I let them dry out completely and have a rest, just misting the leaves on warm days.
They are tough plants and respond to dryness rather well.
They do not like to be kept with wet medium in the cooler months, often respond by losing all their roots.

I like to use an OPEN type of medium were the air can flow through the mix well when watering, this helps to keep the root zone healthy by supplying fresh air to this area.
It all goes with good growing culture for the plants.
I suppose growing inside is more difficult as fresh air can not be supplied to the plants more often.
Keep up the good work

[JC_PTY]

I got weak leaves on a Phal and it was because of over exposure to sunlight. I moved to a corner were it got sun only during the morning (7am to 10am) and leaves got better in about a week.
I have no paph, so I am not sure if this applies. But I saw yours right against a window, so it might be too much sun.

Hope you find the answer to the problem. Regards,
JC

[JC_PTY]

Hi Philthy! How is your plant doing? any update?

JC

[philthy]

I put a little stake in the pot to help keep it straight and it has appeared to correct the issue. I think I was letting them dry out a bit too much. The plant is doing well and the newest leaf is growing the way it should.