paph bloom question

[thatoneguywhoissupercool]

I have noticed that paphs and phals are very similar. Yet i dont see too much as far as reblooming paphs. Is it similar to phals as well, the spikes are very different to me, so it does not seem like you could clip the spike to try to induce another bloom. Well any information would be fantastic as usual.
Thanks
Spence

[Richard Butt]

Not quite certain what your question is. If you are interested in Paph flowering, you can cut the flower stalk, but the plant will not send up another from the same place. Instead, a new set of leaves will grow and a new flower stalk will develop from those leaves. My paph repeated this process four times before it stopped. At that point the pot was quite crowded. I have been watching it,for a month and think it is time to repot.
I will divide the leaf cluster and then see what happens to the flowering pattern. I do not know if the flowering of Paphs follows a seasonal cycle.
Good Luck.
Richard

[thatoneguywhoissupercool]

Sorry for the clarity issue. But that was good information, my question was just about getting more information about the flowering process of paphs as far as reblooming them and such.

[kmarch]

Dear thatoneguy...

In our first post you mention that Paphs and Phals are "very similar." I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to. Phal and intermediate-growing Paph culture is similar and I use the same potting mix formula for my Phals and Paphs, but the similarities pretty much stop there.

Paphs are sympodial orchids like Catteyas. As you have described, they grow anew growth and bloom off it then grow another new growth and bloom off that, etc., etc. Phals of course grow continuiously from the same crown and send flower spikes off the side of the plant. You're quite right in thinking you'd never get a Paph to rebloom off the same spike like a Phal.

All orchids grow and bloom according to a cycle (at east I can't think of one which does not). I think what you're asking is if Paphs bloom on a seasonal cycle. The answer is yes, mostly. I find my Paphs often bloom in the autumn, winter, or spring. It seems I rarely have a Paph initiate blooming in summer.

A Paph does not necessarily bloom every year. It may take more than one year for a growth to mature. This is one of many reasons I recommend that people not be eager to divide their Paphs. Multiple growths (even if they are old growths) can produce multiple leads and multiple leads means multiple blooms.

I hope this info is usefu. If oyu have more questions, let us know!

[turkeytaker]

kmarch has it on the nose, as far as reblooming culture-wise.

My first assumption about the meaning of reblooming, in comparison with phals, was that you were asking if paphs could be serial bloomers...blooming flower after flower.

As far as that goes, I know there are several species (and sometimes their hybrids) that bloom one flower right after the other. I had a Paph. moquettianum that bloomed for nine months straight, a total of about 8 flowers on an increasingly long spike. No snipping was required; the new bud would just form above the existing flower.

I attached a photo of that guy. A terrific blooming plant.

[thatoneguywhoissupercool]

thanks for the great info everyone, obviously im quite the novice with all of this now. Thanks again for all the help yall deffinatly answered my questions

[kmarch]

Thanks for adding the bit about the sequential bloomers, turkey. I forgot to mention them.

-K