Fertilizer for Paphs

[taradale]

Hi,
I'm thinking I should be fertilizing my Paphs, which are in all different stages of blooming:

Wardii - fully bloomed
Freddy - the 2 bud Paph, one bud is coming along fine, the other bud is just hanging out and not doing much.
Tallulah - bud is growing very slowly.
Claire the loon - blasted bud in Dec, but plant seems to be doing very well.

I thought I read somewhere that Paphs don't like nitrogen (I could be wrong and really can't remember the souce - darn it). I found some orchid fertilizer that is 20-20-20 and then Dyna-Grow which is 7-8-6, still has the nitrogen but the lowest I could find.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kath-
Pictures of the Paphs are in this post

[jerrymeola]

I am not a big paph grower but fertilize them the same as my other orchids using a balanced 20-20-20 at between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon per gallon.

The dyna grow is about the same just a lower concentration of everything. If you are worried go with the DynaGrow

[Ellen]

I think what you probably have heard is that paphs should have a urea-free fertilizer. Urea is a form of nitrogen, but it is not as easy for plants to use as some other nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is also more likely to burn the roots than non-urea forms of nitrogen. I guess urea is just cheap to manufacture, so it is in a lot of commercial fertilizer. The formula that is recommended for paphs is a nitrogen free 20-10-20 mix. I also recommend using one that has trace minerals in it as well as nitrogen. What I use on my paphs and phrags is something called "Grow-More" urea-free 20-10-20 orchid food. I don't know if they have it where you live, but there may be something comparable.

[taradale]

Thanks Jerry & Ellen - very helpful information.

Upon further pondering - I think I got the Paphs mixed up with the Phrags - it's the Phrags that don't care for nitrogen - too much research. Not 100% sure though. I'm glad I asked though and got the right info. I did a search on 20-10-20 and am finding loads of information.

[kmarch]

Dear taradale,

I have grown Paphs and Phrags for some time now (nearly 10 years) and I have completely stopped fertilizing them. The mix I use for both of them contains a fair bit of organic material, leaf material, peat, sphagnum, bark, so organic nutrients are available to the plants through the mix. I once used a bloom-booster at half strength but then stopped and noticed no appreciable difference. So, now i rarely if ever fertilize my slipper orchids and when I do I use only a balanced or bloom boost at about half strength.

Hope this is helpful.

-Kevin

[dennis]

Originally Posted by kmarch

Dear taradale,

I have grown Paphs and Phrags for some time now (nearly 10 years) and I have completely stopped fertilizing them. The mix I use for both of them contains a fair bit of organic material, leaf material, peat, sphagnum, bark, so organic nutrients are available to the plants through the mix. I once used a bloom-booster at half strength but then stopped and noticed no appreciable difference. So, now i rarely if ever fertilize my slipper orchids and when I do I use only a balanced or bloom boost at about half strength.

Hope this is helpful.

-Kevin

i just bought my first paphs two in fact a Paph. Vanguard 'Dark' x Paph. sanderianum and a Paph Black Brier X Grand Master 'Candor Autumnal' AM any info you can give me on these. i have both of these in sh and i am using msu fertilizer for ro water at 125 ppm. i understand if i have read correctly that the first one takes awhile to bloom mine, it has a 25 inch leaf span on it.the second one has two buds on it and both are doing quite nicely

[kmarch]

Hi Dennis,

Ah the famous MSU fertilizer. Before I moved to Australia I lived in Michigan, only about 2 hrs from MSU. We'd regularly see jaw-dropping plants form MSU brought in for shows and judging. Amazing stuff.

Anyway, I'd say a 25-inch leaf span on the Vanguard/sanderianum cross is near blooming size if not blooming size. I don't grow many sanderianum hybrids so I am not familiar with their bloom triggers as I am other plants. I can say they like a little more light than other paphs. I have a straight Vanguard about the same size as your cross I am hoping will bloom in the next year or two.

The Black Brier cross should be pretty easy to grow and bloom as it is one of the intermediate-warm, low-light Paphs. I find these very easy to grow and bloom. They do well in an east window or under florescent lights, and they can clump nicely when they are more mature giving you more blooming size growths and therefore more blooms. I love these dark vini-coloured Paphs and have about 6 or 7 different crosses.

I like your taste in Paphs. Check out the Slippertalk Orchid Forum at: www.slippertalk.com. It's like this forum except all slipper orchid talk. If you haven't yet, go to the American Orchid Society website and get their culture sheet on Paphs.

Keep asking lots of questions and happy growing! If you get a chance, post pics of your paphs when they bloom.

-Kevin