This is the re-flowering of this paph from Song Orchids. A very strong plant with slightly mottled leaves and the flower is classified in Taiwan as "Maudiae Type". The plant is having a new growth now and if it can throw out another flower spike then it might be worth to self it. Not many of these Taiwanese crosses can make it in our climate. Some may do well for a season and i believe the plant thinks it is still summer and waits for cooler autumn and winter to arrive. But when that don't happen, the plant slowly weakens and most succumb to mites and other diseases.
interesting observation. I find that they do grow better if kept shadier and repotted more often unless one is able to ensure a fairly consistent neutral pH at root zone. I find that this seems to be greater cause of deterioration than our weather.
ReplyDeleteYes, i think once the medium starts to deteriorate and if the roots are confined to a pot and unable to seek out "fresher" material the plant will also start to die off. This is exceptionally true for plants kept in the original moss in the pot.
ReplyDeleteI have plants kept in the same type of medium and while some prosper year after year, some just slowly deteriorate. Still trying to find the "best practice".
I find moss works well for maudiaes especially if amended with some lime to bring the pH close to neutral. Changing the moss once every 6-8 mths seems to bring new spurts of growth.
ReplyDeleteI have some plants in cocohusk and if watered less frequently, can go quite long between repottings
Thanks for the info. I will try re-potting some of the paphs that are not doing so well to see if this triggers new growths. I experiment with lots of different medium materials and this LaserxPulsar is actually potted in cocohusk and charcoal.
ReplyDeleteOrchid growing is a constant experiment. Repotting paphs definitely triggers new growth - I recently repotted my Angels Flight and Green Horizon's and new shoots have appeared in less than a month. I have really come to like cocohusk/pumice/charcoal mix.
ReplyDeleteYour conditions and mine are very different and I really admire the variety and quality of plants you show.
I think I have my water quality (salinity, pH) under control etc but the one factor that is proving difficult is temperature. Because I live in a highrise, I do not get the great variation in day and night temps that someone like you enjoys - that is starting to become my biggest bugbear ahahahah.
Interesting. Can you share how you control the PH of your water? I just water straight from the hose and cos my plants are exposed to rain i really do not have any control over that. I've seen pics of your Green Horizon and it is very beautiful. The fact that you can get it to flower in a highrise environment is testimony to your growing method. Where do you get your supply of pumice cos i can only find the the artificial "pumice" from taiwan : "KeJi Lan Shi"?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
My Green Horizon was growing well until I went on vacation for a month in Dec. Then mites struck. Now the clump has been split into 3 smaller ones and being nursed back to health. I divided and repotted about 3 weeks ago and new root tips have started to appear especially for the plants nursing in moss.
ReplyDeleteIn order to control pH, one really needs to do pH tests on plants that dont seem to do well especially at root level. Pour distilled water through the pot and test the leachate. I use a pH meter but you can also use test paper to get a general gauge.
If the leachate is in the region of pH 4-6 as is the case for many plants that have not been repotted for a while, I will adjust using dolomite - about 1/2 tsp per 5 inch pot. Within 2 weeks you will see the plants perk up. However, this works only if you use very fine media. As such, all newly potted plants in moss get dolomite right away. With dolomite, I never have to worry that the plants are getting the ideal proportion of calcium and magnesium.
Alternatively, restrict use of UREA based fertilisers as these drop pH drastically. That coupled with rain water could create very acid conditions quickly. However, from your growing success, I would not think you have any pH problems. If you use fairly inorganic media and expose the plants to rain leaching, you would not have a huge problem. I grow in a close environment so this is one area that I have learned to watch.
Other ways of managing pH:
- use larger sized media as the finer the media, the more acid it can become over time.
- use inorganic media that does not break down and hence does not contribute to pH drop
- topdress with lime
- use calcium nitrate occasionally
- repot frequently for those plants that can tolerate it such as paphs and phals in pot
Thanks bro. I think you really have it under control. For me it is just watch and react. I just re-planted some that are not doing that well (esp. those still in their original moss and clear plastic pot). I am now trying the charcoal chip, cocohusk and "pumice" mix. Hope there is positive result. By the way where did you get your pumice and dolomite?
ReplyDeletePumice is from WL - they have two sizes. Alternatively, you can get really nice rough clay aggregate from Island Landscape that works well too.
ReplyDeleteThe cocohusk I get from WL but recently ordered some from Oz that is perfectly soaked, sized and ready to use. Shipping was hell but I really just wanted to see what the quality was. The WL cocohusk has to be triple soaked with a final wash of either epsom salt or calcium nitrate in the final rinse.
The dolomite I got as a 25 kg bag - they do not sell it in small quantities. I have lots so let me know if you would like a KG or two - on the house :) If you grow your maudiae types in moss and pumice topdressed with dolomite, you will be impressed.