Fertlizing and watering Paph. sanderianum

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The Orchid Boy

The Orchid Boy

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I am wondering about fertlizing and watering paph. sanderianum. I read some article that Paph. sanderianum needs certain micro nutrients that other orchids don't need as much. The article also said something about iron-free fertilizers. I wondering how much and how often to fertilize. I have a 30-10-10 and a 6-30-30 fertilizer.

Should I water with hard well water or soft rain water? Should I add lime or oyster shell to the mix?

And one more question about potting: can I use a mix I make for my other paphs of 3 parts sphagnum moss, 2 parts medium bark, and 1 or .5 pats charcoal? I use sphagnum moss in every single mix I make for all of my orchids and my phals are potted in pure sphagnum moss. I have trouble keeping them water enough in a bark mixture under my 4 tube T5 lights.

Thanks.
 
i grow and bloom them pretty well, i have soft water looming around 6.5 pH, and they tend to like to be a little wetter than most multi's. i have found a variety of mixes work for them..i use a low K diet now although when i used a higher K diet they grew just fine..all in all they seem a lot more forgiving than a lot of paphs..actually, some of the hybrids can be less forgiving than the species....but they do prefer high humidity too
 
Is high humidity absolutely necessary? I know the higher the humidity, the longer the petals. My humidity ranges from 40% in winter to 50% or 60% in summer.
 
What could I do to increase the humidity? I've found that trays of water with gravel doesn't do much. I could add a steam humidfier, I've tried that before but doesn't seem to work too well either. My paph. sanderinum should be here tomorrow. It won't die without high humidity will it? I'll ask Leo Schordje about this....
 
The Orchid Boy said:
What could I do to increase the humidity? I've found that trays of water with gravel doesn't do much. I could add a steam humidfier, I've tried that before but doesn't seem to work too well either. My paph. sanderinum should be here tomorrow. It won't die without high humidity will it? I'll ask Leo Schordje about this....
Click to expand...

No, It won't die. Ultrasonic humidifier works pretty good. Just remember when the humidity gos up, you have a higher chance mold will take hold. You can also mist the plant daily.. Maybe twice-a-day.

Humidity is not the end all....
 
That's a relief. I was just thinking that I have a Nepenthes sanguinea seedling and nepenthes usually like it very humid. It is doing well. It would probably grow faster and better if it was in higher humidity but it is managing.
 
Humidity does make a big difference.. Especially thin leaf plants or plants with roots exposed. I sure there other situations that humidity is a key factor.
 
you can use the ultrasonic humidifier bu they crap out real easy...i find the warm humidifier , the ones with the heating element work best...they will add a little to your electric bill (300 and 500 watt settings)and require cleaning every now and then but they are more reliable than the ultra sonics...but with humiidty you need an enclosed space...and you do have to be careful with mold
 
The best advice I can give you regarding paph sanderianum is to keep it as simple as possible. Some of the first paphs I started to grow were sanderianums. I searched through all the habitat data and all the recommendations from other people because I wanted to give them the best possible conditions to thrive. Since they grow on limestone with moss on it I tried rock in the mix with sphagnum on top, I tried sphagnum in the mix, shallow pots, baskets for more air. All to try to mimic their environment. After all that I came to the conclusion that they grow better in a simple paph mix of bark, charcoal and perlite. I would put them in clear pots so you can see the moisture in the mix. Don't let them dry out completely but water as it approaches dryness. I did figure out they don't like repotting as much as other paphs so whatever you decide to do leave them alone and let them settle in. The fertilizer you have will work fine but try to keep it to 1/4tsp per gallon every two weeks. Use good quality water. Try not to overwater because if you loose the roots they take years to recover. Keep them warm till they are big then give them a dip in temp in fall to set buds. Try not to over think it, it is easy to do when you read all the recommendations and information out there.
 
The Orchid Boy said:
I wondering how much and how often to fertilize. I have a 30-10-10 and a 6-30-30 fertilizer.


Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'd pitch the 6/30/30. It's only good for corn or anything you only want to grow for a single season.

Stick with the 30/10/10 and as Cheyenne says use at 1/4 strength.

I would use your well water to get lots of calcium into the system. Better yet dilute your well water with rain or RO water till the conductivity is down around 100useimens/cm. If you use straight RO or rain water (with no well water) then definitely add some oyster shell or crushed limestone to your potting mix.

Potting mix is no big issue. But I like lots of rock so there is less bark/moss/CHC to accumulate salts.

Most growers think the high humidity is a big deal for long term health of sanderianum (not just a blooming quirk). So I'd figure out ways to get a good 70%.


This is good for just about any paph not just sanderianum
 
I could put it outside for part of the year where it is usually so humid it feels like you are drowning in the air. In winter my humdity is around 40% or 50%. In summer inside it is around 60%. Summer outside the humidity is always above 75% usually above 80%, this year wasn't as humid though. What could I do for more humidity inside? I grow my plants in my bedroom and I shut all the vents and keep my door closed. I have a fish tank with a partially open top and some carnivorous plants that are always sitting in water. I also mist the plants once in a while. Maybe I should make or get some humidity trays...
 
Your sanderianum will grow fine without high humidity. But it will grow better with it. One of the main concerns is sometimes with low humidity the bark will dry out fast and it is harder to grow real good roots. I have grown them fairly well for years with humidity around 50 percent. I dont know what kind of room you have but you coulduse a old fish tank or make an enclosure out of plexiglass from the hardware store. I do this for my plants that like high humidity.
 
Cheyenne said:
The best advice I can give you regarding paph sanderianum is to keep it as simple as possible. Some of the first paphs I started to grow were sanderianums. I searched through all the habitat data and all the recommendations from other people because I wanted to give them the best possible conditions to thrive. Since they grow on limestone with moss on it I tried rock in the mix with sphagnum on top, I tried sphagnum in the mix, shallow pots, baskets for more air. All to try to mimic their environment. After all that I came to the conclusion that they grow better in a simple paph mix of bark, charcoal and perlite. I would put them in clear pots so you can see the moisture in the mix. Don't let them dry out completely but water as it approaches dryness. I did figure out they don't like repotting as much as other paphs so whatever you decide to do leave them alone and let them settle in. The fertilizer you have will work fine but try to keep it to 1/4tsp per gallon every two weeks. Use good quality water. Try not to overwater because if you loose the roots they take years to recover. Keep them warm till they are big then give them a dip in temp in fall to set buds. Try not to over think it, it is easy to do when you read all the recommendations and information out there.
Click to expand...

great advice. do this and you will be fine.
 
I've been able to keep my humidity at around 50%. I repotted into a clear/opaque pot to moniter root growth and moisture levels. It had lots of healthy roots! It was a little hard to get it out of the old pot. I potted it into a mixture of medium bark, charcoal, perlite, and the tiniest bit of sphagnum moss. I also added a tiny bit of crushed oyster shell to the top of the mix.
 
Sounds like your right on track. Keep an eye on the moisture and water as it is almost dry but not totally. You just don't want to keep it to wet for too long.
 
Orchid Boy, when I was growing a couple of multis in my livingroom I put their pots over a ceramic saucer that was always filled with water. The whole thing was up on a plant stand. The pots were just over the water, up on something like large stones to keep them from sitting in the water. They did very well for a couple years before I got my greenhouse. Beautiful, shiny long leaves and good blooms.
 
For the past week or so my sanderianum has been taking quite a bit more water. Why? Is it going to grow a new leaf or something?
 

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