Not sure which direction to take...

[Ben Belton]

I'm not new to orchids, but I don't have much experience with Paphs. Didn't know whether to put this in the newbie section or the culture section.

I've recently started a small collection of complex Paphs. I have about 6-8 that are blooming size. In the summer I keep my plants outside in my car port and in the winter they are under lights in my basement. I have 2 flower spikes started. One has continued to grow, and one has stalled. I think the spikes were initiated when the plants were outside when it was cool at night, but they didn't emerge from the plant until a few weeks after they had been moved to the basement. My basement gets about 78 during the day when the lights are on and 68 at night. When it gets cooler this winter, that will go down a little.

I'm not sure why the one has stalled. Also I'm not sure why the other 6 or so haven't spiked. Some of them are larger than the ones that have spiked. Is my basement cool enough? I think I have enough light, but maybe it could be that. Maybe I should be patient. Is it still early?

The plants are potted in either a small bark or sphagnum. I water them with mostly water from my aquarium that sometimes has a little fertilizer added. Every so often they get flushed with some distilled or Wal-mart spring water. They are all under 2 x 54wt T-5 lights.

Thanks in advance for your ideas. Until I have a Paph flower to show you, enjoy what I normally grow

 

[Justin]

Hi Ben,

Welcome!

Everything you are describing in terms of your culture sounds perfect for your complex paphs. You might even slightly increase light and fertlizer strength. For the plant with the stalled spike, just be patient and it will eventually flower, unless you see the bud blast and turn brown in which case the plant will have to mature another growth before it blooms again.

For the others that haven't bloomed yet, patience is needed as well. They may still spike this season or else it will be another year...

Please be sure to post photos when your paphs bloom.

 

[SlipperFan]

Welcome, Ben!

Have you ever looked at the ingredients of your spring water? I'd be real cautious about using it as spring water often contains salt.

 

[biothanasis]

Hello and welcome!!!!

Great flower!!

 

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

Yep, sounds like you have things on track. Patience is the word on those complex paphs. They may bloom this year or next or even the year after that. Your in the right part of the country for complex paphs. Marriott sells mostly seedling but the breeding is great.

 

[Ross]

Beautiful Phal!
From what you describe, your conditions should be just fine.

An interesting side note on light: Since moving into the greenhouse and higher light, I've bloomed many more Cattleyas. Many of my larger complex Paphs have been receiving just as much light and are growing great. I have many more spikes initiated this fall as well. Conclusion: Mature complex Paphs can take almost as much light as Cattleyas? (2500-3500 FC?)

 

[Ben Belton]

Maybe the answer is to get more plants so that something is always blooming, and I won't have to worry about it.

While I'm at it, the one spike that is growing is going a little slanted. Do I need to spike these and train them upwards?

 

[chrismende]

Welcome, Ben! I wish I were in NC and could get over to Marriott's (don't know how far that is for you, though). I'm in San Francisco, so have other resources, but for complex paphs it sure would be nice to be able to visit such a pro breeder as Hadley Cash! I don't have many complexes, so won't weigh in on that part of your discussion. I'd love to know what the phal in your post is, though! It's stunning!

 

[Ben Belton]

Welcome, Ben! I wish I were in NC and could get over to Marriott's (don't know how far that is for you, though).

Marriott is about 45 minutes from me. I haven't been... yet. Hadley is in my orchid society, so I've talked to him some. I haven't been big into Paphs, so I've mostly just listened in on what others have talked to him about. The plants he brought to our show last year were unreal. I hope to go by the greenhouse in a few weeks. He said I should come a little after the beginning of December and everything would be in bloom. I'll take pics for you all if that's OK with him. Most of these I'm writing about are from him. I've picked them up a few here and there when he's been at shows or sold at meetings. He doesn't come much. I think he's always on the road at shows. Also, I personally would sit at home instead of going to club meetings myself when I had a weekend free if I were an orchid vendor/hybridizer/speaker/etc/etc

I had planned on asking him this stuff when I went to the greenhouse, but I decided to go ahead and ask here in case there was anything I should already be doing.

Actually come to think of it, my avatar is a picture I took at our show last year of one of Hadley's plants.

I'd love to know what the phal in your post is, though! It's stunning!

Tiger Butter 'Larkin Valley'
Peter Lin might have one and if he doesn't try Sedona Orchids. They've been kinda hard to get your hands on.

 

[NYEric]

Welcome from NYC.

 

[suss16]

Welcome from Norfolk, VA! Nice Phal!

 

[paphioboy]

Hi and welcome to ST. Amazing phal!

 

[Ben Belton]

Welcome from Norfolk, VA! Nice Phal!

Do I know you?