Pathetic primulinum

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I got this primulinum on Ebay about 2 years ago. It was cheap...the seller did say he had never been able to bloom it. It finally spiked this summer, and simultaneously started to turn yellow...I guess the roots were going, despite a recent repotting...but I didn't want to repot again while it was spiking (I have another division of it, if it kicks). Well, here it is...maybe an inch across. The pouch is 1 cm...at most. I guess its kind of cute...Take care, Eric

 

[Roy]

Bonsai !!!
I shouldn't talk, I can't get the mongrels to grow now let alone flower.

 

[P-chan]

Oh, Honey!! It will be O.K.- Keep taking care of it, and it will perform even better next year!

 

[rdlsreno]

I would cut the spike to put back the strength to the plant. I think it is doing the last ditch to live by making a seed pod.

Ramon

 

[SlipperKing]

OK You got to see it. Now cut the spike!

 

[SlipperFan]

Poor thing. ity:

 

[nikv]

I think it has potential, but I'd first be concerned about the health of the plant. Cutting the flower spike should give it a boost and maybe it will concentrate on growing rather than flowering for a while. I bet that it will have beautiful flowers some day! Good luck with it!

 

[streetmorrisart]

I would cut the spike to put back the strength to the plant. Ramon

Exactly.

Put it side-by-side with the one-eyed dog in the Humane Society commercial with Sarah McLachlan and I'll be bawling--I wish I could be more Spartan about it, but alas...

 

[GuRu]

Eric, as others said already before if you want the plant to survive - cut the spike instantly. May be its too late already but better now than never. Good luck.
Best regards from Germany, rudolf

 

[biothanasis]

The flower is lovely, although it hasn't opened fully yet!!! I love the colour, too!!! I would be a little hesitant to cut off the spike, as I do not bloom orchids frequently poke: to me...almost never!!), but if I were you I'd follow others advice... Congrats, on spiking it, though!!!!!

 

[paphjoint]

hmm the flower shape looks interesting

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I haven't cut the spike yet....partly because its probably a goner. Did I mention its also a magnet for intractable mealies? Sprayed it yet again today...with pyrethrum in order not to damage the bloom...which will be cut by the weekend anyway when I repot it...but keep in mind, I have another division of it. When I repotted it, it separated into 1 single growth- this one- and a clump of several smaller growths. Funny...it was one of the few paphs I left in CHC, and it was doing OK....moved it into bark, and it acted like all the paphs that were in CHC...go figure. This yellowing problem basically stopped on the other paphs when they went into bark.................(Don't worry, I always soaked my CHC in 1 gal mix to 5 gal water, about 4 times, including a CaNO3 and MgSO4 soak.....) Take care, Eric

 

[biothanasis]

including a CaNO3 and MgSO4 soak....

Where do you get these???In what form??? Thanks!!!

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I got the CaNo3 from Ray...the MgSO4 is everyday epsom salts, available anywhere for cheap. Today I cut the spike and unpotted it. As expected, the roots were dead...the reason though wasn't bad media. It was in a tall Chinese pot...2" x 6" deep. I hadn't crammed enough media down into it...so, the roots must have dried out and died. There is a cluster of tiny brown, but apparently live roots at the top...so I put it into spongerock sh, ala the Orchid Digest article on rootless paphs. We'll see whart happens...................Take care, Eric

 

[biothanasis]

I hope it recovers very well so that its "sibling" does not stay alone.. Thank you for the info...!