# Roth growing advice



## lanthier (Jan 18, 2021)

Hi All,

I have major roth envy, I admit it!!!! I have one, that I think I have had for about 18 months. It has two pretty mature symmetrical fans (30cm max leaf length), but no new growths beyond these original two when I got it. I have not repotted it, and the bark it looking a little done and likely would benefit from a repot, which is easy enough (*media advice?*). I have offered more light as well (as I have done with all my multifloral paphs). But I am looking for expert advice, and am also considering acquiring a second roth plant as well (*suggestions?*). 

It is currently winter in Virginia, USA, where I grow, short days and colder, so heat is being used. I grow indoors, with some good access to natural and supplemental light. My winter temps range from about 66-75F (19-24C) and humidity is typically in the 45-60% range. These conditions are about as good as I can do given continued covid restrictions and lack of access to my beautifully bright office in Washington DC (mostly an issue for my Catts though honestly).

I attach a photo of my current roth and appreciate in advance all replies.


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## musa (Jan 18, 2021)

I only had one Roth blooming, which I bought in bud, so I'm no expert. But by what I've read your setup seems to be good with a temp reduction in winter to induce flowering. As media I use pure bark (Orchiata 12 - 18 mm) with a drainage of granite gravel and no additional limestone as it grows on Serpentine rock which is silicate based. In lack of serpentine rock granit comes close. My juvenile roth which I bought seedling sized seem to like it.


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 18, 2021)

Yes, repot. I use the paph mix from orchid from repotme (seems fine for my Roth, but other paphs probably would prefer old formulation). 

Why not get a supplemental spot-light? (I’m fortunate to have south facing windows at home).


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## Justin (Jan 18, 2021)

I would give it a little more light. They usually show sheaths in December, and peak blooming is in April. Yours should bloon in early spring 2022.

I water mine at least twice a week and feed relatively heavily, 1/4 tsp 30-10-10 at least once per week if not more. They also like a lot of Magnesium and Calcium. Warm and humid in the summer.


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## eds (Jan 18, 2021)

I'm no expert but do grow Roths and other multis on a windowsill. Well I cheat and put them in a north facing conservatory in the later spring to late summer but they spend more than half the year on a South facing windowsill in a spare room. 
I grow them in mesh/net pots/baskets lined with moss and filled with orchiata (some great threads from the people that mastered this technique on here - I'm just copying them!).

During the winter these sit on windowsill propagators part filled with LECA to increase humidity. They are on all the time to heat the roots and keep them growing.


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## Duck Slipper (Jan 18, 2021)

I’m going to mention some of the mistakes I’ve made...
—Don’t overfertilize. I thought some is good. More is better! It’s not.
—Don’t allow your potting medium to rot. This will happen from watering too often.
—Don’t overpot. Kinda goes with the above. Soggy is bad.
Roths are kinda tough, just slow growing. Patience.


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## lanthier (Jan 19, 2021)

Thanks for the advice. I am upping the light, and repotted today, and DAMN, good thing I did, underneath that top bark, the media had decomposed quite a bit and was almost dirt. I think had I waited a month or two could have been major root loss. Looks happier already (I know this is projection as I literally repotted 10 minutes ago!).


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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 19, 2021)

I'm no expert on multis and have no roth although I have successfully grown a few roth hybrids from seedling stage which are opening up their very first buds (Yay!!) and I have seen quite a few roth at shows and nurseries.
The plant size and flower size varies widely. I would think yours is of blooming size and should bloom when in season as others have said.
I would not change what you have been doing since your plant looks great to my eyes.

I have grown mine in the natural light near the window the first couple of years when I acquired them, but then I moved to the T8 set up (two 4ft tubes per shelve hanging about 10in over the plants). They were small and slow in the beginning, but once they gained some size in late 2018, they started to grow quite fast. I find that they are crazy drinkers so you want to make sure they get watered well at all times to allow them grow big. I am a lazy feeder and my mutlis get fertilized just like everything else. Basically when I feel like. I would fertilize every week sometimes, and other times, I would fertilize barely twice a month.
Also, none of them have been repotted the whole time (about 5-6 years) I have had them. The pot is bursting with roots. The potting mix for a couple of them is coconut husk chips and stone chips. Others are in my preferred mix of orchiata and hydroton based mix.
I will post mine once the flowers are fully open and describe more about them. Stay tune!!


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## lanthier (Jan 20, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I'm no expert on multis and have no roth although I have successfully grown a few roth hybrids from seedling stage which are opening up their very first buds (Yay!!) and I have seen quite a few roth at shows and nurseries.
> The plant size and flower size varies widely. I would think yours is of blooming size and should bloom when in season as others have said.
> I would not change what you have been doing since your plant looks great to my eyes.
> 
> ...



I look forward to seeing them HP7!!!! I did just repot mine, and the media was severely degraded...


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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 20, 2021)

lanthier said:


> I look forward to seeing them HP7!!!! I did just report mine, and the media was severely degraded...


The potting mix on my mutlis are about half organic and half inorganic, so it probably helped the mix withstand such a long period of time but I suspect the organic portion is half fermented by now. haha
I meant to repot sooner like last year because I saw that the roots were packing the pot and the plants were getting larger. It is too late now as I rather not bother the plant. One of them is still in its baby pot of 2.5in diameter. It is a torture! The flowers are nice and large at this point, but only about half way there. I'm quite excited!!


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## lanthier (Jan 20, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> The potting mix on my mutlis are about half organic and half inorganic, so it probably helped the mix withstand such a long period of time but I suspect the organic portion is half fermented by now. haha
> I meant to repot sooner like last year because I saw that the roots were packing the pot and the plants were getting larger. It is too late now as I rather not bother the plant. One of them is still in its baby pot of 2.5in diameter. It is a torture! The flowers are nice and large at this point, but only about half way there. I'm quite excited!!



Yeah, I had barky chunks on the top of the pot, but underneath that thin layer the media was like SOIL!!!! So I am now expecting great things!


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## lanthier (Jan 29, 2021)

Well my friends, my roth envy got the best of me, and I picked up an in bud plant... Check the paph photo section if interested in watching it bloom out... Check the contrast between my current plant (foreground) in this image!


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 29, 2021)

Looking forward to the blooms. Where from?


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## lanthier (Jan 29, 2021)

Linus_Cello said:


> Looking forward to the blooms. Where from?



Orchid Inn


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## BrucherT (Mar 31, 2021)

lanthier said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I have major roth envy, I admit it!!!! I have one, that I think I have had for about 18 months. It has two pretty mature symmetrical fans (30cm max leaf length), but no new growths beyond these original two when I got it. I have not repotted it, and the bark it looking a little done and likely would benefit from a repot, which is easy enough (*media advice?*). I have offered more light as well (as I have done with all my multifloral paphs). But I am looking for expert advice, and am also considering acquiring a second roth plant as well (*suggestions?*).
> 
> ...


Hoping I’m not repeating others’ comments but I’m now 5 years into roth growing and my main lesson is they need light high enough to make the leaves turn what in most other Paphs would be a sickly color of chartreuse yellowy green. I grow mine smack up against an unobstructed, due-south window. Temps hit the high 40sF on cold winter nights and during summer can hit 90F. Some are horrified but my 1955 jungle-collected original plant has matured and bloomed a growth and is now working on two more while my line-bred recovery project plant has 7 growths and I hope will bloom next spring.


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## lanthier (Apr 1, 2021)

BrucherT said:


> Hoping I’m not repeating others’ comments but I’m now 5 years into roth growing and my main lesson is they need light high enough to make the leaves turn what in most other Paphs would be a sickly color of chartreuse yellowy green. I grow mine smack up against an unobstructed, due-south window. Temps hit the high 40sF on cold winter nights and during summer can hit 90F. Some are horrified but my 1955 jungle-collected original plant has matured and bloomed a growth and is now working on two more while my line-bred recovery project plant has 7 growths and I hope will bloom next spring.



I need to find a good spot for mine when done bloom (first bloom has fallen), so this is good advice - and timely! Going to be a challenge to find such a space as my growing area is limited due to pandemic lackof access to my office (so all my Cattleya are here at home with me as well!


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## JimNJ (Apr 3, 2021)

lanthier said:


> Well my friends, my roth envy got the best of me, and I picked up an in bud plant... Check the paph photo section if interested in watching it bloom out... Check the contrast between my current plant (foreground) in this image!


Great looking plant! Would you mind sharing what the parentage is - trying to decide myself what potentially to buy.


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