# What should I do?



## The Orchid Boy (Oct 16, 2012)

I have a Paph. Magical Venus potted in a sphagnum/bark mixture (lots of sphagnum, and yes this is my normal paph media) and it is in low spike with a fully formed, very fat bud. I have been overwatering it just enough to not rot the roots down in the media but enough to cause the new growth to grow shallow roots. 

I dropped the pot the other day and the plant didn't come out but the rhizome/stolon between the older growths and the newer growths broke. The old growths have deep roots and the newer growths only have shallow, very shallow roots. I would like to see it bloom because last year the bloom was small and a litte deformed. 

What should I do? I've been keeping it a little on the drier side to encourage roots to grow deeper. The new growths have roots that are only about 1-2 centimeters under the media. I don't know what to ask. I just need your advice. What would you do? Would repotting it cause the bud to blast or cause too much stress on the plant? Thanks for taking the time to read this and answer!


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## Ozpaph (Oct 16, 2012)

Cut the flower and potentially save the plant for future flowers. Dont repot. Keep moist, not wet or dry. Mist the leaves.


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 16, 2012)

I think it needs to be repotted into a fresh media that drains better... It seems to dry out slower than my phals that are planted in straight sphagnum. If I cut the spike, will it open? The bud is definitely full and the spike is 3 inches tall.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 16, 2012)

no it wont open
i would just leave it on..the plant has probably used up so much energy at this point that the little it needs to open wont kill it and if it does then the plant was near death anyway


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 16, 2012)

And it is divided. So if one part dies, the other part might still live.


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## Ozpaph (Oct 17, 2012)

The Orchid Boy said:


> And it is divided. So if one part dies, the other part might still live.



That might be wishful thinking. The piece without the root system is most at risk. Don't damage those growing roots by repotting.


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 17, 2012)

Both parts have a root system the old growth has a deeper root system and the newer growths have a shallow root system.


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 21, 2012)

The flower started to open today on a three inch spike.


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 23, 2012)

Could I heat the end of a nail up with a torch and burn/melt a few holes in the sides of the pot for drainage and air flow?


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## The Orchid Boy (Oct 24, 2012)

The Orchid Boy said:


> Could I heat the end of a nail up with a torch and burn/melt a few holes in the sides of the pot for drainage and air flow?



I think I might do this tomorrow. It isn't drying out fast enough at all.


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