# Paph tigrinum culture



## Marc (Oct 3, 2011)

As some of you might have seen allready I probably aquired a very nice sized tigrinum last weekend.

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22448&page=2

Now I am allready aware that it's very prone to bud blasting and this is related to watering will the bud is developing.

In the following topic:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19874&highlight=tigrinum

Fellow forum user Ayreon makes the following comment:



> Actually something I read here on the forum. Once you see the bud, deep down in the leafs, keep it dry until it takes off.



How should I read this? As I see the bud in coming up in the center of the growth I should keep it bonedry and only start watering again when it has formed quite a stem. Or is it allowed to lightly mist the surface of the substrate to prevent the plant from getting stressed due to lack of moisture.

I'm allready asking this now so I wont be confronted with blasting buds next flowering season.

edit:

During watering yesterday a lot of fine material left the pot with the water that drained out of the bottom so a repot is in order. Any tips regarind substrate would be greatly apreciated as well.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Oct 3, 2011)

I have found that tigrinum takes time to adjust to conditions. The tigrinum I had spiked every year. the first 2 years it blasted, but then it settled in and never blasted again. No change in the way I treated it.


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## Rick (Oct 4, 2011)

I think the blasting routine has more to do with the age and nutritional status of the plant.

The more people grow them the less problems they have as they become big multigrowth plants (even if they get watered).

I moved mine from standard pots/bark mixes to either semi hydro or the sphag basket system.

The sphag basket is working real good so far for a plant I've been rearing from a weee seedling from 2002. It's never supported more than 3 growths at a time and roots have come and gone. Since putting it in the basket in Jan 2011 it has 4 or 5 growths and has two bracts in very slow growth (But not blasted yet!!). Roots are poking out the side of the basket. I'm avoiding getting water in the crown, but I'm sure it gets a little from time to time. I water the surface of the media a bit every day. Making a concerted effort to change the K/Ca,Mg ratio in fertilizer is also producing a much bigger plant than I've had in the previous years. 

This is the farthest so far with this plant. So it will probably be screwed up when I get home tonight


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## PaulS (Oct 7, 2011)

I produced a good flower on a two growth plant a couple of years ago (since sold the plant). 

I didn't keep the plant dry while the spike was growing as I didn't want to affect the cell development in the bud. I reckoned that because paphs don't have a pseudobulb any fluctuations in the moisture status of the plant could have a direct impact on the cell enlargement of the flower. 

I kept the roots evenly moist, they were growing in straight CHC so there was plenty of air. I have read that tigrinum is intolerant of heavy mixes. 

I was very careful to keep water out of the crown of the plant while the spike was growing. This seemed to have worked for me, anyway.


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