# Short flowering stems



## blondie (Jun 27, 2016)

Hi 

Peeps I think this I the right area for where to but this question. 

My multi floral paphs have got short stems but these are the first flowering for me personally, so I am thinking it might be due to them settiling in to my conditions. 

They get fed a 1-1-1 fertilizer once every two to three weeks and watered once a week.

My temps are at a min of 14C as the coolest time but mainly stay around 15/16C. 
The greenhouse is sort of north south facing. And has two layer of shade netting on the roof and a layer of shade and bubble wrong non the sides.

I grow them in a course to medium grade fir bark other th a that the plant seem healthy and happy one one plant has had a false sheath.

All my single flowering paphs have not had this problem only my multiflorals have. 

Thanks 
Chris


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## abax (Jun 27, 2016)

Chris, I know virtually nothing about multi's, but I'm guessing they need more light. I've read that they need
Cattleya level light and maybe a tad more fertilizer.
There's lots of multi people here who can help you much
more than I can.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 28, 2016)

Angela is right: most multifloras Paphs need a lot of light, gigantea, anitum and adductum being exceptions. I suspect you have too much shade cloth for them. Your fertilizer seems week, but others may have more info on that than I do.


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## phraggy (Jun 29, 2016)

My multis, as I've said before. sit on a warm sand bed. I feed at a tds of under 300ppm and use either Akernes Rain mix (sim to MSU) or Tomato feed but always with seaweed extract added and every two weeks they get calcium nitrate. The day after feeding the plants all get leached with unadulterated RO water. All my plants are in medium fir bark with perlite and are in baskets. My greenhouse is 14' x 8' and has 6 fans going 24/7 so in these conditions the compost dries very quickly. If the weather is sunny they get watered almost every day otherwise every other day.They get plenty of light and even some sun but the strong air movement is preventing the leaves becoming warm. I have not had the problem of short stems -- but there's always a first time!!

Ed


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