# I've been a Paph owner for about a week...



## The Mutant (Apr 4, 2012)

... now, and I love it so far. I've had my Paph ceramense for nine days today, and so far it has been doing fine I think, what with one of the roots starting to grow, a new growth appearing, and the spike it came with also growing (I think). Today though, I watered it for the first time since I potted it, and I'm scared it might have been too soon. Hopefully it wasn't, but only time can tell.

It's nerve wracking being a newbie and having your first Paph being one that you reeeaaaally want to do well. I should've gotten a cheap one instead, to try out first... 

Anyway, here are some pics (they've been shown in my other threads as well, but it's just a bit of a time-line thingy):

Just arrived:






Newly potted:





New growth?





Spike a week ago:





Spike today:


----------



## NYEric (Apr 4, 2012)

Nice but, we should warn you that its bad luck to fixate on spikes!


----------



## eggshells (Apr 4, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Nice but, we should warn you that its bad luck to fixate on spikes!



I agree. You should fixate on getting a few more. Its spring after all and orchid fever is just around the corner.


----------



## The Mutant (Apr 4, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Nice but, we should warn you that its bad luck to fixate on spikes!


I know! It's very unhealthy for a newbie to get a Paph already in spike, it's scary... 

I'm still counting on the spike dying along the way, so the fact that there's a very fuzzy root tip growing, combined with the new growth, makes me incredibly happy.  



eggshells said:


> I agree. You should fixate on getting a few more. Its spring after all and orchid fever is just around the corner.


I have ordered two other Paphs, but I won't get them until the temperatures decide to stay above the 0*C mark (we are having a cold spell in Sweden at the moment  ). I've also added two other Paphs to my wishlist, so there will be more coming. I need to learn to care properly for the one I have first, though.


----------



## NYEric (Apr 5, 2012)

I would recommend Paph Psyche for your list.


----------



## The Mutant (Apr 5, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestion NYEric, but not my cup of tea really. I'm quite discriminating when it comes to Paphs and any Paph belonging to or reminding of the subgenera Parvisepalum and Brachypetalum will probably never lay a leaf on my doorstep. 

The ones I have ordered so far are a Paph. mysterianum... 

Okay, I made that one up, but only because it IS a bit of a mystery Paph - it's a Paph. villosum var. gratrixianum, or at least that's what it was sold as. Since that one doesn't exist anymore I hope it's a Paph. gratrixianum, but we'll see when it arrives in May what it might be (I'll have to get you guys to help me discern whether it's a villosum or gratrixianum if it's not in bloom, and I doubt it will be).

Paph Maudiae Vinicolor "Schwarze Madonna" (its flowers are BLACK, okay, almost anyway)

And today I accidentally purchased a Paph hainanense, I've no idea how that happened... *whistles innocently*


----------



## eggshells (Apr 5, 2012)

Did you meant paph mastersianum species? Paph hainanense is a nice miniature. Someone here posted a picture of his plant. I will try to find it. 

Coincidentally. I'm getting a flask of this next week Thursday hopefully!


----------



## The Mutant (Apr 5, 2012)

eggshells said:


> Did you meant paph mastersianum species? Paph hainanense is a nice miniature. Someone here posted a picture of his plant. I will try to find it.
> 
> Coincidentally. I'm getting a flask of this next week Thursday hopefully!


Um... Eh... No? What's mastersianum species? I'm looking at it on Slipperorchids.info and have really no idea where that one came from... 

Yeah, someone posted a picture of a hainanense on OB so I realized I had to have one myself. It was so beautiful and what that gorgeous mottled foliage I love so much! :drool:

Oh, I'm jealous. I won't get mine until the temperatures rises and I've no idea how long that will take.


----------



## abax (Apr 6, 2012)

Wuh oh Mutant! I can tell you got the Paph. bug and it won't go away. Me too. Your spike looks good from here.

A little trick I use for watering frequency is putting a bamboo skewer down into the potting mix and leaving it
there. To test moisture down in the root area all you have to do is pull out the skewer and feel the tip. If it
still feels damp, wait a day or two and test again. It's just about fool proof for monitoring the conditions around the roots.


----------



## The Mutant (Apr 6, 2012)

abax said:


> Wuh oh Mutant! I can tell you got the Paph. bug and it won't go away. Me too. Your spike looks good from here.
> 
> A little trick I use for watering frequency is putting a bamboo skewer down into the potting mix and leaving it
> there. To test moisture down in the root area all you have to do is pull out the skewer and feel the tip. If it
> still feels damp, wait a day or two and test again. It's just about fool proof for monitoring the conditions around the roots.


Don't I know it! :rollhappy: I'm glad that there aren't that a many Paphs that strike my fancy since those that do is a MUST!

Yup, I've driven a skewer down into the middle of the pot so I can keep an eye out for when to water it. I think the new growth has picked up some growing speed now too, and the spike is still on its way upwards. Also, the bud has started to fatten out a bit. Yay! :clap:

The problem with the spike hanging on and growing, as that IF it wilts, I'll get more sad than if it had wilted during the first week! I'm getting waaaay to attached to it!


----------

