# Every year the same: bud is dying



## Ricky (Apr 19, 2011)

My P. vietnamense is growing very well. Every year a new bud comes out, reaches about 10 cm lenght and than stop growing.
Than the leaves of a new shoot came out and the bud is dying:







I thought that the root maybe in a bad condition but they look perfect:






What am I doing wrong?

Greetings from Germany in spring ... Ricky


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## Marc (Apr 19, 2011)

I can't give any advice but that would surely make me cry.

I hope that some of the more experienced growers here can help you out.

I must compliment you on the roots that the plant has though.


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## Shiva (Apr 19, 2011)

Could it be too much fertilizer? Especially nitrogen? If so, that may send the message to the plant that it should abort flowering and start a new growth.


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## JeanLux (Apr 19, 2011)

The foliage of mine is darker!!! Maybe too much light/direct sun? Jean


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## SlipperKing (Apr 19, 2011)

Are you growing under lights?


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## Ricky (Apr 19, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> Are you growing under lights?



Yes, under fluorescent light (daylight type) at about 6000 lux in a terrarium at 60-80% RH and room temperature (18-23°C in winter, 20-30° in midsummer).



> Could it be too much fertilizer?



It get the same fertilizer than all other paphs and they are doing well. This is the only one where the buds are dying.


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## Shiva (Apr 19, 2011)

According to the culture indications in Orchidwiz, this species grow at an average night temp between 8-11°C in winter. It should also grow drier in winter with little or no fertilizer until the new growth start. The humidity level is right. It may be that your vietnamense needs a really cool period in winter in order to flower. Hope this help.


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## Ernie (Apr 19, 2011)

Vietnamense hasn't done the 'stall then blast' thing for us yet. Malipoense and armeniacum do this and I can usually trace it to something environmental- too cool, too hot, too dry, not humid enough... Plus the long time it takes for them to fully elongate the spike opens them up to such issues compared to plants that send out a spike and mature it rapidly. From the plant, it does look a bit on the pale side. I'd juice it up with some Cal Mag (vietnamense does like calcium and magnesium in its diet).


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## quietaustralian (Apr 19, 2011)

Which pic is closest to the actual colour of the leaves? On seeing the first pic I thought you may be growing it to bright. I have seen that others on this forum have flowered these in warm tropical conditions but I do wonder if the plants are being pushed to hard to remain in growth. 
Our house is within 15kms of where vietnamense was first discovered. Winter minimums are as low as +- 4C and are very dry. Summer the temps can get up to the high 30s, 36-38 C. We grow our vietnamense under shade cloth and the plants experience the extremes of weather mentioned above.
Regards, Mick


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## Ricky (Apr 19, 2011)

quietaustralian said:


> Which pic is closest to the actual colour of the leaves?



The 2nd one from today, the color of the leaves depends on the light color and the light direction.


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## Howzat (Apr 19, 2011)

I also have the same comment on the lights. Leaves aren't dark enough for a vietnamense. Maybe too bright. So try for one year with reduced lux, say 4-5000lux??.


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## NYEric (Apr 19, 2011)

The leaves are very light for vietnamense. Also, are you misting the plant?


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## Ricky (Apr 19, 2011)

NYEric said:


> The leaves are very light for vietnamense. Also, are you misting the plant?



No, my paphs never. The leaves always stay dry to prevent rot.


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## Ricky (Apr 19, 2011)

Thank you all for your advices. I will keep the plant cooler with lower light in another terrarium.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Apr 19, 2011)

At least you can keep it alive. I just lost another one.


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## NYEric (Apr 19, 2011)

Ricky said:


> No, my paphs never. The leaves always stay dry to prevent rot.




Maybe too dry = heat stress!


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## cnycharles (Apr 19, 2011)

plants that live in extremes depend on cold nights or seasons to allow the plant to create and then store energy. if it doesn't get cool then the plant uses up it's energy. armeniacums are in a climate like this, though some people have been able to grow them quickly in home environments. arm's environment from what i've seen from here is cold and bright in winter, so it can create energy (bright light) but store it up (cool temps)


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## fibre (Apr 20, 2011)

The elder leaves are absolutely not green/dark enough, but the colour of the starter looks all right. That means that it isn't a problem of light. So I think feeding isn't all right and the starter has to eat the old leaves. I would try to reduce the acid in the potting mix and give much more lime to that plant. I would add limestones to the mix, 1/4 to 1/2 of the bark. 
Hope this helps.


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## Erythrone (Apr 20, 2011)

Do you spray pesticides?


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## Ricky (Apr 20, 2011)

> Do you spray pesticides?



Not on this plant.




> I would try to reduce the acid in the potting mix ...



It´s in lava now, we will see. My fertilizer has additional Ca and Mg.


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## Paphman910 (Apr 20, 2011)

I have the same problem as you do with my Paph wardii. This would be the *5th time that it failed to flower*. Lots of healty roots, nice fat leaves, etc....

I think it is my night time temperature that maybe too high for this temperature. I decide to move it into a shadier place to see if it helps.

Paphman910


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## Erythrone (Apr 20, 2011)

Is the RH very high?


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## fibre (Apr 21, 2011)

Ricky said:


> It´s in lava now, we will see. My fertilizer has additional Ca and Mg.



Lava will not be a solution here, because it has a low pH. It is just the opposite of limestone.


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## Orchidnut57 (Apr 22, 2011)

Ricky
Just a bit of my own experience with Paphs. I noticed you are growing them in spag. I was taught by my mentor (a ST member)who blooms the devil out of Paphs to use small bark, sponge rk, charcoal and repot yearly. Keeping the pot size the same in most cases. True the watering has to increase but our results are pleasing. Again...just my singular experience.
Best 
Jim


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## Hien (Apr 22, 2011)

Maybe the solution is to buy many more of them, and from all different sellers, or buy one that is already in bloom at a show (if it does not flower again, you will know definitely it is your condition and not the particular clone's weakness)
Some plants may bloom better or easier to grow than the rest of the bunch (even sibblings from the same parents).


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## Ricky (Apr 23, 2011)

Orchidnut57 said:


> Ricky ....I noticed you are growing them in spag.



Jim, I did not. The moss on the pictures ist typical wood moss that ist growing on top of every potting mix (bark, CHC, lava). Nearly all of my plants (mounted or potted) are covered with different mosses. Seems like humility and light levels are high enough in my terrariums.


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## Ricky (Apr 23, 2011)

fibre said:


> Lava will not be a solution here, because it has a low pH. It is just the opposite of limestone.



Thanks for your note, I will keep that in my mind.
The plant is now in another habitat with lower light level, lower temperature, higher humility and in a new substrate. If it still has the same problems I will have another possibility to change something.


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## Ricky (Apr 10, 2012)

*Update*

This time the new bud made it to flower. Looks like the key was lower light and a little bit lower temperatures. No problems using lava, my fertilizer has enough Ca and Mg. The new leaves are much larger than the old ones.
The flower is far from being perfect but better than nothing.


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## Marc (Apr 10, 2012)

Well done!!!


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## NYEric (Apr 10, 2012)

Congrats! I found I had a similar problem w/ my besseaes - too much light. They're growing OK, now to get them to flower!


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## Erythrone (Apr 10, 2012)

P. vietnamense is always beautiful to me!!!!!!!!!!


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## Lanmark (Apr 10, 2012)

Sweet! You got it to bloom! I like it.


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## eggshells (Apr 10, 2012)

congrats!


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