# Shiny, glossy leaves



## gego (May 16, 2017)

What's the main factor, nutrient? environment? culture? Any observation/experience?
Thanks for sharing. 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## NYEric (May 16, 2017)

Cleaning them.


----------



## StreetVariety (May 16, 2017)

Kinda a stupid question but how do you clean the leaves properly? Just water?


----------



## SlipperFan (May 16, 2017)

Water is fine if you don't have hard water deposits on the leaves. For that, some people use lemon juice, others use milk. I use a diluted fine grade horticultural oil. Alcohol cleans off botrytis.


----------



## abax (May 16, 2017)

I use Sunspray Ultrafine Horticultural Oil very gently top and bottom of leaves. Use a paper towel and keep it light.


----------



## Faan (May 17, 2017)

To clean the leaves I use a little bit of milk and a drop of detergent using a soft cloth.


----------



## gego (May 17, 2017)

Guys, I don't mean that kind of shiny because they are clean. I mean leaves that are really looking shiny even without cleaning especially on plain green leaved paphs. We see these on plants coming from some vendors and the ones I got were not cleaned but have shiny leaves. They look really healthy shiny leaves. There are also healthy looking plants but they are not shiny, just dull looking. 

I'm getting these glossiness now but I can't really point out the main factor. Just curious if anybody pays attention to this. Xavier mentioned it here but it was probably meant as a state of health.


----------



## NYEric (May 17, 2017)

I'd be willing to bet that vendors are washing/shining the leaves also.


----------



## Happypaphy7 (May 17, 2017)

gego said:


> Guys, I don't mean that kind of shiny because they are clean. I mean leaves that are really looking shiny even without cleaning especially on plain green leaved paphs. We see these on plants coming from some vendors and the ones I got were not cleaned but have shiny leaves. They look really healthy shiny leaves. There are also healthy looking plants but they are not shiny, just dull looking.
> 
> I'm getting these glossiness now but I can't really point out the main factor. Just curious if anybody pays attention to this. Xavier mentioned it here but it was probably meant as a state of health.



I see what you mean.
One thing is though, you have to accept some plants, even within the same species, just won't look as glossy as others under the same conditions. 
Now, the ones that lose that shine that it once had, heat stress plus too much light tend to cause dull looking leaves. 
Also, plants that suffer severe underwatering also look dull and lifeless. 

Many, but not all, Paphs that put under T8 would turn lighter in color, less vivid in the pattern/markings on the leaves and also less or no gloss. 
When I put some of these back to "natural" light near the window with more shade, they would return to normal. 

What plants are you talking about and how do you grow them?


----------



## gego (May 17, 2017)

HP7,

Thanks for that response. I read about the amount of water and the topic was about phrag which normally do not get shiny in my observation.

As an example, I got roth plants directly from a greenhouse here and was very lucky to have the chance to choose them out of close to a hundred plants. Mostly the leaves were shiny on those plants. Even the roth hybrids have shiny leaves although there were salts on them. I don't think they cleaned all those plants because I'm coming. They looked very healthy. Well, there were also some sickly looking plants but the majority that have excellent growth (like newer leaves way bigger than the old)have glossy leaves.

I got roth from other sources and they were mostly dull in color. 

I think your observation on the source of light is also one factor.


----------



## gego (May 17, 2017)

gonewild said:


> Use drip irrigation so all irrigation water is on media. Grow in lower light level. Feed high ammonium nitrogen. Grow in a dust free, smog free environment. Spray regularly with pesticides that you are afraid to use.
> Then wash the leaves before you ship them.
> Then hide the plants that are not shiny.
> 
> That's how commercial growers do it.



I don't mind receiving the shiny ones. Problem is I might be getting the ones they are suppose to hide.


----------



## Ray (May 17, 2017)

Such a surface texture is both internal to the plant, as well as external.

The use of very pure water with low concentrations of fertilizer, and frequent flushing to eliminate trapped residues will give you that. I always top-watered, either by hand or with an overhead deluge system, always drenching the crap out of my plants, and I always had shiny leaves. When I got in plant's for resale that were kind of dull, after a few weeks of that treatment, newer leaves emerged that were shiny, while the old ones stayed dull.

This is probably the first thing a new user of RO sees.


----------



## gego (May 17, 2017)

gonewild said:


> The ones without shiny leaves may actually be stronger and healthier and produce better flowers. :wink:



I agree if they are actually healthy and not the ones that look stressed. They may flower early out of desperation to propagate. The lush ones flower later but with more intensity.

I still prefer to buy the ones they are not hiding.:wink:


----------



## Carper (May 21, 2017)

gonewild said:


> Use drip irrigation so all irrigation water is on media. Grow in lower light level. Feed high ammonium nitrogen. Grow in a dust free, smog free environment. Spray regularly with pesticides that you are afraid to use.
> Then wash the leaves before you ship them.
> Then hide the plants that are not shiny.
> 
> That's how commercial growers do it.



With what source and at what rate/strength would you apply the ammonium nitrogen. Would this be in addition to your existing feed or separate? I use feed similar to the MSU. It's 13-3-15 Akerne feed. 

Gary
UK


----------



## gonewild (May 21, 2017)

Carper said:


> With what source and at what rate/strength would you apply the ammonium nitrogen. Would this be in addition to your existing feed or separate? I use feed similar to the MSU. It's 13-3-15 Akerne feed.
> 
> Gary
> UK



I'm not suggesting that you feed with high ammonium nitrogen. However if the ammonium nitrogen ratio is higher than the nitrate nitrogen in the fertilizer solution it will aid in producing shinier leaves. 

The long story.....

The MSU formula has a low ammonia level which works very well. However if you want to increase the ammonium ratio you can add ammonium nitrate or UREA to the fertilizer. I don't like to use UREA but you may not be able to by ammonium nitrate.

You don't need to be real accurate with the weights and ratios to make an ammonia increase if you want to test the option. So here is the basic concept:
MSU has basically 100% nitrate. Ammonium nitrate is about 50% nitrate and 50% ammonia. 
Mix 10 spoons of MSU and 5 spoons of ammonium nitrate together and you will have a new fertilizer with about a 70% nitrate and 30% ammonia nitrogen ratio.
Doing this you will have increased the ammonia nitrogen level. But then you also have a higher total Nitrogen ratio and lower potassium ratio. 
MSU/Akene is 13-3-15 
The new formula is 10-1-5 (20-2-10) with 30% ammonia nitrogen.

You can use the same method with other ammonia sources like UREA but you must use the amounts based on the content of the other source.

FYI..
If you add calcium nitrate to the Akene instead of ammonium you will be moving in the direction of K-lite fertilizer.


----------



## Ray (May 22, 2017)

I can't say whether ammonium-based nitrogen will lead to glossier leaves, but I have used MSU RO formula since it's invention, switching to K-Lite - what? 5 years ago now? - and all of my plants' leaves are still glossy.


----------



## gonewild (May 22, 2017)

Ray said:


> I can't say whether ammonium-based nitrogen will lead to glossier leaves, but I have used MSU RO formula since it's invention, switching to K-Lite - what? 5 years ago now? - and all of my plants' leaves are still glossy.



Shiny, glossy and dull. :wink:
Maybe there is a difference between glossy and shiny.

Let me clarify. I mentioned *high* ammonium levels as part of a combination of conditions to answer the original question of how to create shiny leaves. Do not think I said ammonium based nitrogen leads to glossier leaves. The ammonium on its own does not lead to or cause shinier leaves compared to nitrate.

Glossy leaves are good, dull and shiny leaves are not indicators of a perfect environment.


----------



## SlipperFan (May 22, 2017)

There may be another factor: there is a product called "Leaf Shine" that is a spray that I've seen used on orchid plants (as well as other house plants). It makes the leaves look clean and shiny, but it probably clogs pores, also.


----------

