Disappointing. Should I be hopeful for the future?

[Ray]

Paph Hiro Luna x rothschildianum. Origin is Orchid Inn about a year ago. Noticed buds forming before I went away for a week.

Short, limp spike with a single, mangled flower. I like the concept, but...

 

[Ozpaph]

go again. Always speculative brachy X multis. The good ones are fantastic, but probably rare.

 

[PaphMadMan]

Mangled flower largely because of the short spike not allowing room for expansion. It looks like it has reasonable potential for color and width of petals and other than that you can't judge the flower quality here. Go again for that reason alone and hope for normal spike development.

Can you really see a spike at all? This is often a case of the first internode of the spike not elongating and only the ovary of what would be the lowest flower on the spike emerges from the crown. Sometimes you even get the rest of the spike eventually elongating more normally, so be careful if you go to clip it off. The abnormal spike development is a tendency not a certainty, so there's hope for next time.

 

[Ray]

Yes, it appears to be ovary only.

 

[abax]

Ray, if this is a first bloom attempt, I wouldn't worry over much. It does have potential,
don't you think? Did you have a peaceful vacation?

 

[fibre]

I've had the same issue once ago with a similar hybrid. Next flowering after years turned out to be as bad as the first, if not worse.

 

[NYEric]

Not unusual and may bloom under that one. Good luck. And if you want to get rid of the plant...

 

[Linus_Cello]

is this pure leca clay balls, or 50% leca and 50% grodan cubes?

 

[Ray]

I have it and a similar cross (Chonsuke Atsugi - Conco-bellatulum x roths), both 3-growth plants in S/H (LECA only), and doing nicely.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I have it and a similar cross (Chonsuke Atsugi - Conco-bellatulum x roths), both 3-growth plants in S/H (LECA only), and doing nicely.

Maybe putting it in a LECA/grodan cube mix will help next time?

 

[Ray]

Maybe putting it in a LECA/grodan cube mix will help next time?

OK. I’ll admit I’m just waking up with my first cup of coffee, but I really don’t understand the connection.

 

[Linus_Cello]

OK. I’ll admit I’m just waking up with my first cup of coffee, but I really don’t understand the connection.

You said this and others are in pure leca. But you mentioned that your plants appear to do better (in another post) in a mix of leca and grodan cube. Improving potting media may improve the plant growth along with the flower quality?

 

[Rockbend]

Did the plant get too dry while attempting to bloom?

As mentioned above, the Brachy X multi hybrids are problematic and I agree with blooming it 1-2 times more to see what it does. Too much potential to not try again!

 

[Ray]

You said this and others are in pure leca. But you mentioned that your plants appear to do better (in another post) in a mix of leca and grodan cube. Improving potting media may improve the plant growth along with the flower quality?

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. All of my paphs and phrags do well in semi-hydro culture with 100% LECA, but I might experiment with the mix. It is the other plants, mostly phals, that went from sphagnum to 100% rock wool cubes, and they are to be switched to the blend.

Did the plant get too dry while attempting to bloom?

Being in S/H, probably not, but I cannot rule it out.

When we go away on vacation, I relocate all my plants farther out on the deck, under a pergola, which I cover with a tarpaulin to avoid the scorching of the midday sun. I then set up a lawn sprinkler on a timer to water them regularly.

I noticed the “fist-like” bud cluster starting to emerge about 3 days before I went away last week (perfect timing, right?) and found it like this when I got back.