Extremely Lightly Colored Leaves on Paphiopedilum Pink Sky.

[Happypaphy7]

This is one of my Pink Sky plants.
For some reason, new leaves come out very pale green, almost yellow green, in fact, they are brighter in person, and as they age, it darkens from the tip down.

I treat them all the same way, but only this one behaves this way.
Special?

 

[NYEric]

No bueno!

 

[SlipperFan]

Something cultural going on, I suspect. But what??

 

[Happypaphy7]

That is the question. No idea! lol

 

[Brabantia]

Which fertilyser are you using ? I observed the same situation with fertilysers having nitrogen in a all nitrate form.




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[paphioboy]

Not a good sign but I cannot help you. A couple of my Maudiae-types also turned this way when grown indoors. I do not see this when I grew them outdoors, so not sure why. Multifloras and other paphs grown indoors do not exhibit this symptom.

 

[myxodex]

It looks like the classic sulphur deficiency symptom but as it is only this plant showing this symptom it could also be genetic.
There are neo varieties that show this symptom as a varietal feature. The Japanese have a term for this which I can't remember but it is consistent feature of these varieties and so likely a mutation; two examples are Kinbotan and Akogare.

Even if this is genetic it doesn't necessarily mean that it is completely independent of cultural conditions. It might be worth giving the odd feeding of just MgSO4 for example. Many fertilisers have low S levels to avoid precipitation problems and it's possible that
genetic differences in efficiency of S uptake or metabolism could be at play. If it's a need for reduced N, as Brabantia is suggesting, you could try spraying the leaves with urea as this is easily absorbed through leaves and it has been reported more one than once here on ST that this greens up leaves, ... or just include urea with the MgSO4 feeding.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I thought the same thing, Sulfur.
So I dumped Epsom salt solutions on it a few times earlier, but didn't help.

I used balanced fertilizer.

Maybe urea spray might darken it up, but I don't know.

All other plants are fine, so I'm thinking this one has some problem of its own as you say.

 

[troy]

How long ago did you use epsom salts?

 

[myxodex]

Good to know, ... and anyway with S deficiency you wouldn't expect the greening up from tip to base to happen so distinctly because in slower growing plants an S deficiency gives a more dispersed chlorosis. This is exactly like the neos in which the new leaves are yellow, and then green up from the tip back to the base and end up a normal green. So my guess is a mutation that causes a delay in the initiation or rate of chlorophyll synthesis or alters the light response that initiates and regulates chlorophyll synthesis.

It seems that you have a rare plant. I wouldn't change your feeding to be any different from what works with your other plants in this case.

You might find that this plant has a different light sensitivity. If you are growing it quite bright you might want to experiment with more shade. In the neo Akogare for example, strong light delays the greening up of the new leaves and can even cause a general chlorosis ... and is why this variety is often grown bright in order to enhance this feature.

It will be very interesting to see whether the emerging flower spike is a different colour ... don't throw out this plant it might just have a pleasant surprise to come !

 

[Happypaphy7]

How long ago did you use epsom salts?

At least three times in the last four months.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Good to know, ... and anyway with S deficiency you wouldn't expect the greening up from tip to base to happen so distinctly because in slower growing plants an S deficiency gives a more dispersed chlorosis. This is exactly like the neos in which the new leaves are yellow, and then green up from the tip back to the base and end up a normal green. So my guess is a mutation that causes a delay in the initiation or rate of chlorophyll synthesis or alters the light response that initiates and regulates chlorophyll synthesis.

It seems that you have a rare plant. I wouldn't change your feeding to be any different from what works with your other plants in this case.

You might find that this plant has a different light sensitivity. If you are growing it quite bright you might want to experiment with more shade. In the neo Akogare for example, strong light delays the greening up of the new leaves and can even cause a general chlorosis ... and is why this variety is often grown bright in order to enhance this feature.

It will be very interesting to see whether the emerging flower spike is a different colour ... don't throw out this plant it might just have a pleasant surprise to come !

Thanks for your input.
I hope it'll be special in a good way.

 

[gego]

How much Ca do you have? Sometimes Mg needs Ca to be more effective.

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[Justin]

The light is too strong...you are bleaching it out.

 

[Happypaphy7]

How much Ca do you have? Sometimes Mg needs Ca to be more effective.

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I thought they work against each other??

 

[Happypaphy7]

The light is too strong...you are bleaching it out.

I doubt it.
This is the only plant that does this. And the color returns to normal eventually.

 

[gego]

I thought they work against each other??

They are not antagonistic to each other. As long as any of the four main cations is not overly supplied, plants will take what they need. They can compete against each but as long as you are within the acceptable range, deficiency is unlikely to happen. Google the function of calcium, not only that it's needed in the cell formation, it also helps transport nutrients.

I think one of the parent of this hybrid is a parvisepalum, these species will need extra Ca supplements.

Just try, it doesn't hurt since you already tried the other obvious suspects.
You did not say how much Ca you are supplying so I would say bring Ca up as much as your N or even higher. If you feed really low ppm, keep your Ca up around 40-50 ppm. It might be worth a try. The response is also fast. Let me know what you see.

And when you do this, provide air movement on the leaves right after applying.

 

[Stone]

Did the leaf before this one start this way?

 

[Rick]

They are not antagonistic to each other. As long as any of the four main cations is not overly supplied, plants will take what they need. They can compete against each but as long as you are within the acceptable range, deficiency is unlikely to happen.

The order of antagonism is NH4>K>Mg>Ca, and until you get to very low ammonia and K (like <1ppm N and 2-5 ppm K) the plants selectively pull up the more antagonistic items. I'm not sure what you consider "acceptable ranges" but ammonia and K is rare in the environment at more than a ppm or two.

You might want to get a pH strip and see if you can get a pH in contact with the roots (not the substrate). If the pH at the roots is > 6.5~7 you are likely seeing a N deficiency, and a dash of ammonia would help. Sue Bottom
wrote a nice article in August issue of Orchids that highlights the forms of N and which way it drives the rhyzosphere pH.

What the plant would do is start pumping out more citric and malic acid to lower the pH at the root down to ~ 5.8s.u. (which is where I started adding lemon juice to support what the plant would normally be doing anyway).

 

[Happypaphy7]

They are not antagonistic to each other. As long as any of the four main cations is not overly supplied, plants will take what they need. They can compete against each but as long as you are within the acceptable range, deficiency is unlikely to happen. Google the function of calcium, not only that it's needed in the cell formation, it also helps transport nutrients.

I think one of the parent of this hybrid is a parvisepalum, these species will need extra Ca supplements.

Just try, it doesn't hurt since you already tried the other obvious suspects.
You did not say how much Ca you are supplying so I would say bring Ca up as much as your N or even higher. If you feed really low ppm, keep your Ca up around 40-50 ppm. It might be worth a try. The response is also fast. Let me know what you see.

And when you do this, provide air movement on the leaves right after applying.

I tried CalMag a few times, too. I saw no change.

Regarding parvies needing more Ca, I do not believe this.
Many species that grow near or on the lime stone do not necessarily need higher pH or more Ca. My personal take is that people started to speculate that it is the case and some started to add extra Calcium sources.
I have seen others who never use such additives and their plants grew just fine as are all mine.

Plus, I remember reading site study of P. armeniacum and how the pH around the root was slightly acidic. After all, at least for many parvies, they might be sitting on or near the lime stone, the roots are still heavily covered with moss, dirt and such.