Extremely Lightly Colored Leaves on Paphiopedilum Pink Sky.

[Happypaphy7]

Did the leaf before this one start this way?

It's been growing this way for a little over one year.

 

[Happypaphy7]

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).

It is around 5.5-6.0

 

[Rick]

It is around 5.5-6.0

Then your inorganic chemistries are likely perfect and you may look more at temp / light / humidity issues.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I'm not sure.
I'm leaning toward mutation as other member has pointed out.

This plant was in the natural light where other of the same variety was growing perfectly fine, and this plant was doing the same thing then.

They have all been under T8 light since April this year.
All are well, except this one being yellow as usual, but I would say even yellower under light.

T8 might be too bright.
I saw T8 bulbs at Home Depot the other day and they looked exactly like conventional T8 except they were LED and a bit pricy.

I think I might switch to those next year. At least I would have less of a heat issues.

 

[gego]

Ok so you already tried. Cal Mag was not very effective for me. I cant add enough because of the high iron on it. Ca Mg+ from GenOrganics has no iron, calnit is good plus a lil bit of tap. I make my solution out of ro by adding lime ang marble chips. Just sharing my line of thinking since you are using balance formula so that is very hard to increase Ca without adding any of the NPK. Of course you need to control your pH
I dont agree that the sorrounding elements do not count. Rain picks up calcium from limestone in a form of calcium bircarbonate.
They are not there for nothing. Or they would have grown somewhere else

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[gego]

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).

Not so much between Ca and Mg if they are within the ratio a plant prefers. I think he uses a balance fert so his K is pretty high already and i believe he will need to overcome that ratio between K and Ca. And this thing about cation ratio is very species specific. im only thinking about this specific plant

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[Happypaphy7]

I normally use balanced fertilizer with both Ca and Mg included.

On this plant, I used CalMag alone seperatley, and Epsom Salt separately.

I don't think it is deficiency.

 

[gego]

So you have covered that part. I was just thinking that you have lots of K in your media and so you msy need more Ca to evercome that.
Btw, what I mean about Ca supplement doesnt mean a plant needs extra Ca. Some species just is not as efficient in taking this cation and so you provide more. It seems like K is easily absorbed while the availabilty is low.
I have a few parvi hybrid and just like the others here experienced, the newest leaf is prone to seem like black rot. I remember some catts I hsve before showed the same syptoms and it wasnt rot but Ca deficiency.
I did the same thing on these plants and the new leaves now show no black lesions.

This Ca supply is sometimes tricky. My experience is that its not as effective if mixed with urea and sulphur although i didnt see any precipation. I was struggling then. Alil bit of ammomium seems to work better.

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[Stone]

I normally use balanced fertilizer with both Ca and Mg included.

On this plant, I used CalMag alone seperatley, and Epsom Salt separately.

I don't think it is deficiency.

I've seen your other plants HP. This has nothing to do with nutrients.

 

[Happypaphy7]

So you have covered that part. I was just thinking that you have lots of K in your media and so you msy need more Ca to evercome that.
Btw, what I mean about Ca supplement doesnt mean a plant needs extra Ca. Some species just is not as efficient in taking this cation and so you provide more. It seems like K is easily absorbed while the availabilty is low.
I have a few parvi hybrid and just like the others here experienced, the newest leaf is prone to seem like black rot. I remember some catts I hsve before showed the same syptoms and it wasnt rot but Ca deficiency.
I did the same thing on these plants and the new leaves now show no black lesions.

This Ca supply is sometimes tricky. My experience is that its not as effective if mixed with urea and sulphur although i didnt see any precipation. I was struggling then. Alil bit of ammomium seems to work better.

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I don't think I've seen Ca deficiency in my plants. Even when I went one year without any fertilizing. Oncidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Cattleyas. All grew and flowered fine. Not a single spots other than certain Oncidiums, which I believe had nothing to do with nutritions. These are those that get ugly spotty leaves no matter what.
I don't do these any more for that reason. Yuck!

So I would think these plants either have lots of reserve in the older growths, and/or the deficiency has to be severe to show up.

Then, the Ca deficiency symptoms themselves differ by crops, and sometimes even by varieties within the same plant.
Orchids are less known for this.
The only thing I've seen photos of are certain bifoliate Cattleya, and I wish I knew the name. Small circular necrotic spot(s) may develop near the tip of the newly emerging growth.

So, telling apart from Ca deficiency and fungal spots might be a challenge, I would think. I mean, how do you know for sure?

Now, it's turning into the dreaded nutrition talk here. hahaha

 

[Happypaphy7]

I've seen your other plants HP. This has nothing to do with nutrients.

That's what I'm thinking.
I mean, I can't think of anything else for this particular phenomenon.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Update

I took this plant out of the light set up and put it on a window sill in about two weeks ago.
It's amazing how fast the color returns normal.

I guess it just didn't like the light from the tubes. lol

Honestly, it looks ugly now. Either full green or yellow was prettier. haha

I have one other Pink Sky in spike. If that one turns out nice, this one might have to go.

 

[troy]

Don't throw it out, I'll take it!!

 

[NYEric]

Hey now!?

 

[Happypaphy7]

Sorry, Troy, but I'd rather dispose locally.

I usually just throw them in the garbage or bring to the local meeting. or Eric. hahaha

Eric-When the other Pink Sky comes into bloom, I'll decide and let you know if I'm going to toss this funky one.

 

[consettbay2003]

What is the Kelvin rating of your tubes?

 

[Happypaphy7]

Typical white light. 5000 or 6000K I think.

Can you tell me how that is related to the plant?
All I know is that is shows how close the artificial light resembles the natural light in human eyes.

Note that I have many plants under the same light and nothing behaved like this one, although a few others did bleach in varying degree.
Then the rest seem fine.