Paph. delenatii question

[kman]

I need the observations of some of you experienced with growing Paph. delenatii. I grew this species in the early 90s, but my memory of that time with them is not particularly clear. This last winter I obtained three single growth seedlings - one “regular”, one var. album and one var. dunkel. They flowered nicely early in the year, and aside from a couple of new roots I’ve seen have done nothing for several months. The leaves look quite heathy and are not visibly deteriorating. Growing in a greenhouse with good climate control and what has been successful culture for many other species.

My question: What is the typical time from end of bloom to the emergence of new growths? Is it seasonal?

Many thanks.

 

[Jpari]

I cut the flower stem on my Paph. delenatii (also a single growth seedling) sometime in mid May and I noticed a new growth had begun last week, the week of June 3rd.

 

[big923cattleya]

In my experience, if properly grown, delenatii is almost always doing something. The 'key' is obviously 'happy' or properly grown.

In my first 28 years in a greenhouse on Long Island, I did not have a whole lot of success with Brachy's. I think in looking back, my greenhouse was terribly inadequate in terms of humidity. Never cut short the value of humidity. Think of where they often are found growing. "in the leaf litter on top of limestone outcroppings. Those words did NOT describe my Long Island greenhouse. There I struggled to maintain a 50% humidity level when they prefer 70-80%, if not more.
This has become apparent in my last 6 to 7 years in Michigan, under lights. Here my winter humidity levels are 55-60% at worse and 75-80% at best. And the even light levels afforded by my plant carts have really helped in my opinion. Plus my media has changed. I used to use something more akin to a Phalaenopsis mix. Now it is 50% fine grade bark, 20% fine grade charcoal, and 20% fine grade perlite. And yes, that is not 100%, it is just rough estimations. Perhaps a little bit of leca works its way in or perhaps medium grade bark to bring that % up to 100%? AND I religiously water every 3 days during the winter and every 4 to maybe 5 days in the summer. My lights run 10 hours per day during the winter months up to 12 hours a day during the summer. An oscillating fan blows across them all the time.
I sincerely hope that this helps you!!!

 

[kman]

Thanks for the info.

I maintain humidity at 65 to 80 percent - usually at the higher end - using an Aquafog TurboXE Fogger. We've had to rebuild it once but this unit is now just short of 30 years in service. So low humidity is not the issue.

 

[richgarrison]

….. AND I religiously water every 3 days during the winter and every 4 to maybe 5 days in the summer.

Interesting that you water less in the summer. Any thoughts on that reasoning?

 

[Morja]

I have a delenatii alba that I bought last summer that seems to like to primarily focus on one thing at a time, and it's felt slow! I actually felt like it wasn't growing at all for a while so I started taking weekly pictures of it. And surprise! It was indeed growing. Just slow! The bigger of 2 new growths that I bought it with grew a lot, then slowed down and the plant grew a bunch of fat roots (I have it in a clear pot nested in another pot so I can check). Now, with many new roots established it is growing new leaves on both the bigger new growth and the othet teeny tiny one that has barely grown for a year. Maybe with more perfect conditions it would be faster, but being that it was getting used to my conditions for the last year I think it's done alright!
When I bought it on August 23, 2023 (it had flowered that spring):


A better picture of the two new growths (it was already losing a leaf after being with me for about a month here. It lost 2-3 thus far I think):

Today, bigger new growth is visible on the right (ruler was for another thread question):

It seems like the new growths had barely popped up when I bought it. This is 10 months of growth. The seller said they bloomed like clockwork for him every spring, so if I had his exact conditions it sounds like a growth would emerge and reach blooming size within a year. He was in a greenhouse in Baltimore and I move around the country and am now in Montana though so that is very different for the poor plant!

 

[southernbelle]

In my experience, if properly grown, delenatii is almost always doing something. The 'key' is obviously 'happy' or properly grown.

In my first 28 years in a greenhouse on Long Island, I did not have a whole lot of success with Brachy's. I think in looking back, my greenhouse was terribly inadequate in terms of humidity. Never cut short the value of humidity. Think of where they often are found growing. "in the leaf litter on top of limestone outcroppings. Those words did NOT describe my Long Island greenhouse. There I struggled to maintain a 50% humidity level when they prefer 70-80%, if not more.
This has become apparent in my last 6 to 7 years in Michigan, under lights. Here my winter humidity levels are 55-60% at worse and 75-80% at best. And the even light levels afforded by my plant carts have really helped in my opinion. Plus my media has changed. I used to use something more akin to a Phalaenopsis mix. Now it is 50% fine grade bark, 20% fine grade charcoal, and 20% fine grade perlite. And yes, that is not 100%, it is just rough estimations. Perhaps a little bit of leca works its way in or perhaps medium grade bark to bring that % up to 100%? AND I religiously water every 3 days during the winter and every 4 to maybe 5 days in the summer. My lights run 10 hours per day during the winter months up to 12 hours a day during the summer. An oscillating fan blows across them all the time.
I sincerely hope that this helps you!!!

 

[Morja]

I just wanted to update that now that our long, cold spring is over in Montana, my kitchen corner where my delenatii sits has had higher temps lately, upper 70s into 80s, a good part of the day. I've immediately noticed that growth has taken off! It's been slow and steady regardless, but I think if I'd been able to keep it consistently this warm it probably would grow fast enough to bloom every year for me. Unfortunately that's hard to do in a camper in the PNW!

 

[kman]

I've always run all of our plants with higher light than is normally recommended. A methodology that has proved beneficial for most everything: Cattleya types, Mexican Laelias, Zygos, Australian Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, Disa, Phrags, most Paphs and Cymbidiums. I do heavily shade Masdevallias. Here on the coast of Northern California we have foggy and overcast conditions quite often in the summer, so the light is often moderated. Plants tend to be more compact and leaves smaller, thicker and with greater disease resistant.

Our climate has changed quite abruptly over the last decade, and the sun's intensity has greatly increased. I wonder if I've reached a breaking point with the light intensity for some of the low light Paph species. Anyone else seeing this?

Update on the Paph. delenatii: All three varieties are now showing new growths. Slower than expected but progress nonetheless.

 

[BrucherT]

I think you’re doing fine. It took me a lot of years to figure out delenatii; I have 5 clones of it, none younger than 8 years, that bloom annually, one that blooms twice annually and some seedlings.

For me, it likes high light. Mine all sit in south and southeast “failed” double-pane windows with natural shading from our hard rainwater. I water weekly with K-Lite/RO. Leaves are perfect. I do a couple doses of Cal-Mag in spring and a big flush with tap water (it’s hard; 350ppm) about every 3 months.

I use pumice and limestone in my mixes for these. 1/3 Hausermann’s bark, 1/3 limestone chips, 1/3 pumice. I pack a little damp sphagnum around the collar when I see roots aborting into the air but I don’t keep that sphagnum wet, just incidental wetness from watering.

I never, ever let water into the delenatii crowns. If it happens by accident, I take a paper towel corner and blot it up. I also never let leaves themselves get wet except when they’re dusty and then I set a fan right on them until the water is gone.

it’s such a wonderful species abd I hope yours will be fragrant.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I have had great success with delenatii. I always think to myself why can't other parvi species behave like delenatii?!! fast to clump and easy to flower.
To answer your very first question, the ones I grew all started new growths either while in bloom or shortly after the flower faded.
I grew mine at home with temperature around low to mid 70s F most of the time.
I no longer have the species but as I understand, there is an extra large form of the species here in Europe. I hope to locate it and get me some. I really like the leaves and the ease of growth of delenatii. Of course, when you have a fragrant clone, it is a bonus as I find the scent quite lovely!

 

[Tom-DE]

I agree Paph. delenatii is the easiest parvi to grow and bloom...but it takes awhile to grow a plant with multi leads tho.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I agree Paph. delenatii is the easiest parvi to grow and bloom...but it takes awhile to grow a plant with multi leads tho.

It seems like it has more to do with genetics. Some would add one new growth at a time while others would add three or more new growths at a time, then move up fast from there.
Other faster Paphs like those in the section Paphiopedilum were the same for me. The bulldog hybrids I had were typically generating two three new growths after the very first blooming of a single-growth plant, but then I had one that started 5-6 new growths. I like those weirdos.

 

[BrucherT]

Chiming in again to say I've been paying more attention to what makes my P. delenatii happy and I think the #1 thing is... calcium. I use limestone in the mix and I gave more CalMag this summer and they're all really vigorous this winter. I'm struck by big923cattleya's comments about humidity; I'm sure my winter humidity is rarely up to, let alone above, 40%. I don't do anything to increase it. Might change that but I fear mold in the home.

 

[Tom-DE]

Chiming in again to say I've been paying more attention to what makes my P. delenatii happy and I think the #1 thing is... calcium. I use limestone in the mix and I gave more CalMag this summer and they're all really vigorous this winter.

I am thinking about adding small limestone chips to my Paph medium for some species, not just top dress with oyster shell... what size is the limestone you are using? and where did you find them? Are all limestones the same?

 

[southernbelle]

Chiming in again to say I've been paying more attention to what makes my P. delenatii happy and I think the #1 thing is... calcium. I use limestone in the mix and I gave more CalMag this summer and they're all really vigorous this winter. I'm struck by big923cattleya's comments about humidity; I'm sure my winter humidity is rarely up to, let alone above, 40%. I don't do anything to increase it. Might change that but I fear mold in the home.

Re humidity: we have a whole house humidifier for winter and dehumidifier for summer. At least 50% in winter and we keep our basement about that in summer. We do have fans in remote unfinished parts of the basement to move air, and fans in the orchid room. Orchid room HVAC vents are closed to whole house system. It has it's own heater and has additional humidifier that keeps it at 60% No mold anywhere in the house. We've had it checked. The guy told us the greatest mold prevention is moving air.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I never had to add extra calcium in any form to any of my plants. I used naturally soft NYC tap water for years. Never had issues.
Now my tap water is very high in calcium. I have not noticed any benefits of it. If anything, the annoying white calcium deposits on the roots, leaves, potting mix....argggg!!!!

 

[Tom-DE]

True! If your water has a lot of calcium in it, you don't need extra by adding limestone chips/powder or crushed oyster shells. My water has a ph of 5.8-6 naturally and not a lot of calcium either. Adding a little bit of limestone chips in the mix can maintain the ph of the growing medium and add drainage as well. Also, it will benefit those species that like higher Ph. like the Phrag. kovachii.

 

[southernbelle]

I’ve only used cal-mag for a brief period and have never noticed any difference. I use R/O and MSU

 

[BrucherT]

I am thinking about adding small limestone chips to my Paph medium for some species, not just top dress with oyster shell... what size is the limestone you are using? and where did you find them? Are all limestones the same?

I

I am thinking about adding small limestone chips to my Paph medium for some species, not just top dress with oyster shell... what size is the limestone you are using? and where did you find them? Are all limestones the same?

Apologies; I seem to have neglected to answer an important part of your question. The limestone chips I use are swiped from various road-construction piles here and there around Chicago. I just pocket a couple handsful any time I think about it. It's a silvery-white, dusty stuff, chunked into quarter-inch rough pebbles. I estimate that I just 20% to 30% in any given calcium-loving-plant mix. I have also used pebbles of yellow "Joliet limestone," the stuff out of which the Chicago Water Tower was built, which is abundant here and there. I had a Laelia lundii growing xerophytically on a roughened chunk of this stuff, robustly too, which I gave to a friend this summer. Hope this helps; I don't know much about differences in limestone, sources, etc. I have also heard of folks using marble chips in their mixes.