Paph Tigrinum Repot

[melisa]

I am new to this forum so hello all!
Recently I purchased a Tigrinum "Candor Predator". It is still a pretty small seedling with a 8 inch leaf span. I've had it for a month now and I believe it is due for a repot. The bark that it is in is starting to break down, and I usually repot right away and it is bothering me! Lol. I am thinking of putting it in a clear pot with slits for air circulation. What mix would you recommend? I grow all of my other paphs in fir bark layered with spaghnum and they are all very happy, but it seems like Tigrinum may be different. I really don't want to mess up with this little guy. I grow indoors and humidity hovers between 60 and 70, sometimes higher. Would really love to hear what the indoor growers use!

 

[troy]

Hello melisa, there is alot of info on s.t. about tigrinum, they are acidic growers and like to dry out between waterings, is about all I know about this one, like I said there are alot of threads on tigrinum under culture, good luck!!!

 

[abax]

Welcome to ST from KY, melisa! I grow all my Paphs. in
Orchiata, but others may disagree on potting medium for
tigrinum.

 

[Stone]

tigrinum, they are acidic growers and like to dry out between waterings,

Not only that, they like to dry out quickly. When it's very cool, in a couple of hours! (think dendrobium) The best results are obtained with a mix open enough so you can water every day in summer. That means a basket.
Use bark charcoal and perlite and use large pieces. They love polystyrene too. You can use as much as 30% in the mix. If the plant is dormant now, you might lose it if you mess around with it. In this case repot but don't water it in. Or, leave it as is and let it dry out.

 

[SlipperFan]

Welcome to Slippertalk, Melisa. Good luck with your tigrinum.

 

[John M]

Hi Melisa...welcome to SlipperTalk from Ontario, Canada!

Please update your profile so that your general location appears in the upper right hand corner of your posts. Thanks.

Congrats on getting a nice Tigrinum! I struggled with mine until I began growing it much more dry at the roots. Now, I grow mine in a 6" net pot that is hung up in a breezy spot. I water it like a Cattleya....waiting for it to completely dry out before rewatering. Plus, my mix (1/2 perlite and 1/2 CHC) does dry out quickly. So, I end up watering it often; but, only after it's dried completely. Now, it blooms well for me and it's doing great and beginning to clump, as any happy plant should.

Dot or Heather, this is the "Paph photograph" sub-forum. Can you please move this thread where people will find it in the future....to the "Slipper Orchid Culture" sub-forum. Thanks.

 

[SlipperFan]

Good idea, John.

 

[Rick]

I set mine up in a wood slat basket (hanging) with a mix of large limestone gravel and sphagnum moss. Its been in this setup for about 5 years and much of the old moss is gone, but replaced by some live moss.

I water every day with very weak fertilizer mix in RO (reverse osmosis).

Here's a link to my last post on this plant.

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42376&highlight=tigrinum

Technically all slippers maintain root pH less than 7 (acidic) but generally more than 5.5. However in the wild tigrinum is either found in trees or on steep hillsides (both conditions drain very well after rain events).

But I've even set these guys up in semi hydro years ago with no problem with root rot issues.

 

[troy]

Rick, you put limestone in your tigrinum substrate, isn't tigrinum an acidic grower?

 

[Rick]

Rick, you put limestone in your tigrinum substrate, isn't tigrinum an acidic grower?

Limestone gravel is too coarse and hard to modify pH. I do lots of pour through measurements to check, so not a contradiction.

I also use lemon juice to supply additional citric and malic acid that plants (especially calcareous species) use to control rhyzosphere pH.

Plants will regulate root pH at around 5.8s.u. if they are not overly fertilized and the substrate/water is low in alkalinity (bicarbonate).

I gave up using readily soft calcareous (buffering) materials years ago.

 

[troy]

Interesting, I was under the impression limestone gravel 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces would raise ph. I'm wrong?

 

[Rick]

Interesting, I was under the impression limestone gravel 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces would raise ph. I'm wrong?

Not with the stuff I use anyway.

 

[Rick]

Interesting, I was under the impression limestone gravel 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces would raise ph. I'm wrong?

Check your PM

 

[melisa]

A few weeks ago I put my tigrinum in a wood slat basket with only sphagnum. When I repotted it the only good roots it had were two actively growing roots that were less than an inch long each. Now, they have grown enough to hold the plant up firmly so I assume that it likes the change. I water it when it is almost completely dry and that seems to be working out well so far. Thank you all for the tips!

 

[Linus_Cello]

A few weeks ago I put my tigrinum in a wood slat basket with only sphagnum. When I repotted it the only good roots it had were two actively growing roots that were less than an inch long each. Now, they have grown enough to hold the plant up firmly so I assume that it likes the change. I water it when it is almost completely dry and that seems to be working out well so far. Thank you all for the tips!

Do you grow on a windowsill or in a greenhouse?

 

[melisa]

This one is doing best under lights.