Paph wardii - Is this normal?

[Kavanaru]

Last year, I received a Paph wardii (single growth in bloom) I left it in the same pot it came, and just after the flower died, it started two new growth on the same side (left side of the first pic). Few months later, a third growth on the same side could be seen (between the first two). All three growth were doing fine, but the pot looked now too small for this plant. Especially, after a fourth growth started on the other side (right side of the first pic). So, today I decided I would repot this plant into a larger pot...

I was quite surprised when I realised that two of the new groth (second and third) were not attached to the plant anymore. They are still attached to each other and with very good root system (now I have a second plant ). Funny, was to see that the 4 growth is actually a stolon from the first one... Is it normal for paph wardii to grow stolons! I had never read about stolon in thi sspecies before...

Note: the large "yellowish" leaf at the basis of the stolon is the rest of the original growth I received.

 

[John M]

I don't know/remember if this happens with wardii; but, I've seen this sort of growth on many other mottled leaf species and hybrids. Your plant looks to be in excellent health with nice, richly coloured foliage!

 

[Rick]

I've had several Barbata species do this.

Your wardii is very dark. It almost looks more like my venustum. You might want to try spiking your irrigation water with some epson salts.

 

[Kavanaru]

I've had several Barbata species do this.
Your wardii is very dark. It almost looks more like my venustum.

But 100% sure it is paph wardii it has always been very dark... you can see it here:

You might want to try spiking your irrigation water with some epson salts.

What exactly for?

 

[biothanasis]

Gorgeous flower Ramon...:clap:

 

[Rick]

But 100% sure it is paph wardii it has always been very dark... you can see it here:





What exactly for?

Greening up the foliage, encouraging root growth, increasing the staying power of older/flowered growths.

Although it seems like a fairly common and normal growth pattern to have the plant loose or "eat up" old growths as it puts up new ones, I've seen a pattern over the years in my Barbata. As they flower and then produce new growths, they get darker and smaller before they ultimately burn out (shrink down to nothing) or succumb to rots. I started adding some bone meal to my potting mixes last year which seemed to stabilize the problem, but this spring I started MgSO4 supplementation, and the barbata are responding very well with great leaf and root growth, albeit with lighter foliage color.

 

[biothanasis]

Where can I find epsom salts???

 

[Kavanaru]

Greening up the foliage, encouraging root growth, increasing the staying power of older/flowered growths.

Although it seems like a fairly common and normal growth pattern to have the plant loose or "eat up" old growths as it puts up new ones, I've seen a pattern over the years in my Barbata. As they flower and then produce new growths, they get darker and smaller before they ultimately burn out (shrink down to nothing) or succumb to rots. I started adding some bone meal to my potting mixes last year which seemed to stabilize the problem, but this spring I started MgSO4 supplementation, and the barbata are responding very well with great leaf and root growth, albeit with lighter foliage color.

hhmmm... interesting... Thanks for sharing I will keep an eye on this... How much Epson per liter or gallon do you use?

Biothanasis, you canbuy it at the Drugstore / Pharmacy (Epson Salts = Magnesium Sulphate MgSO4)

 

[Rick]

Where do we get epsom salts from???

Epson salts (Magnesium sulfate) should be readily available at drug stores/pharmacy. Epson salts have been commonly used in horticulture since the beginning of timeoke: so it shouldn't be hard to find at your basic garden supply too.

 

[Rick]

I'm not claiming that this is what a wardii should look like, but trying to show an example of how nutrition may change color.

The plant on the rear left is from the same compot as all the rest of the plants in the photo. It was the fastest/largest in the group, so I potted it up separately and moved it into the GH. Its foliage became much darker and blue, and the anthocianin (purple pigment) increased almost to the point of covering the bottom of the leaves, and it stopped growing. So I repotted it and moved it back indoors under the same conditions as the rest of its compot mates that had not been separated yet a few months ago. The change of environment did not make a difference until I started with the epson salt spike, and you can see that now there is very little color difference between this plant and its mates, and I can attest it is growing again. The indoor lighting is less than what it would get in the GH.


I wish I had some before and after pics, but the changes were surprisingly fast. I also had some Restrepias that the leaves had turned purple ( I thought from heat stress), but after 3 or so weekly foliar applications of Mg spiked fertilizer, they are nice and green again.

 

[Rick]

hhmmm... interesting... Thanks for sharing I will keep an eye on this... How much Epson per liter or gallon do you use?

I've been adding it to my weekly fertilizer water at the rate of 1/4 tsp per gallon, but I've heard of rates as high as 2 tblspoons per gallon. Also spray it all over the leaves as Mg is easily transported throughout plant tissues.

I was reading a horticultural article that said that Mg and P work synergistically, which is why I have been adding it to the fertilizer rather than using it separately.

 

[SlipperFan]

I thought that people use Epsom Salts, in part, to green-up yellowish leaves. Ramón's plant looks very healthy to me. The oldest leaf is yellowish, but that is normal.

It's interesting, though, to see if the Salts help the plant keep it's growths together.

 

[Kavanaru]

I agree with slipperfan... and yes, it is inded interesting to see that Epson helps with the growth..

however, looking back at the picture of your plants, it looks more like the "light" ones are not getting enough light and therefore are also stretching up (normal growth under not sufficient light) ... My plant is indeed dark (like most wardiis I know) and also growing very well, it does not get smaller (actually, the opposite is the case).. yes, it made a stolon, but even this looks quite healthy..

However, I will keep an eye on yourrecommendation, and if I see the need I would give it a try...

Note: Epson Salt is a source of Mangnesium, which should be also covered by MSU or Peter's Excel Mg Ca, or Dolomit... my wardii receives Peter's Excell on a regular basis, so I would not think there is a deficiency of this element...

 

[Rick]

I thought that people use Epsom Salts, in part, to green-up yellowish leaves. Ramón's plant looks very healthy to me. The oldest leaf is yellowish, but that is normal.

It's interesting, though, to see if the Salts help the plant keep it's growths together.

http://www.ladyslipper.com/minnut.htm

Check out this link to Antec's reading room.

Abnormal (which is subjective term given "vini" varieties of slippers) increases in anthocyanin (which you see as bluish leaves with lots of the purple pigment) production can be a symptom of magnesium and phosphorous deficiency. Anthocyanin production is essentially a response by plants to have a compromised capacity to produce or utilize chlorophyl based pigments (which either need adequate light levels or magnesium as its core metal ion in the chlorophyll porphoryn structure. Anthocyanins work at lower light levels than chlorophyls, and don't require magnesium.

So I think it may be a viable hypothesis that many of the vini varieties of paph may be just mag/phosphorus deprived and adapted. Same for some of the close species like hookerae and volunteanum which are only really different by the amount of anthocyanin in the leaves.

 

[Brian Monk]

Paph. wardii is a species, IME, that may produce stolons, and the species and their offspring tend to be very vigorous and produce new growths very freely. Nice plant.

 

[Kavanaru]

absolutelly right, however the lack of Mg is also associated with chlorosis, which is not the case of teh plant shown.. Anthocyanin can also be a response to high light in order to protect the plant from sunburn... or an inherited character of plants (maybe as adaptation to Mg deficiency in teh environment as you said? could be.. but then it is already in teh genom and the plant will still produce high concentrations of them...)

what I am saying is not to contradict your point of view, which obviously is based on the success you had Epson on your plants... as I said, my plant receive enough Mg and Ca and micronutrient (no signs of chlorosis or any other deficinecies, neither on this plant nor in any other of my plants - all receiving the same treatment), and I know the plant from this division comes, and it is also very dark and very old and very healthy...

 

[Kavanaru]

Paph. wardii is a species, IME, that may produce stolons, and the species and their offspring tend to be very vigorous and produce new growths very freely. Nice plant.

Thanks! As I said before I had never read of this species producing stolns, that's why I was quite surprised...

 

[Rick]

Agreed it seems to be a special clone. It helps to know the history of the parents so you know whats normal or not. Sometimes we don't have any foundation of what constitutes a normal condition, and then we "dumb down" our expectations as we all have similar problems as time goes on.

 

[rdlsreno]

Nice one Ramon and unusual one!


Ramon

 

[luvsorchids]

I also have wardii seedling that looks very similar. It was purchased a few months ago from a reputable grower who indicated the breeding was for very dark flowers. The plant is growing and appears very healthy. I do use epsom salts, but haven't noticed any major change in this particular plant-it is still very dark. I suspect the dark coloration is normal.

Susan