two paphs in bud

[cnycharles]

it's unusual for me to have a paph in bud, but two is almost unheard of! I noticed a few days ago that one of my paph spicerianums had a bud coming up; about the same time I saw that a new shoot on one of my paph armeniacums actually had a new flower sheath. both plants had a severe mealybug problem; well, actually the spicerianum has been ravaged by them and I've sprayed it a few times with some merit-like insecticide but they come back with a vengeance. this time I sprayed everything with neem oil, it looks like the bugs took quite a hit and i'll be doing it again in a few weeks, maybe hit them with the other stuff a week in between. the armeniacum is one that I repotted into woods moss, leaf litter and limestone-based flat rocks in the bottom of a wire cage. it's gotten a little dry at times and when the bugs have been a little more numerous a few bottom leaves would turn brown and dry up.

spicerianum (not showing whole plant because it looks very sad) plant is from rice's orchids

armeniacum from main st. orchids

will have updates when available

 

[biothanasis]

Exciting!!!!

It is said that P. spicerianum is one of the easiest, but I think it is not true...

P. armeniacum on the other hand seems pretty strong! But why would brown leaf tips occur?? Fert burn or too much watering perhaps? Or that dryness followed by watering?

 

[likespaphs]

good job!
i am super excited i've got stuff started too as i never do!
whoopie!
(i'm with biothanasis though in that i can't bloom spicerianum either!)

 

[NYEric]

Good luck, I still have the woods moss/leaf litter you sent me in the box!

 

[parvi_17]

Spikes from armeniacums are always exciting! Well done.

 

[JeanLux]

Spikes from armeniacums are always exciting! Well done.

I agree!!! Still waiting for the first ! !! Jean

 

[cnycharles]

Exciting!!!!

It is said that P. spicerianum is one of the easiest, but I think it is not true...

P. armeniacum on the other hand seems pretty strong! But why would brown leaf tips occur?? Fert burn or too much watering perhaps? Or that dryness followed by watering?

even when I was really a true beginner, I had another spicerianum from rice's that would flower fairly regularly, in comparison to most of my things that weren't flowering. so far that species has been fairly 'easy' to get to flower, at least in home under lights conditions.
about the armeniacum and the brown leaves/tips - I noticed that the shoots that had more bugs chewing on them underneath the basal leaf sheaths would have more browning leaves. the growths that didn't have any bugs didn't have browning leaves. It could be a combo between being kind of dry and bugs draining the growth, or just bug damage symptoms. though it gets fairly dry, the light isn't very high and the temps never get very high, and there isn't a whole lot of air movement, so there isn't as much need to keep it wet(ter). if you dig around under leaf litter in the woods, often you'll see that it isn't really wet under there, but mildly damp. often the covering leaves will prevent moderate moisture from getting in, unless you have a solid rain and then everything gets wet. it's sort of 'humid/dry', if that makes any sense...

 

[biothanasis]

I see...!!! TY

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

Paphs in bud - so exciting! I haven't got a straight spicerianum, but I sure can't get the two spicerianum hybrids I have to rebloom. I do have an armeniacum that feels like it's about to send up a bud though; bought it that way, no credit due to me.