Variegated or nutrient deficient?

[SuperPaph]

But mixing Citric Acid/Malic Acid with water for making a "stock solution", and storing it for an indefinited time, is not correct. When you mix to diferent chemical substances, you will get, by reaction, a new one, and maybe you could "down" the Ph by the hidrogen contribution, but I am sure those profite of original products will be not kept.

 

[Phred]

But mixing Citric Acid/Malic Acid with water for making a "stock solution", and storing it for an indefinited time, is not correct. When you mix to diferent chemical substances, you will get, by reaction, a new one, and maybe you could "down" the Ph by the hidrogen contribution, but I am sure those profite of original products will be not kept.

Hello SuperPaph
Your comment “When you mix different chemical substances, you will get, by reaction, a new one” is fortunately not the case in all situations. If it was, the elements in the fertilizers we water our orchids with, the vitamins and minerals found in the multiple vitamins we take... etc, would all have to be given separately and at separate times.
The 10:1 CA/MA ratio I use is what is found in plants so that’s why I use that.
Mixing CA and MA in distilled water does not create anything new.
CA in solution can have a shelf life of up to 2 years unrefrigerated if strong enough. My solution is not that strong so I refrigerate it and use it up in a week to a week and a half.

 

[Ernesto]

Thanks all!

Update: I’ve repotted the plant in Power orchiata and moved it to slightly lower light. I also moved to two Epsom salt waterings per month and bumped up my K-Lite to 75-100 ppm N per watering. Looks like the chlorophyll is starting to come back.

 

[Hardwood]

I am glad your plants are improving. I have a similar problem and have given an emergency dose of norwegian saltpeter (Calcium Nitrate) along with epsom salts. 1 tbl spoon per gallon each. I also have increased the amount of fertilizer injected with my watering. I have removed my shade cloth for the winter and I think the plants are getting too much light for the amount of fertilizer that I was giving them. Thanks for all the comments and help.

 

[SuperPaph]

Excellent!!! Really looks better!!

 

[Ray]

Something else you may want to consider is urea.

Urea solutions are used a lot as foliar "green up" treatments. I have a friend in Montreal who specializes in paph species, and he swears his do better with a tiny bit of urea added to his feeding regimen. I tried that in my greenhouse for about a year, but saw no improvement versus plants under my regular regimen.

 

[cnycharles]

Hmm, in Montreal he probably had a light deficiency and maybe seasonally cooler temps, but you wouldn’t have those down south in your greenhouse. You likely already had lots of light, heat and plenty of N so the urea wouldn’t show obvious changes for you
I’ve heard of people recommending adding lemon juice to their water as a pH down, and to add the acid compounds one was describing. I think lemon juice has citric and malic acid (and ascorbic?), and is reported to work well, so you wouldn’t have to buy and mix chemicals from a store, just squeeze some lemons

 

[Phred]

I used lemon juice for about a year... using citric/malic acid powders is way cheaper.

 

[cnycharles]

live and learn

 

[Ernesto]

Just a few update photos—the new growths that came in white got some color back after the addition of Epsom salts, but they remain striated.

 

[Ray]

FWIW, I have heard from a few other folks that such bleaching can come from the combination of low-dose feeding and high light, and can be compensated for by raising the first and/or lowering the second.

 

[Phred]

FWIW, I have heard from a few other folks that such bleaching can come from the combination of low-dose feeding and high light, and can be compensated for by raising the first and/or lowering the second.

Lol... exactly what I said in the first response to the original question. I can’t guarantee it but it cost you nothing. It would have been better to have done this first then look at other issues if it did no good. Throwing a bunch of things at a problem can give you the result you’re looking for but it doesn’t help you know exactly what the problem was for the next time.

 

[Ray]

Sure enough, but exactly WHAT you throw at it makes a difference.

I'd always recommend starting with Epsom salts in this situation as it can only help and cannot hurt anything. Arbitrarily increasing the fertilizer might also work, but risks overdoing the nitrogen and quashing blooming.

 

[Phred]

Sure enough, but exactly WHAT you throw at it makes a difference.

I'd always recommend starting with Epsom salts in this situation as it can only help and cannot hurt anything. Arbitrarily increasing the fertilizer might also work, but risks overdoing the nitrogen and quashing blooming.

You are correct... that's why I suggested moving it to lower light first or covering part of a leaf.

 

[Ray]

 

[BrucherT]

Just a few update photos—the new growths that came in white got some color back after the addition of Epsom salts, but they remain striated.

Just looks like variegation to me, of the sort valued in Neofinetia and Sedeira.

 

[Ozpaph]

i think its 'genetic'.

 

[dodidoki]

Iron deficiency can cause pale, yellowish new leaves, too.

 

[dodidoki]

Otherwire I have I praestans in low bud with similar simptom.New growth is green.

 

[musa]

Is it possible to distinguish N-, Fe- and Mg- deficiences on Paphs?