This is my new orchid child! I have a jewel orchid that is happily thriving and has been for over a year. I don’t consider it to be as difficult to care for as the more typical orchid. I would greatly appreciate any tips/recommendations about the best means to encourage growth and longevity.
by Serena_jules
7 Comments
that’s beautiful!
Where did you score this beauty! Luv the shade
I’ve found that these guys prefer normal pots compared to orchid pots. I had started my Paphiopedalums in the typical slotted pot with a cache pot, and they were slow growers. Once I moved them over to a normal pot and added more moisture retaining potting mix/sphagnum moss, the growth started taking OFF. And though some say to jsut use orchid mix bark with them, I find that’s not really the plan unless you want to water them like 3-4 times a week. They like more moisture than a phalaenopsis will, but are pretty similar in light needs from my experience. There is no easy way to tell if they’re thirsty, their leaves don’t really get wrinkly or droop much when they need water, and their roots sure don’t tell you anything. Mostly they just stop growing when they get thirsty, until they just give up the ghost from lack of moisture.
You’ll want to get a mix of bark that’s high in coco chips, that is also intersperced with bark, Perlite and Charcoal, and also mix in a fair amount of sphagnum moss as well. They are not as big of a water hog as Zygopetalums are, but they’re CLOSE. Not close enough that I’d recommend a full sphagnum moss bed for them. I generally do a layering technique with them. Bottom of the pot sphagnum, then a layer of potting mix, then more sphagnum, all the way up to the top, with the last layer being bark mix.
Also, don’t be too frightened by their growing pattern. Once it’s done blooming, you can cut it off, it may not have another bloom on this particular fan, but new fans may start sprouting from either side. These fans grow their own roots, and may be higher up on the plant, and need you to repot to place them in line with the potting mix so they can grow their own roots once they start to be “of a decent size”. Eventually this fan will die back, leaving the other fans in it’s place. The fans dying back can be a shock to people, and you don’t want to cut back leaves until they’re completely brown and shriveled.
r/plantgoths r/gothplants
Love it🖤
I believe what you have is a Paphiopedilum ‘Maudiae Var. Vinicolor’.
Very sexy.