Last months culture class speaker was Brandon Tam from the Huntington. Many of you took notes but just in case you missed anything, this is a recap of “Paphiopedulum Culture according to the Huntington”.

Water

Water in the morning to prevent rot, combination of cold weather and water can cause root or leaf rot, do not water on rainy days
Very water loving, keep moist 80% of the week and allow it to dry out the remaining 20% of the week
When re-potting hold back on water, roots are not very active
Water preference for Orchids is below 60 PPM (Parts per Million) TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), 60 to 120 PPM is a bit high. At The

Adequate air movement is vital to ensure that roots do not rot
Stagnant air is terrible, water saturated air is harmful
Proper air circulation will also allow for leaves to dry at a faster rate if water has landed on the leaves thus preventing leaf rot
Fights fungus and bacteria growth

Anywhere from 1000-1500 FC (foot candle) is best for growing Paphiopedilums, for comparison, on a clear Winter’s day outside, it is about 6000 FC’s where as Summer can be 10,000 FC’s
Filtered light, no direct sunlight is best
Adequate light is crucial to ensure flower blooms and increased amount of plant growth
Should be noted that as you increase light, foliage “greenness” will decrease but will be compensated with more growth and flowers