911!!! Paphiopedilum Bud Meets with (Near?) Fatal Accident!

[mauraec]

The following are pictures of my newest vinicolored paph. baby. It's a species cross of Paph. Hilo Quatal '#1" x Paph. Magic Leopard 'Voodoo'. I chose it for the fabulous rich, dark burgundy under the leaves and in the bud. The bud is (was) pretty large for the size of the plant and the length of the stem and I had great hopes for it - in fact, I spent hours choosing it and was very excited. You can see from the full-length picture that it even has new growth at the bottom. It came in a 2" square pot with rotting and moldy sphagnum moss as the only medium (what was left of it); so I carefully removed it and repotted it in my special semi-terrestrial, semi fir-bark and charcoal paph. medium mix in a 4" round pot.

Then Bigfoot came into the room suddenly where I was sitting on the floor, just having finished the repotting and about to move it to the sink for a little fresh water. Bigfoot tripped first over me, then kicked over the paph, landing on his heel squarely on the bud. I dare say I need not get into the immediate aftermath of THAT.

Anyway, I watered the victim thoroughly, gently plumped out the squished bud, misted the whole plant, and put it high on a shelf in the kitchen.

The big question is how resilient paphs are - even in the face of serious injury. I've included pictures to show that, although the bud clearly got squashed, it still has some volume to it, so maybe someone can tell if we'll be having a funeral or a wedding.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?
Can anyone think of any more emergency measures I should take?
Would it be better off in the ICU with very low light and high humidity while it possibly heals?

I know there's no real way to tell, except wait-and-see, but I'm SO disappointed, I feel like I need to do SOMETHING to revive the poor potential award-winner.

Thanks, y'all

Maura


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[pavel]

Just answered Bigfoot's post about the same. Bud is "toast" in all likelihood. At least the plant survived to bloom again another day.

Under the circumstances, it might be best to cut the bud off now and encourage the plant to reallocate its energy resources. Hard call.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I have hooked the water hose or spray pack on several different orchid blooms, spikes, buds, etc... I have stepped on them. I have been removing ferns, etc.. from pots and pulled off new orchid growth. You name it - it has happened. I think it is just part of growing orchids. Eventually you will break, smash, burn, drop, throw, kick, bump, etc... an orchid and then cry because you really REALLY wanted to see that bloom or take that one to the show. Best to laugh it off and have 'Bigfoot' get you another plant in bud in the mean time while you wait for this guy to bloom next year. The bloom spike will not grow another bud. The orchid will have to develop a new growth to grow a new spike. So sorry, but really - it happens.

cheers,
BD

[panam]

Aah. I heard about this one. Your poor husband.... I hope you really, really love him.

[paphioboy]

Bud doesn't look all that squashed to me, perhaps a bit bruised. Leave it on and see if it will still bloom.

[mauraec]

Bud doesn't look all that squashed to me, perhaps a bit bruised. Leave it on and see if it will still bloom.

I agree; I'm being cautiously optimistic but maintaining fairly negative expectations - does that make sense? I've misted the bud a good bit and I think it's getting plumper, but I don't have a really good perspective on this whole thing right now - we'll just have to see. I keep telling myself "it's only a plant, it's only a plant, it's only a plant...."

[panam]

Well, we're sure pulling for it. If cosmic energy from good wishes can do anything, it'll be fine! We can't wait to see.

[mauraec]

Well, we're sure pulling for it. If cosmic energy from good wishes can do anything, it'll be fine! We can't wait to see.

Thank you! But, just in case, I got to pick out 2 replacements today (similar but not identical parentage), so I imagine the upshot will be that I have deep burgundy-colored paphs all over the place by Halloween - not such a bad fate!

[Raver]

Only two????? that's outrageous, you should have gotten at least 4 if not more lol jk. Make sure you post pics of your new plants

[mauraec]

Pics are coming, I promise - and there would have been more than 4 if I could have found more that I approved of.