Paphio needs help

[Elmir]

Hi everybody!
I need some help with my Paphio... The leaves get gradually yellow, then brown, then fall down. I don't know what to do... Some people told me it may be too much light, so I moved it to a darker place, but the problem didnt stop.
This photo is not the actual place where I keep it - I keep it on a windowsill, no direct sun of course, and I cover part of the window with a curtain.
Thanks a lot to anybody who can help!

[orchidlady]

How are you feeding/fertilizing the plant? Bleaching of the plant can be due to nutritional problems.

Susan

[Cjcorner]

Have you checked for crown rot? I'd give it a hydrogen peroxide bath and then put a fan on it. But i'm not a paph specialist....i'd wait for a few of the paph people to chime in.

[Elmir]

Thanks you so much for such quick answers!!
I give regularly the fertilizer every 2-3 weeks (much the same I do with the Phals). Do you think it could be too much?...
I watered once a week in summer, but more often now with the heating on. I usually stick a finger in the media and if I feel it almost dry I water. I´ve read about Paphio that it´s better to water a little more than a little less.

Cjcorner, what do you mean for crown rot? I´ve checked the roots when I repotted it (last summer) and they looked fine to me - I´m not paphio specialist, though, this is my first Paphio. Anyway, I repotted and checked for any root problem (because the bleaching was already happening). but i didnt find anything
Elena

[smartie2000]

Enough light, don't worry about light...

not a root problem, the leaves are plump and healthy (other than colour)

how much magnesium are they getting? Magnesium is needed to create chlorophyll. Some orchid growers water their plants with some epsom salt occasionally. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate.

Are you watering with tap water or purified water like reverse-osmosis? Purified RO water will lack all micronutrients and needs to be put back into the water with chemicals. The concern is if you do not have balanced water with Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, etc.

I think it is highly likely that some sort of micronutrient is missing, such as magnesium. Or the plant is having trouble with the intake of the micronutrients due to an improper pH of the growing medium. If the medium is not fresh I recommend a repot.

Other than that it could be some sort of phytotoxic activity or chlorosis. Perhaps it was a chemical spray that caused it, and the plant reacted? Or it could have been a strong fertilizer sitting in the leaf axil for sometime causing the chlorosis.

[orchidlady]

Do you use water out of the tap, or distilled or reverse osmosis? If out of the tap, do you know the quality? Water quality can also cause nutritional problems depending on the amount of or lack of minerals/salts.

Yes, occaisional doses of epsom salts can help plants green up.

Susan

[smartie2000]

the leaves will likely green up again by themselves by the way....but this is unusual, and should be prevented

[Elmir]

Thank you very much for the answers!
I water with tap water. I don't know the quality of the water, just that it's pretty chalky.
Fren, thanks a lot for all the explanation. It's not a reaction to chemicals, because I never used any. The problem started almost imperceptibly since the beginning, when I received the plant as a gift (last summer). But it was scarcely noticeable (I was asking myself if the leaves were really bleaching or if it was just my exaggerate concern). Then I left the plant at a friend's when i went on holiday, and that's when the problem really exploded, because when I got back some leaves were totally yellow, and since then the plant never recovered. At some point I repotted it because the growing medium was smelly (I don't remember exactly when, it was between oct and dec, not last summer as I said in my previous post), so I think the medium should still be fine for now...
I'll try with epsom salts.
How should I dose it?

Elena

[smartie2000]

I would do something like 1 teaspoon for one gallon. And you do not need to over use it. Some people use it several times during the year, mostly during the growing season, but not too many times.

Or you can use very little and add it to your normal fertilizer routine. Very little means 1/4 teaspoon or less, and more often

sorry that is not so descriptive. I use epsom salts very causally. But my fertilizer already has micronutrients, and I use tap water

[Elmir]

Thank you very much Fren!
All the information has been of great help.
I bought the salts and I watered with them. I hope it'll improve quickly!