Check for a distributor for Rand Air Cone pots. They will be square not round and clear plastic. I have received orchids in the type you have but none of the distributors I use have them. The Rand pot will give you the same effect and are quite sturdy, well worth the money.

Brooke

For now, I'd leave the plant together. Having a plant with more growths makes for a more vigorous and floriferous plant and, considering you're still relatively new at Paphs, you might want to give yourself more time to familiarize yourself with them.

Julie

i agree with Julie.

Thank you, Brooke , for the referral. If there is no other alternative, I'll go to a clear slotted pot. Provided that the forum allows, I'll put my original post on the California forum (if it still exists) to see if anyone there recognizes the seller or pot.

And thanks, as well, to arthurm and Julie. In fact, I am an orchid novice, despite several years of delighted success with my two Phals. I certainly am a Paph novice and am most grateful for your help.

Thank you all,
SweetCicely

You probably don't know who I am, I haven't been on the forum much lately, but for awhile I was a regular and Paphs were my specialty-I coined the term "Paph-head" (someone crazy-stupid about Paphs) which still gets used here occasionally.

With that said, Paphs generally shouldn't be divided unless you have a minimum of four growths per division. Smaller divisions take awhile to re-establish and generally won't bloom well for awhile. The exception is if you have an awarded Paph and want to make money on Ebay. People often sell individual growths from this sort of plant. Keep in mind the above advice when considering purchasing such a plant.

Beyond that advice, a nice multi-spiked Paph is a lovely sight. Good luck with whatever you decide.

-O-

orrin_h, I am delighted to know who you are, and even happier to have so much good information about dealing with all these Paph growths!

The previous posts (Julie and arthurm) convinced me that separating any of the plants, now, would not be a good idea. Your added detail and tips are a big help. It is so useful to know the whys and wherefores. What's more, having a rule of thumb, such as, "a minimum of four growths per division," is invaluable advice. Several years would be a long time to regret having divided too soon!

Of course, a "multi-spiked Paph" is something to hope for and look forward to! If I may ask another bit of advice, in my place, would you repot to a larger container, use the same pot (dimensions in original post, above), or forget about repotting for now?

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me learn something about caring for this lovely genus.

SweetCicely

Well, the answer to your last question is "it depends" (don't you just hate that!). As with any orchid, you want to repot into the smallest pot you can fit the plant in, allowing room for about one year's growth only (in your case, given you have multiple growth points, repot in the middle). Unless it's busting out of its pot, you could repot it in its current pot after cleaning it. Otherwise, yes, go up to a slightly larger pot. In either case, pay real close attention to watering. New media will be a bit more aerated and less water retentive so you MIGHT (just might) have to water a tiny bit more often at the beginning.

Paphs are indeed a fascinating genus and there is so much to discover and enjoy.

Julie

Just an added note on repotting, specific to Paphs: be sure to pot the plant so that any new growths are situated such that the new roots will grow immediately into the medium, rather than having to travel any distance through the air to reach it. Unless your growing environment is extremely humid (ie greenhouse conditions), Paph roots can and often will stop at the nubbin stage if they have to reach for the medium rather than grow directly into it. Very regular misting of the roots may correct this problem, but better to get the plant situated properly when repotting than fussing to fix the problem

Some Paphs have the annoying habit of being "climby"-new growths emerging above the crown of the mature plant, which complicates things a bit. I've dealt with this problem by wrapping the base of the new higher growth with a good grade of sphagnum which is easy to keep moist and allows the roots to continue growing down into the pot.

Repotting can be daunting for the new grower of orchids, but with time and experience I found repotting (figuring out the ideal pot, custom mixing the media for various plants needs, etc) to be a quite satisfying process, rather than a chore.

-O-

Thanks, Julie; with some plants there are so many things to consider that I don't mind, "It depends..." It is So helpful to have the contingencies explained. Replanting in the current pot may well work, since it doesn't seem to be "busting out." In any case, I will have a slightly larger pot on hand and will remember to watch for a need for more water. (I'm a "stick your little finger down the side of the pot into the media" tester.)

And Orrin, thank you, for anticipating my next question; I was concerned about getting the paph crown too far into the medium and setting up a situation where rot might occur. I'm in a semi-arid region of the Sierra Nevada foothills--not quite so dry as Tucson, but close. I have no greenhouse, but so far, with daily light misting, the paph seems to be doing well. The new growths are 2", 2 3/4", 3", and an almost hidden "nubbin" (very apt). I suspect that the longer ones already have their feet in the medium, but will check for roots when repotting and put the rest of your shared wisdom to work in the process (good sphagnum, too, if needed).

Julie and Orrin, your generosity with helpful insights has changed my "repot avoidance" to anticipation.
Thank you so much!

SweetCicely

I love the climby nature of some paphs. Reminds me of the fact that they live in leaf litter, in nature, so would need to grow gradually up so as to avoid being buried, over time...

Ah, nature...

-Cj