Molli,

Dieting won't help!

Usually when a flower bud forms on a paph it is so small and thin it really
doesn't affect the size of the bottom of the fan of leaves. What I look for
to see if a paph is about to send up a bloom:

Look carefully down into the crown. Watch for what might be a new leaf. If
the very tip of that leaf looks like the plant is about to put out two
leaves at the same time .... that is a new flower bud forming. Normally a
paph will form one leaf at a time and grow that leaf to maturity before the
tip of the next leaf is visible. The "two leaf" formation is the top of
what will be the flower bud.

If you see this, you must be very careful not to let water get down into the
crown and rot the new flower. I watch for this and put suspect plants in a
sheltered area where other plants won't drip on them and mark that plant
with an bright orange plant tag so I can keep an eye on it.

Learning to see a flower bud at it's earliest point is a great value when
you are trying to pick that one special plant from the table at a local
grower. Some growers increase the price for a plant in spike. If you can
find the flower before they are sure you can buy the plant at the out of
bloom price and get to see it bloom soon. Finding that bud before it
emerges is an art and not a science! Sometimes you just can't tell.

I hope that's clear.

Good Growing,
Gene




"molli" wrote in message
...
I have a really odd question....was looking at my Edith Winn (Stonei x
Purpuratum), its a 5 large fan with 2 smaller ones growing. Two of the big
fans seem to be 'fat and swollen' at the base, just above the roots line,
where all the leaves come out...does this mean those two are getting ready
to send up flowers? or just that they need a diet? These two fans I am
assuming are the center ones as the new growths are both on opposite ends
of
the pot. This is that huge monster I got off the Division Table at the
last
meeting Sue, that wouldn't bloom for the previous care taker for the 4 yrs
she had it.

--
Hugs,
Molli

In the rice crispy treat of life, not everyone can be a crispy. Some are
destined to be a glob of melted marshmallow.