Question
dear jim, i have had this paph for several years. it flowered again this spring and i was going to repot it this year as the plant is getting quite big for its pot. it then produced another flower bud after the first flower had finished so i thought i'd wait until after this flower had finished. the bud started to develop ok but now the stem holding the bud has started drooping. the rest of the plant looks ok. we had quite a hot day yesterday but the room it's in is fairly cool and the plant isn't in direct sun at all. is this temporary or do you think i can say goodbye to that flower. i'm in the uk. i can send you pictures if that will help. regards, john

Answer
Hello John,

The droopy flower bud may just be due to the weight of the bud, just be patient and keep an eye on it to see whether it will continue to develop into a flower.  It appears that your paphiopedilum is one of the sequential bloomers, where it produces another bud as the current flower begins to fade and die.  Also, as you noted, the previous day had been rather hot and that could have had an affect upon it as paphs do not like it hot.  

As for repotting it, I'd wait until it is finished blooming, however long that may be as some paphs can remain in bloom for quite some time.  Since you live in the UK and unless you live in a warmer winter area there, it would be better to wait until late winter when it begins to warm up to repot it.  When you do repot it, put it into the next size larger pot.

If you feel you must repot it now due to the potting media having broken down (sour odor when the media is wet), you can try up putting it into a slightly larger pot.  To do this, have the pot handy, premoisten the media and place a little in the pot, remove the paph from the old pot while maintaining as much of the media intact, place it into the new pot then fill around it with new media.  Gently compact the media around it and put it back where you have been growing it.  This will give you a few more months time until conditions are more favorable and you have to repot it.  

You have done a great job in growing it, keep up the good work!  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.