I was able to battle back the mealie infestation on my Phrag Eric young and keep this last flower. Hooray!
The mealies did destroy the lead growth on the spike that kept spitting out new buds. So after this bloom dies off, what then? Do you cut the spikes on these guys? Do you leave them until they turn brown and whither away?
This is my first and only phrag - so I'm totally green.
Hi Jrod, I can't really help as I have my first Phrag just in spike now. As I bought it in error, thinking it was a Paph, I'm flying this one blind and by the seat of my pants! LOL
Not sure either I'm afraid as I'm also in the situation of my first Phrag in flower.
I would go on the principle of see what it does and if it turns brown cut it off, if not leave it. Mine is a sequential bloomer so I will definately leave it to see if it decides to pop out another flower, even though those have so far appeared before the old one has died.
Eric Young was my first Phrag too, and it's just about the best grower I have. If you can't see any more buds at the end of the stem, go ahead and cut it as close to the base as you can. Good luck, and be prepared to make room for more. Phrags are very addictive.
Marion, it won't bloom again, and will eventually die, but as long as it is green, it is still helping to nourish the whole plant.
Kim
Well I hope it doesn't die too soon after because at the moment it's about 3/4 of the whole plant. There are two other shoots, one has just pop up so it's tiny and the other is about a 1/4 of the size of the fan with the bud. I hope these two will have matured a lot more by the time the big fan pops it's clogs.
Anyway that's in the future, I've got to get the spike to blooming stage first.
My experience with Paphs is that the old fans die and I expect Phrags to be the same on that.
I've found on my paphs they have died off slowly with plently of time for the new shoots to grow big.
Ray said something interesting about Paphs the other day, which is that the old fans die slower if they are kept on the wetter side (he has found they are slower when kept in S/H). I know Phrags like to be kept moist enough so I would guess the same may be true on those... I'm still nervous of getting the right balance without rotting the roots though.
I just wanted to give a quick recommendation for the Phrag Eric Young. I posted before that this was my first phrag and that I really loved the thing. Then it came down with a case of the mealies and stopped blooming for me. I got rid of the mealies (I hope!), and continued to water once a day, every morning.
Now check it out! It's putting out a very promising looking flower spike from the new fan - and a few days ago I found the beginning of what looks like a new fan pushing its way out from the base of the blooming fan.
I'm giving this little orchid far less attention than some of the other, less rewarding members of the collection - and I'm greatful. I would highly recommend - especially if you're a sucker for reds, like me.
This one opened up while I was in NYC on business. Such a pleasure to come home to a new bloom. It's also pushing out two new fans. Twins! It's only ever put out one fan at a time. It must really like this hydroton stuff.
Phrag Eric Young's Final Bloom - What Now?
I got rid of the mealies (I hope!), and continued to water once a day, every morning.
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