How Often do Paphs/Phrags Bloom?

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Ray

1) Phrag Grande doesn't need a great deal of light - all of my phrags and paphs are alongside my phals.

Really? I am giving them pretty high light. Are you getting blooms? They also do not need much fertilizer. Once or twice a year. I'm following the Ed's Orchids school of phrags, as far as the ferts.

---------- Post added at 07:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------

Oh, a phap and phrag are sympodial orchids just like Cattleyas. The difference is that Paphiopedilums and Phragmipediums and their allence do not have Pseudo bulbs and their roots are never away from moist "medium." (Phrags take more moisture than Paphs). So the Old growth (oldest fan) will have baby growths which become fans and they have their own new growths. In several years the older growth will put out a flower and then when the flower is spent it will linger around for a few years, but it is actually Kaput-- it is feeding the young ones with its sugar (stored in the leaves). They grow and have their own flowers. The "patch" expands. Many people will divide at some point, or an accident might happen, but growth-wise, you can get quite a large plant with multiple flowers if it goes for long enough. (It is quite similar to the Iris plant).