Phrag. Bessae watering requirements

[ladyslipper]

Hi guys, the Foothills Orchid Society (Calgary, AB) is having its annual show this weekend & I picked up so many plants that I am literally overflowing. I am actively "culling" the herd in the next few weeks.

Anyway, question re: practice of placing Phrag Bessae in a shallow bowl with water. I spoke with a fellow selling Equgeneris plants & asked specifcally about this since I managed to get a Phrag Bessae (bare root). He said its really not necessary to keep the plant in a bowl of water if you can water every day or two.

Any comments from Phrag lovers about this? Also, I keep reading about Phrags liking low/medium lights which I interpret as being next to an east/north east window with 2 T5 tubes & 2 full spectrum flourescents. Is that okay or have I gotten in over my head?

Its become quite clear that I have to get a bigger grow stand so its on list list for next year.

regards, m

[smartie2000]

Yup I agree with them. You can water them everyday...I sometimes get the chance if there is water left in my cup before I walk out of my bedroom. lol

The easiest thing to do is to sit them in water. That way it stays moist if you forget to water them. Its not good to let these phrags dry out or they will get stressed.

Besseae will accept lower light. However they bloom most vibrantly under high light according to the experts. I think you lighting will work fine since you have extra lighting too. The plant will adapt to your conditions

I was just browsing ecuagenera's catalogue to look for another besseae too, lol. Maybe I'll get another one when they visit Edmonton in Feb.

[ladyslipper]

Originally Posted by smartie2000

Yup I agree with them. You can water them everyday...I sometimes get the chance if there is water left in my cup before I walk out of my bedroom. lol

The easiest thing to do is to sit them in water. That way it stays moist if you forget to water them. Its not good to let these phrags dry out or they will get stressed.

Besseae will accept lower light. However they bloom most vibrantly under high light according to the experts. I think you lighting will work fine since you have extra lighting too. The plant will adapt to your conditions

I was just browsing ecuagenera's catalogue to look for another besseae too, lol. Maybe I'll get another one when they visit Edmonton in Feb.

Hi Smartie, you know, this show was the absolute best I have ever been to, I'm not kinding!! I found 3 Phrags that I have been looking for, for the longest time. Due to my really limited space I have been "drooling" over Phrags in shows, catalogues and online, but this year, I found smaller versions of the larger guys like Phrag LaVivace Epicure (pearci X klotizscheanum), Scarlet O'hara, Bessae (species) and one other I can't remember the name of. Man! Talking about walking on cloud 9!

regards, m

[kiki-do]

I too bought one of these a few months ago and I water it every two days and I was told to use rain water only. It has grown since I purchased it, so I guess it's doing okay. Knock on wood.