Phrag. Eric Young

[tuvoc]

Hi J. For me, this is a very easy plant. I don't do s/h, but mine is in Repotme Paph and Phrag mix, and sits in a saucer of water, so it's pretty much the same. I fertilize almost every watering, very weakly, and give it the same light as my Phals. In fact, it's in the middle of one of my Phal areas, and seems to love it. Good lick, and be sure to post some pics.

Kim

[Eyebabe]

Wow!
I have had this plant for two years...purchased in bloom and only growing foliage ever since!
It is my only Phrag and I am mostly familiar with Catts and Oncidium types.
Just repotted it in s/h and it is looking better.
I will follow some of the advice I have read here and change up my conditions a bit by finding a new "spot" for it.

[Oscarman]

Nice one Kim.

I have heard people refer to Phrag as weedy bog plants and to treat them that way. Lots of water, even standing in it. Comments???

[tuvoc]

Originally Posted by Oscarman

I have heard people refer to Phrag as weedy bog plants and to treat them that way. Lots of water, even standing in it. Comments???

HM. Never heard that one, but it's pretty close for a lot of them.

Kim

[jrodpad]

Thanks for the advice - it's in a spot now with phals and paphs, so I think the amount of light should be about right.

Tuvoc, when you say "standing in a saucer of water", do you mean that the bottom of the pot that contains the phrag is a bit submerged? IOW wet feet?

Thanks again all.

- J

[Oscarman]

Originally Posted by jrodpad

Thanks for the advice - it's in a spot now with phals and paphs, so I think the amount of light should be about right.

Tuvoc, when you say "standing in a saucer of water", do you mean that the bottom of the pot that contains the phrag is a bit submerged? IOW wet feet?

Thanks again all.

- J

Mine I grow with wet feet or in S/H with a 1" reservoir at the bottom.

[jrodpad]

So I'm following the advice from the board on the care of this phrag (my first one) - and I come home yesterday to find the bloom has popped off the plant! It didn't wilt. It didn't thin out. It seemed to be in the peak of its blooming cycle.... and it just fell off the spike. The part that attached the bloom to the spike is still intact and on the spike - the bloom just seemed to break off.

Now, I do have two small children at home - so it's entirely possible that the bloom was plucked or knocked off the spike. But I'm trying to see if this is normal for a phrag. Do they just drop off like that? Or, like every other orchid in my collection, do they whither and dry up a bit before falling off?

Thanks!

- J

[Oscarman]

Originally Posted by jrodpad

So I'm following the advice from the board on the care of this phrag (my first one) - and I come home yesterday to find the bloom has popped off the plant! It didn't wilt. It didn't thin out. It seemed to be in the peak of its blooming cycle.... and it just fell off the spike. The part that attached the bloom to the spike is still intact and on the spike - the bloom just seemed to break off.

Now, I do have two small children at home - so it's entirely possible that the bloom was plucked or knocked off the spike. But I'm trying to see if this is normal for a phrag. Do they just drop off like that? Or, like every other orchid in my collection, do they whither and dry up a bit before falling off?

Thanks!

- J

I have had that happen with Phrags. Not having flowered a whole bunch of them, I only have experience from a few. So is it normal......a much more experienced grower and flowerer will need to anwser that. The flower is there one minute and the next day on the ground, looking pretty good. They do not wilt like other orchids and stay on the plant looking all nasty.

Guess they like to go out and be remembered at their peak!

[quiltingwacko]

Originally Posted by Oscarman

I have had that happen with Phrags. Not having flowered a whole bunch of them, I only have experience from a few. So is it normal......a much more experienced grower and flowerer will need to anwser that. The flower is there one minute and the next day on the ground, looking pretty good. They do not wilt like other orchids and stay on the plant looking all nasty.

Guess they like to go out and be remembered at their peak!

When that happens to my phrag blossoms, I float the flower in a bowl of water. Some of them last a very long time like that and I can still enjoy them. Seems like several of the sequentials do that. Carol

[jrodpad]

Wow - thanks guys, that's not at all the answer that I expected.

Great tip on floating the bloom too!

- J