Three New Phrags

[Susie11]

Hi everyone. I have three lovely new shinning blooming size phrags!!
Take a look;
Mem. Dick Clements

Tall Tails

Living Fire


I was supposed to get a Paul Eugene Conroy but he didn't have any left so I got a more expensive Living Fire instead ! Don't you just love it when that happens. I want to do my best by them so any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Shirley]

Great looking plants, Susie! We'll look forward to pics when they bloom.

[Becca]

They look very healthy and happy! Can't wait to see bloom pictures!

[Bud]

Happy healthy plants...you photographed and presented them well with nice white clean porcelain pots; so classy and elegant

[RosieC]

They look great.

Following on from our conversation elsewhere that MDC look big enough to flower to me. It might only have one fan but it's looking healthy and large enough.

I find my Phrags like to stay wetter than many other orchids, although they still like their roots to breath. Not sure what yours are potted in but they are often potted in rock wool/bark mixes or even a light compost/perlite mix. I was scared to over water my Paul Eugine Conroy and switched it to S/H where it's always damp and it seems to love that. I still have the MDC in a lite potting spoil/perlite mix. I think I'm underwatering that as a result of trying to avoid over watering. it's growing nicely but not as well as the PEC.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by RosieC

They look great.

Following on from our conversation elsewhere that MDC look big enough to flower to me. It might only have one fan but it's looking healthy and large enough.

I find my Phrags like to stay wetter than many other orchids, although they still like their roots to breath. Not sure what yours are potted in but they are often potted in rock wool/bark mixes or even a light compost/perlite mix. I was scared to over water my Paul Eugine Conroy and switched it to S/H where it's always damp and it seems to love that. I still have the MDC in a lite potting spoil/perlite mix. I think I'm underwatering that as a result of trying to avoid over watering. it's growing nicely but not as well as the PEC.

Im on the bus now so can't reallytype but I will reply later on.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by RosieC

They look great.

Following on from our conversation elsewhere that MDC look big enough to flower to me. It might only have one fan but it's looking healthy and large enough.

I find my Phrags like to stay wetter than many other orchids, although they still like their roots to breath. Not sure what yours are potted in but they are often potted in rock wool/bark mixes or even a light compost/perlite mix. I was scared to over water my Paul Eugine Conroy and switched it to S/H where it's always damp and it seems to love that. I still have the MDC in a lite potting spoil/perlite mix. I think I'm underwatering that as a result of trying to avoid over watering. it's growing nicely but not as well as the PEC.

Hi Rosie
I thought that it had to have two fans before flowering was possible and you said that your leaf span was like 12" to 14" so I didn't think mine was big enough yet but, now that you've said that if you look at the last leaf out it is smaller than the others and there is a growth coming from the centre, do you think that it's possible that it could be a sheaf forming? I have looked down the centre of the plant and there is a gap in the middle of the emerging leaf - or is it wishful thinking? The gap in the middle leaf to me means that there could be something waiting to grow out of it. I don't know. Time will tell. I hate waiting

My MDC is in rockwool cubes, the other two are in bark with nothing else. My Mont Fallu is in rockwool and perlite. It is doing really well in there too. So far I have two spikes - I hope, and another growth coming along. So, I won't be moving it just yet.

[RosieC]

If these are like Paphs then try very very gently squeezing the fan where the new growth is up. If it's got a bulge it's a sheath, if not it's more likely a leaf.

That works for Paphs anyway, the bud forms very early and can be felt through the leaves.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by RosieC

If these are like Paphs then try very very gently squeezing the fan where the new growth is up. If it's got a bulge it's a sheath, if not it's more likely a leaf.

That works for Paphs anyway, the bud forms very early and can be felt through the leaves.

Will do the squeeze test but more importantly today, I found white mould on the top of my rockwool today. It was mouldy on the top of a slug pellet and there was somoe on the actual medium itself. I just removed the pellet which had it growing on it and dusted the area with cinnamon. I don't know what caused it.

[RosieC]

I've seen this a lot with the slug pellets and I think they cause it. I avoid them being on the actual medium now and just put them around the pots outside an in the greenhouse.