Phrags and wet feet

[Lady Meera]

Wow that's beautiful! How long has it been in flower? I'm hoping mine grows out more.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Wow 3 open at once, way to go. Mine has 2 open now and I think it's going to have 2 more. That's the most it has ever had. It is getting better every year. I need to get a new picture. Lady Meera it will get better the longer you have it. Mine sure has. And now that it sets in water it is doing so much better. I so need to get it re-potted but both growths have bloomed at different times and I didn't want to stop it from blooming so I still haven't re-potted it.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by Lady Meera

Wow that's beautiful! How long has it been in flower? I'm hoping mine grows out more.

sorry missed this. I do wish I would write down when things start blooming as I can never remember but I would say each bloom lasts about 2 weeks or so. I finally took new pictures and now the first bloom has dropped and another has opened. It doesn't usually have 2 open at once but it is this time. I so love this plant. I know I have said that before In the picture of the whole plant I put a ruler in so you can see the size of the plant. I couldn't find a yard stick.

[MrHappyRotter]

Wow. That looks like a really large flower. Congrats.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Wow. That looks like a really large flower. Congrats.

Thanks so much. I think it's huge, but I've never seen allot to know for sure. Thanks to you for getting me to keep it in a saucer of water it has really grown.

Mr. Happy I do have a question for you about re-potting it. I was thinking of putting it in Leca when I did but now I am wondering if I should not change the kind of media as it is doing so well? Believe it or not I have it in coconut chips with perlite and charcoal. I hate to see all the roots die and have to start over.

[wintergirl]

Shannon, I changed my phrag from bark to s/h pellets, the only difference I noticed was the pellets did not need the daily water spritz at the top surface that the bark did. The pellets brought the moisture from the saucer all the way up to the top. I found spritzing the pellets made the phrag too wet, so it's actually less work with the pellets.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Shannon, I changed my phrag from bark to s/h pellets, the only difference I noticed was the pellets did not need the daily water spritz at the top surface that the bark did. The pellets brought the moisture from the saucer all the way up to the top. I found spritzing the pellets made the phrag too wet, so it's actually less work with the pellets.

Did it set the plant back any? Did all the roots stay alive? When this is out of bloom I have to get it re-potted as it's been in this one for far too long. I just don't want to set it back any. Last time I did it the thing never missed a beat. This one is my easiest orchid to take care of because of it setting in water. I only water it about every week and a half. I put water in the saucer every day but if it goes dry it doesn't seem to bother it then I run water in and top if off.

I was just thinking that the leca would last longer. I also have an aircone pot and a s/h pot big enough to use. If I can ever decide which way to go. I bought s/h pots when Ray put them on sale I just have never done s/h before. But I do want to try it to see if it make things easier to take care of. But I don't want this phrag to be my tester plant.

[estación seca]

I agree, wouldn't experiment with that one. The Paphs I moved to S/H don't seem to have lost all their roots. Maybe something accustomed to damp or wet roots doesn't lose them?

[wintergirl]

Mine had already been used to setting in a saucer of rain water. I just changed from bark to s/h beads. I did mine just before it started getting buds. Did not loose roots and it bloomed and is still sending out blooms right now. The only thing I noticed was the tips of the leaves got a little discolored but that was when I was spritzing the top of the media like I had been with the bark. Once I stopped doing that, it stopped and never spread. It was just too wet, but once I stopped the extra water it was fine.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I'm still really thinking about using the Leca in the aircone pot. What do you think about that? It's in a clay one now. When I potted this one up I kind of did everything wrong but it seems to have worked for it.