Phragmipedium pearcei

[MrHappyRotter]

Phragmipedium pearcei

This was something of a rush job with photos, I've had so much going on it's been hard to find time to photograph stuff. My camera skills are lacking, but I thought you might still be interested in seeing this. Sorry for the quality and lighting issues. These pics definitely don't do it justice.

As you can see, this pitiful thing is only giving me 14 spikes this round. I bought it from The Orchid Trail about 10 years ago. For many years it grew like a weed and didn't bloom for me, even though it was large and had many growths. Several years back I decided to roast it under high light and it bloomed once more. Oddly enough, it's bloomed reliably every year since, even without all the additional lighting. Unsure why, but I'm not complaining, I'm only bringing this up in case it helps other growers figure out how to flower it.

This is a small growing species, though it still manages to take up quite a bit of space due to its rambling growth habit. I really love this species, it's absolutely adorable. I grow it wet year round and I'm cautious to never let it dry out. This thing sits in a saucer of water at all times. My temperatures are moderate indoor temps, but it can handle the heat of summer just fine as long as its water requirements are met. They can handle very bright light, including several hours of sunlight in the morning as long as the temperatures aren't too hot. The only thing it is picky about is water quality. I use mostly rain water since my tap is not quite good enough, and I feed lightly with each watering. I also do a fresh water flush at least once a month to get rid of excess nutrients and mineral build up, which is similar to how I grow all of my water loving Phrags. The only issue I have with this plant is that I have to frequently trim off old, dead leaves and it is highly susceptible to leaf tip die back. Easy enough to keep the dead tips trimmed, though.

The flowers are small but plentiful. This plant can literally bloom for years on end non-stop once it gets this size. Like most Phrags, this is a sequential bloomer, meaning it produces 1 - 3 flowers at a time on each spike. Spikes can produce up to a dozen or more flowers over its lifespan. The only reason it took a break is because I finally had to repot it and divide it last year, so I cut all the spikes off of it. This is a real performer! Even when it is not in bloom, this is a very attractive species due to its grassy appearance.

[No-Pro-mwa]

This one is on my wish list. Yours is so big.

[camille1585]

Wow, that's an impressive Phrag! I had no idea that they could make sure large clumps, and with so many spikes.

If it needs to be grown so wet, what sort of media do you use and how often do you need to repot it?

[MrHappyRotter]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Wow, that's an impressive Phrag! I had no idea that they could make sure large clumps, and with so many spikes.

If it needs to be grown so wet, what sort of media do you use and how often do you need to repot it?

For smaller Phrags I use a mostly rockwool based mix with some medium charcoal and medium spongerock (perlite) mixed in plus a few minor components like sphag and a calcium source.

Once they get larger, I cut back on the rockwool and incorporate larger chunks of orchiata or even just normal fir bark, and use sphag mostly as a top dressing.

I used to repot almost everything on a yearly basis. Now I use a lot more inorganic potting components (rockwool, perlite) and decay resistant components (charcoal, orchiata) which means plants can be repotted every other year (sometimes longer) with no issue.

Water loving Phrag like this one usually handle repotting with no problem, though sometimes if I'm dividing there will be a clump here and there that doesn't appreciate it. They have very pliable roots that resist breakage and as long as you keep them wet after repotting they just don't seem to mind. The water loving Phrags also tend to be tolerant of more broken down media than most other orchids.

Anyway, I repotted this last year, and it's already growing over the sides of the pot. That's mostly because this species is a rambler (long rhizomes). I don't intent to repot it this year, though. I probably will repot it next year, simply because by then it will be impossible to keep the plant contained. At that time I'll divide it and then sell, donate, and give away pieces.

[SaraJean]

Goodness that’s a beast! And thanks for these tips. I’m pretty new to this one. I’ve only had mine for about 7 months and I think it’s just about blooming size. I purchased it in a 3” pot and it had one mature fan and two smaller ones. It does sit in a saucer of water and I have in in LECA with a bit of sphag for top dress but it still gets watered every day. I may try stepping up my light a bit.