Phragmipedium kovachii as a houseplant
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  #31  
Old 02-04-2014, 07:58 PM
LostInPeru LostInPeru is offline
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Someone on another orchid forum I am on showed me an Ebay listing for this orchid in America and the seller is experienced at growing orchids and has not been able to grow this one successfully.
Hearing that someone who is so experienced as that seller and also you experienced growers are unable to successfully grow this plant has caused me to make up my mind and abandon any attempts at growing orchids. Just too much work.
I think you need an expensive greenhouse with controlled conditions to even attempt growing any orchid properly from what I have been reading about them.
To be honest I think I got caught up in the excitement of it all and think it would be a mistake to purchase such a high maintenance plant. I can easily see myself getting tired of the high maintenance care regime and the thought of losing the money if the plant dies when I could purchase a whole heap of Carnivorous Plants for that same amount of money and know I could easily keep them alive.
Sorry for wasting your time everyone.

---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ----------

The book just arrived lol.

Decided to re-gift it for a family member who is staying with us at this time and who grows a lot of plants themselves.

Afterall I have already read the online article 'The Case of the Purloined Orchid' by Pittman and already pretty much know the story. And now that I am not able to own one their is no point getting caught up in the excitement of it all when I will most probably never see a kovachii bloom.

The book is beautiful though. I see on the back their is a picture of a sighn 'kovachii discobar' which I guess refers to a club or something in Florida?

Anyway all the best.
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  #32  
Old 02-04-2014, 08:09 PM
gnathaniel gnathaniel is offline
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Ummm...what? You just went from wanting to grow just two of the more notoriously difficult (and expensive!) orchids to concluding that b/c THOSE are too difficult you can't grow ANY orchids?! Does not follow...

Many spectacularly beautiful orchids will be very easy to grow in your climate, why don't you ask some fellow Australians for plant and nursery recommendations before throwing in the towel?
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  #33  
Old 02-04-2014, 08:55 PM
LostInPeru LostInPeru is offline
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They just sounded like fun to grow. Seems they need optimal greenhouse conditions to thrive.But I guess in future I will only consider growing plants that will thrive with minimal care.

Last edited by LostInPeru; 02-05-2014 at 07:28 AM..
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  #34  
Old 02-04-2014, 09:48 PM
WhiteRabbit WhiteRabbit is offline
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As one who grows orchids in windowsills and outdoors I can definitely say a greenhouse is not needed if you get orchids that can do well in conditions you (or nature) provides ...

I have outside orchids that take temps of just over 100 F for short periods as well as down to just below freezing for short periods.
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  #35  
Old 02-05-2014, 02:34 AM
LostInPeru LostInPeru is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WeirdGuySeattle View Post
I wouldn't take it personally, the grower probably wouldn't want to sell a flask to someone like me either who is just a collector and not a breeder / semi-professional retailer. Who would you rather sell to? Would you rather the orchid seller sell to someone who is nearly certain to kill at least 95% of the seedlings? Or would you rather sell to someone who will increase the supply of Kovachii and will ultimately make this plant as available as Bessae?

If you want to grow orchids, there are easily others that are as beautiful and alluring. They might not be as rare. However, for the unsuccessful, something easily replaceable might be better (I love Bessae - its a fantastic plant that would give you practice.).

I don't consider it snobbery (personally), but perhaps just a little passionate about the species and its growth potential for the Orchid breeding industry.
LOL but don't you think it's overly harsh of the seller to have reacted in such a manner?

I thought by getting away from Carnivorous Plants and Aibo I was moving away from those types of narrow minded opinions but now see they are prevelent in all hobbies and you can't escape them.

Anyway everything is produced by tissue culture, which is not exactly difficult, and you can produce hundreds of the same plant at a time. I don't see how a newbie having a go at growing kovachii is going to have the slightest impact on their status in captivity.

If anything the seller should be grateful they have found a customer who wants to take on the challenge of growing kovachii as it is a big financial risk on the buyers part while the seller sits back charging a premium price for something that most people would see as too great a risk to take on. I understand charging a premium price for a small potted plant but the prices for flasks are just silly and their lucky to even have any customers. It seems their only interested in doing minimal work for maximum gain.

For me people are more important and allowing someone the opportunity to have a go at growing kovachii should be something anyone is allowed to pursue. We only live life once and I think it's very selfish for a supplier to not sell to people like that when their is an endless supply of plants coming out of tissue culture in unlimited quantities.

Sure their might be a lot of other great orchids, but for me the appeal of kovachii with it's bold eye catching blooms just seem like something that would be extremely rewarding to grow. I like how kovachii is bold and large and stands out and just find it amazing how something like that could exist in nature for thousands of years and yet stay secluded and unknown until so recently.


Quote:
Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit View Post
As one who grows orchids in windowsills and outdoors I can definitely say a greenhouse is not needed if you get orchids that can do well in conditions you (or nature) provides ...

I have outside orchids that take temps of just over 100 F for short periods as well as down to just below freezing for short periods.

Thanks for letting me know this! I will keep this in mind next time I think of taking on kovachii.

Last edited by LostInPeru; 02-05-2014 at 08:23 AM..
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  #36  
Old 02-05-2014, 02:42 AM
WhiteRabbit WhiteRabbit is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LostInPeru View Post




Thanks for letting me know this! I will keep this in mind next time I think of taking on kovachii.
I meant orchids in general - I don't know about this species, but there are many orchids that will take a pretty wide range of environments, or fo well inside on a windowsill.
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  #37  
Old 02-05-2014, 08:39 AM
LostInPeru LostInPeru is offline
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I respect everyones opinions and will take them on board.
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  #38  
Old 02-05-2014, 10:11 AM
orchidsarefun orchidsarefun is offline
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I would recommend joining a local orchid society, going to a couple of shows and visiting greenhouses to get a feel for the orchid species/hybrids you would like. You definitely shouldn't feel discouraged. If you like 'em big, you could get a cymbidium or 2........or even zygopetalum........these do well in Australia ( in general ) and they can be outdoors all year round.
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  #39  
Old 02-05-2014, 12:00 PM
quiltergal quiltergal is offline
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Not to put too fine a point on it but Paphs and Phrags are grown from seed. For whatever reason cloning does not work with them. That is why they are so bloody expensive compared to other orchids.

If I were you I would start with an orchid you have a good chance of being successful with. Den. kingianum might be a good one as it is native to Australia. If you like odd & interesting give bulbophyllums a try.

I'm an in house grower and have been successful with many different genre. That said, I had to make a substantial investment in lighting so I could be successful. Light from the windowsill just wasn't cutting it.

I hope you'll give orchid growing a try. I just think as a beginner you need to start out with something more reasonable.
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  #40  
Old 02-05-2014, 02:12 PM
LostInPeru LostInPeru is offline
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Feel a complete idiot right about now. What is it with these crazy plants. They must be the only plants you can't tissue culture. Knowing this I will never own a kovachii now.

Someone needs to update the wikipedia entry so newbies like me know this stuff.

The supplier did say they had a massive failue rate which I guess is why they don't try and grow them. The whole thing is turnig out to be a nightmare lol.

I don't see how their is any hope for wild kovachii or even the survival of the domesticated population as seed is such an inefficient method of reproduction when you consider the demand and how that is only going to grow into the future.

I can see how somebody could completely go cold turkey on wanting to have anything to do with owning orchids. Their not for me I am afraid. Good luck.

I totally agree with you that these orchids are not for beginners. I was so stupid and naive. I just assumed they were produced with TC. Sorry.
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