Beginners Phrag

[NYEric]

Ain't that the truth! I got 15 different crosses from him last spring when he had his sale & they've all done well!

I think Chuck Ackers has crossed his plants with some kind of grass becuse they do grow like weeds i.e. very hardy.
I have a few phrag besseae crosses and I think Mem. Dick Clements and Cape Sunset are the easiest to flower.

That's the spirit!!!

Rose is such a wonderfull person!

 

[rdhed]

I have only (1) one phrag. and that is an Olaf Gruss that has done very well for me. It has not bloomed yet, but that is because it was a young seedling when purchased. Actually, you could say I have two because they were in the same pot. I've left them together and they are growing great.

--Allen--

 

[chippybug10]

Hello all,

After all the wonderful advice you've all given me, I took the plunge and picked up a couple phrags from a local nursery. Hopefully these will all be not so difficult to grow and bloom, but for the great prices I paid for them, if it doesn't turn out so I won't be too heart broken. Alright, so here's what I picked up:

Olaf Gruss
Robert Palm
pearcei x St Ouen (this has 5 growths!)
Shimmer (Twilight x schilmii)
Summer Sun (EY x Waunakee Sunset)

There were a lot of greeney crosses, so I really had to search for stuff I was interested in. I'm rather pleased with the day's results; hopefully I'll have flower pics to share soon!

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

You should have no problem with any of them...enjoy! Eric

 

[John M]

I had a Fritz Schomburg, but a dastardly squirrel decided the leaves were for snacking, so I'd like to acquire something new...

I hope that you didn't throw out the pot with the roots. Unlike Paphs, it has been my experience on numerous occasions, that a Phrag which has lost virtually all it's leaves (and I mean ALL), due to frost or squirrels/field mice/chipmunks, will sprout dormant eyes into growth within a few months. These new growths will mature in about a year because they are being fed by a still in tact, healthy, fully developed, adult root system.

 

[SlipperFan]

I agree with Eric.

Pearcei x St. Ouen is Ice Princess, by the way. I just got one from OL, and it's really sweet.

 

[NYEric]

First of all, , what are you people doing exposing your phrags to squirrels/field mice/ and chipmunks!??!
Secondly chippy, the Robert Palm, and Olaf Gruss are most commonly found as flavum plants; so along w/ your Ice Princess you probably have 3 yellow-pink phrags.
Thirdly, don't be shy; give your local nursery/vendor a plug and also your location.

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

I googled Phrag. Ice Princess and on slipperorchids.info there are some lovely photos of Dot's (2006). Adding that one to my list for sure.

 

[SlipperFan]

I googled Phrag. Ice Princess and on slipperorchids.info there are some lovely photos of Dot's (2006). Adding that one to my list for sure.

...from Orchids Limited. I just purchased another one -- couldn't resist.

 

[Kevin]

Secondly chippy, the Robert Palm, and Olaf Gruss are most commonly found as flavum plants;

Why is that exactly? Most other besseae crosses use as bright red or orange as you can get, so why aren't these? Just curious.

 

[NYEric]

Because only a few people have made and sold the cross and a flavum besseae was commonly used.

 

[Kevin]

Okay, but that doesn't really answer my question. I'm wondering why flavum was used in some crosses and not in others. Has flavum been used in Barbara LeAnn or Andean Fire? I guess the answer is that if the goal is to get a yellow flower, you use flavum with a pale species, and if you want a red flower, you use the regular besseae with a dark flower. But, Hanne Popow and Franz Glanz, among others, have used both the flavum and regular.

But anyway, as for the topic of this thread, good haul chippybug! You have a nice selection there!

 

[goldenrose]

Kevin -
I would think that's the logical explanation - different colors/shades!

Good start chippy!

 

[NYEric]

If you check my collection you'll pretty much find what's been made w/ flavum besseae. As Glen Decker told me a lot of phrag hybrids would just look washed out if you use flavum besseae [plus most besseae flavum reduce size and vigor] so not a lot of hybridizers use it. Luckily, by crossing besseae type flavs w/ others, boisserianum, pearcei, etc, you get vigor and lighter color.

 

[chippybug10]

Well I certainly hope those plants were made with flavum bessae, those are much better crosses! btw, I picked all these plants up at Waldor Orchids, Linwood NJ

 

[NYEric]

Good job, now we know you're a NE person too!

 

[nikv]

I'm so glad that I found this thread because I was asking myself this very same question. What would be a good beginner's phrag? Now I'm gonna have to go looking around for some of these hybrids. :rollhappy: