Interesting Phrag. besseae observation.

[Heather]

I am starting to work through repotting all of my Phrags into S/H. Started on some of my more miserable besseaes today.

Lest you all think this little wretched looking besseae var. flavum might be a tad overpotted in one of Ray's 4.5" pots.

Think again...

Lien and I were just talking about how, due to my thrips, and his sunburn, we both have several besseaes which have really awful looking growth but great roots. I thought this one was an excellent case in point. This plant has really struggled for a while too, in fact when it last tried to bloom I cut the spike because it was such a weak little spike.

I guess roots aren't everything?

 

[lienluu]

Several of my burn casualties i thought were goners, but i just left them there. they had no live growths whatsoever but about a month or so later, i noticed new growths starting to appear.

Also, i have several besseaes that are potted so that the old dead growths are buried way down in the pots because of their annoyingly long stolons. anyhow, i have noticed that on two plants, they have sent out two new growths each on those old buried growths.

 

[Mahon]

I have this feeling what I suggest will be deterred... but try humus...

Currently growing Phrag. besseae, Phrag. lindleyanum, and Phrag. pearcii in humus, containg both broken clay pot pieces and some river rocks... others are in the proccess of being switched, but I have to many other things I have been doing lately...

(BTW, the Phrag. pearcii was a double back growth disvision, leafless... it was garbage of a friend of mine, which I salvaged along with some Cattleya and Epidendrum back bulb divisions... and everything is showing new shoots and root growth [except for the Epidendrum, which is just putting out roots]...)

-PM

 

[Heather]

Thanks for the suggestion, Pat!
Not sure how I'd really devise a good humus but....

I'll keep that in mind.

 

[likespaphs]

should the humus be plain or is the stuff with extra garlic okay? does it matter if i grind my own chick peas or should it be the store bought stuff?
(hey, someone had to say it...)

 

[Heather]

I tend to prefer a little tabbouli with mine also...

 

[SlipperFan]

I like a thick, whole-grain bread with mine...

 

[Heather]

I thought I'd bump this up after reading Robert's comments about the in bred besseae var. flavums.

This is mine, and since repotting, it still has excellent roots but now both those growths have almost completely died off and it has two brand new starts. Is this just a weak plant or are some of these besseae known for this? All four of it's older growths have behaved the same way.

 

[Ron-NY]

Several of my burn casualties i thought were goners, but i just left them there. they had no live growths whatsoever but about a month or so later, i noticed new growths starting to appear.

Also, i have several besseaes that are potted so that the old dead growths are buried way down in the pots because of their annoyingly long stolons. anyhow, i have noticed that on two plants, they have sent out two new growths each on those old buried growths.

I always repot deeper on these "climbers"

also baba ganoush works well for me oke:

 

[NYEric]

I found some cheap bird feeders at the dollar store and plant my really 'climby' plants in those, in a mix w/ a lot of sphagnum. The roots travel down into the water trays. It's weird to see the plants up about 10" above the trays but they seem to be OK. E.