Phrag. besseae 'Carlisle'

[cnycharles]

Why? I'd expect all that water to rot armeniacum. If you just mean in a large, shallow tray.....Yes, I agree. The best grown micranthums and armeniacums I've seen were grown in large, shallow trays; or large hanging baskets.

Yes, thought was simply for large hanging tray like the pics posted of big baskets of armeniacum. ... Though they do require more water that way, definitely less than for Besseae.
I had tried to come up with a similar solution to the climbing bess syndrome and auto watering to mimic the environment by using something like a paint roller tray with a water pump in bottom piping up to top for trickling. Tray seemed too small though it has a slant and progress stalled if your tray were solid and you could catch water at bottom of slant somehow and pump up to top, you'd have something very similar to nature (and you wouldn't have to water every day )


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[The Mutant]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, the trays come from the manufacturer with lots of drainage holes already present. I water this tray OFTEN. If it's not sopping wet, I water it. All the excess drains out; so, there's still lost of air getting into the mix too.

What are the measurements of the tray (height, width, length) and the plant (the whole thing)? I'm seriously considering moving my Green Hornet to something similar. I've found seed trays that look promising, but some measurements as comparasion would be very helpful.

 

[John M]

What are the measurements of the tray (height, width, length) and the plant (the whole thing)?

See post #9, page #1.

Not sure what you mean by "....and the plant (the whole thing)?"

 

[The Mutant]

See post #9, page #1.

Not sure what you mean by "....and the plant (the whole thing)?"

I'm so sorry. I don't know how to use my eyes apparently. Thank you.

'The whole thing' as in how much space does it occupy. Not only the leafspan of the largest growth for example, but the dimensions of the entire plant. I'm sorry for being such a pain.

 

[Lmpgs]

I like very much the way you planted it.

 

[John M]

I'm so sorry. I don't know how to use my eyes apparently. Thank you.

'The whole thing' as in how much space does it occupy. Not only the leafspan of the largest growth for example, but the dimensions of the entire plant. I'm sorry for being such a pain.

LOL! You're not a pain!

I'll measure the largest growth for you tomorrow. However,just using the known dimensions of the tray, you can see that the plant is pretty big and make a pretty good guess at the leafspan. Actually, when I replant it in the spring, I'm going to put the front half in one tray and probably split the back 2 growths apart and put them into their own individual tray. The front half will not go back into the same size tray. It's too small. It will go into a tray of about twice the size @ 24" x 24" x 2" deep. Then, the plant will be allowed to grow and multiply undisturbed for the next 6 to 8 years, or so.

Here's a different besseae that started out as a single back growth with just 2 leaves.

Here is the same plant just shy of 3 years later. Missing from this photo are the 3 growths that I'd already taken off. It had gone from one old growth with 2 leaves to 21 growths in 35 months.

 

[tomkalina]

I don't think I've ever seen a better grown besseae, John. Have you tried this method successfully with any other Phrag. species?

 

[MorandiWine]

HOLY CRAP!! That is a TON of growth for just 3 years!

WOW

tyler

 

[John M]

Thank you, both.

No Tom, I haven't tried it with anything else. It never occurred to me because the other Phrag. species I have are all natural clumpers. But, perhaps I should give schlimii a try. It'd be nice to make a "Super-clump!" Hmmmmm?

 

[Justin]

now that is worthy of some kind of grower's award.

 

[SlipperFan]

I've tried growing besseae in bulb pans without this success. Maybe they are still just too deep. I'll have to try this shallow tray idea. Thanks, John. This is really a beautifully grown plant!

 

[cnycharles]

Because the tray bottom literally is a screen, it isn't like a shallow tray and allows much more aeration. The very frequent watering may also be what is allowing this to be very successful!


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[John M]

But, it's not a screen; or anything like one. It's got some holes melted into it during the manufacturing process. The bottom is mostly solid. I believe it's actually the roots being able to run along, attached to the bottom that makes the difference. Orchid roots function more efficiently at the point where they contact and attach to some kind of surface. So, the ample room on a large tray bottom allows for this. The fact that it's very shallow allows most of the root mass to be in contact with the bottom.

 

[cnycharles]

Okay, the tray looks about the same size as trays we have that hold seedling plug trays and have a wide mesh or grid bottom

I have seen other trays about that size but are longer I think and just have a few slits in the bottom (I think)


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[John M]

Yes, there are a lot of greenhouse carrying trays and they have many different designs. The one my plant is potted in has a few slits melted in the bottom; otherwise, it's solid. Also, the glass dish that the huge plant is growing in, is of course, quite solid; except for a single 3/4" hole drilled in the centre.

 

[The Mutant]

LOL! You're not a pain!

I'll measure the largest growth for you tomorrow. However,just using the known dimensions of the tray, you can see that the plant is pretty big and make a pretty good guess at the leafspan. Actually, when I replant it in the spring, I'm going to put the front half in one tray and probably split the back 2 growths apart and put them into their own individual tray. The front half will not go back into the same size tray. It's too small. It will go into a tray of about twice the size @ 24" x 24" x 2" deep. Then, the plant will be allowed to grow and multiply undisturbed for the next 6 to 8 years, or so.

Here's a different besseae that started out as a single back growth with just 2 leaves.

Here is the same plant just shy of 3 years later. Missing from this photo are the 3 growths that I'd already taken off. It had gone from one old growth with 2 leaves to 21 growths in 35 months.

That's one happy besseae!

The tray I'm looking at is solid with some holes in the bottom so it sounds like it's something similar to what you have.

The only thing I'm worried about is that the Green Hornet is potted in a pretty deep pot which means the roots have grown downwards. I guess I could trim them if I put it in a tray, but I'm worried that it might be too much abuse for it. I guess I could cut off the two new growths as soon as they have developed root systems and put them in a tray and see how it goes, but then I'll have two Green Hornets again... The whole point of me trying this is to only have one plant after all. :rollhappy:

If I manage to pull it off and get a very happy Green Hornet, it will take over my apartment. It only has three mature growths, but those still manage to give the plant a diameter of around 72cm (28"). It's a real spacehogger but I still like it.

 

[eggshells]

Wow, monster bessae, I too would like to grow on a shallow but wide pot but there is this problem called "space". Its very limiting...

 

[Hamlet]

Amazing plant & flower. Congrats!

 

[JeanLux]

Bravo John, and thanks for the growing tips!!!! Jean

 

[jjkOC]

Love the fat petals! Have you seen the photo of the besseae cultivar that filled a huge barrel? Maybe that'll be your 'Carlisle' pretty soon!