Phrag. besseae Hybrids vs. kovachii Hybrids

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trdyl

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I have heard recently that you should grow Phrag besseae hybrids more like you would besseae and grow kovachii hybrids like you would kovachii. So what happens in the case of Phrag Fritz Schomburg should it be grown slightly acidic or alkaline? Or does it really not care?
 
I have heard recently that you should grow Phrag besseae hybrids more like you would besseae and grow kovachii hybrids like you would kovachii. So what happens in the case of Phrag Fritz Schomburg should it be grown slightly acidic or alkaline? Or does it really not care?

Probably does not care, but hedge your bets (like me). Throw some sphag in the mix and top with oyster shell ... shoot for a near neutral pH and I guarantee pH won't even be an issue in your culture.
 
mrhappyroter, what do you mean by shooting for a near neutral pH? On the gowing mix or on the feeding solution?

I don't really worry much about pH. When I measure (the phrags) it's the saucer water that they've been sitting in, based on the assumption that it's the best indicator of overall pH in the pot.

How do you measure the pH of a chunky, non-homogeneous potting mix? This chunk of rockwool, which is inert, might essentially match the pH of the feeding solution. That piece of sphag is probably going to be acidic. That flake of oyster shell is on the basic side. So the pH of the medium that matters is whatever the pH is at the specific spot where the root is attached to the surface of the pot or the surface of a specific chunk of media. In short, you can't really measure that.
 
Probably does not care, but hedge your bets (like me). Throw some sphag in the mix and top with oyster shell ... shoot for a near neutral pH and I guarantee pH won't even be an issue in your culture.

Thanks! That is just in line with what I was thinking. But being new to Phrags. Thought I'd best ask the experts.

I don't think it's as big as an issue as growing bessae/kv hybrids (wet) vs caudatum type hybrids (Grande, etc; more dry). (So does one grow ruby slippers and other bessae/caudatum hybrids wet or dry?)

Thanks also. Concerning besseae/caudatum hybrids. I was recently in contact with Allen Black. He grows his Phrag. China Dragon (besseae X Grande) wet in daitomite with Cattleya type light and temperatures.
 

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