Phrag kovachii culture!

[orchidman77]

Why is air movement soooooo important as everyone says?? I'm afraid I'm really ignorant on this one.....

Would a small fan work to provide the air?

Thanks again Lance for your pictures and explanations!!!

David

 

[gonewild]

Why is air movement soooooo important as everyone says?? I'm afraid I'm really ignorant on this one.....

Would a small fan work to provide the air?

Thanks again Lance for your pictures and explanations!!!

David

Generally air movement is a big help to prevent fungal and bacterial growth by preventing stagnant conditions. Air movement will help evaporate water which helps cool.
It only takes a small airflow to be beneficial. I can't think of any reason to subject kovachii to gale force winds.

 

[gonewild]

This weeks Lima forecast:

Updated: 7:00 AM PET on February 27, 2010

Saturday
Partly Cloudy. High: 84 °F . Wind South 8 mph . Heat Index: 89 °F .

Saturday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 64 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Sunday
Chance of Rain. Partly Cloudy. High: 84 °F . Wind South 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts). Heat Index: 84 °F .

Sunday Night
Scattered Clouds. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 8 mph .

Monday
Partly Cloudy. High: 82 °F . Wind South 11 mph .

Monday Night
Overcast. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Tuesday
Overcast. High: 82 °F . Wind South 13 mph .

Tuesday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Wednesday
Partly Cloudy. High: 82 °F . Wind South 15 mph . Heat Index: 82 °F .

Wednesday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Thursday
Scattered Clouds. High: 82 °F . Wind South 15 mph . Heat Index: 86 °F .

Thursday Night
Chance of Rain. Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts).

Friday
Chance of Rain. Scattered Clouds. High: 86 °F . Wind South 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts). Heat Index: 91 °F .

Friday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 68 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

 

[smartie2000]

thanks for the info Lance

Why is air movement soooooo important as everyone says?? I'm afraid I'm really ignorant on this one.....

Would a small fan work to provide the air?

Thanks again Lance for your pictures and explanations!!!

David

if your humidity is low and you have few plants then air movement is not as big of a deal. You probably will have some natural air movement in the house. Under very dry winter conditions too much air movement would dessicate a plant.

Probably be more careful during the summer, especially if it is hot. I double my air movement during the summer on all plants except for those on the windowsill. My windowsill plants get no extra artificial air movement, just whatever moves around the house naturally. You might have a openned window, etc.

If you have a overly dense collection, you will need air movement because of stagnant conditions. Or if you are growing in a enclosed space (like terrarium). Especially if your humidity is high, you will need air movement, otherwise plant your plants can potentially get rot. I do need to fan my collection that is not an the windowsill

Paphs seem to rot much faster than Phrags...but intermediate growing phrags like kovachii might be susceptable to rot in high heat if the air is stagnant

 

[orchidman77]

Ok..........i don't have too many chids, but they are rather close. I'll probably get a fan of some sort sometime and just make sure they don't get into those stagnant conditions. Those temps, Lance, look ideal for indoor growing, at least in my house.

With growing on a windowsill, wouldn't the leaves heat up too much if the sun is beating down directly on the leaves???

David

 

[gonewild]

With growing on a windowsill, wouldn't the leaves heat up too much if the sun is beating down directly on the leaves???

David

That depends on how intense the sun is. What time of day does direct sunlight hit the leaves?
You can keep the leaf temperature down by misting the leaves when the sun is hot and allowing your fan to blow across them. The evaporation will cool the leaf tissue. Take care not to put cold water directly on leaves that are already real hot. The sudden change in temperature can cause tissue damage. Best to wet the foliage before it gets hot and keep it wet to keep it cool. If the leaves are hot and you want to cool them down do so by indirectly misting the leaves. Let the mist slowly fall through the air onto the leaf.
Or just add some shade to your window?

 

[Clark]

ok. There are tables in front of windows. When summer days are longer- mini-blinds. Plants are not actually on sill/stool. That would create a limit.
The black/green plastic pots in the front row can heat up.

 

[Bolero]

You are right of course, I read on a website that Lima is 1500M but that obviously is wrong after checking other sites.

I just know of several people who grow them successfully much cooler than 15C as long as they are protected. I've also read some articles that suggest kovachii does get some very cool temps and cooler winds at the elevation it grows at.

I've done some research on the climate as I do whenever I grow plants I need cultural information on and it suggests the highlands get down to 5C. I know climates are variable though.

I am sure they don't grow as fast at cooler temps, many plants don't.

 

[Bolero]

This weeks Lima forecast:

Updated: 7:00 AM PET on February 27, 2010

Saturday
Partly Cloudy. High: 84 °F . Wind South 8 mph . Heat Index: 89 °F .

Saturday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 64 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Sunday
Chance of Rain. Partly Cloudy. High: 84 °F . Wind South 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts). Heat Index: 84 °F .

Sunday Night
Scattered Clouds. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 8 mph .

Monday
Partly Cloudy. High: 82 °F . Wind South 11 mph .

Monday Night
Overcast. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Tuesday
Overcast. High: 82 °F . Wind South 13 mph .

Tuesday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Wednesday
Partly Cloudy. High: 82 °F . Wind South 15 mph . Heat Index: 82 °F .

Wednesday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Thursday
Scattered Clouds. High: 82 °F . Wind South 15 mph . Heat Index: 86 °F .

Thursday Night
Chance of Rain. Partly Cloudy. Low: 71 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts).

Friday
Chance of Rain. Scattered Clouds. High: 86 °F . Wind South 11 mph . Chance of precipitation 20% (trace amounts). Heat Index: 91 °F .

Friday Night
Partly Cloudy. Low: 68 °F . Wind SSE 11 mph .

Isn't it summer there now?

 

[gonewild]

You are right of course, I read on a website that Lima is 1500M but that obviously is wrong after checking other sites.

Maybe it was a typo and should have said 150m. I don't really know the exact altitude but it may as well be sea level.

I just know of several people who grow them successfully much cooler than 15C as long as they are protected. I've also read some articles that suggest kovachii does get some very cool temps and cooler winds at the elevation it grows at.

When you say they grow them much cooler than 15C do you mean that is the constant temperature or that it sometimes gets that cold?

I've done some research on the climate as I do whenever I grow plants I need cultural information on and it suggests the highlands get down to 5C. I know climates are variable though.

Yes the highlands can get that cold. but not on a frequent basis at the 2000m level on the eastern side. I've seen a lot of plants growing at 3000m that you would assume would die with freezing temperatures. Above 3000m is where the "highlands" really start. On the western slope that is a different story, it gets cold over there even at lower elevations.

I am sure they don't grow as fast at cooler temps, many plants don't.

I guess the main points about kovachii growing cold are:
1. do they need that cold temperature to grow well?
or
2. Do they only tolerate the cold temperatures without suffering?

 

[gonewild]

Isn't it summer there now?

Yes it is summer now.

 

[orchidman77]

Thanks to all of you! I think I could grow a kovachii now...i just need to get one lol.

 

[Carper]

I had already put my order in to Peruflora before reading this thread and next month have 6 kovachii plants being delivered. 4 plants within 2 years of flowering and the other 2 within one year. I already acquired 2 plants a few months ago from europe, potted these up, and these are double the size already. Leafspan is about 10 inches at present. New roots and new leaves have devloped so I am well pleased with their progress, so the conditions seem well suited and they seem to conform to many of the ones described in this thread. I take it that it could be an advantage to add crushed oyster shell or dolomite lime but also what PH would be ideal for my MSU to be applied at for optimal uptake?

Gary
UK

 

[Carper]

Well, they have finally arrived and I can say I am very pleased with the plants. They were very well packed, all have a very good root system and it looks like a couple of them have flowered before. I have now cleaned them, treated them with a weak solution of physan, and potted them up and as you can see from the photos, they don't look bad. They've had their first feed along with a KLN root hormone boost, so looking forward to the next 12 months, which will hopefully produce a flowering specimen. I have put a 30 cm ruler in the photo to give an idea of the size.

Gary

 

[SlipperKing]

Looks great, good luck

 

[paphioboy]

Great acquisitions...

 

[SlipperFan]

They do look nice and healthy.

 

[NYEric]

Those are a pretty good size, nice acquisitions. I wish I could get a bunch that size w/out losing a limb!

 

[JeanLux]

Wow: nice, strong and healthy looking !!!! Just waiting to see pics of your blooms now ! Jean

(my 2 seedlings just do survive but not grow )

 

[Carper]

Hi All,

Its been a couple of months since I received these, but some of them are showing cause for concern! There is no sign of any root growth yet and some of the leaves are becoming dry, becoming a lighter green and leathery to the touch, not firm. Some are turning brown on the leaf ends. The medium is well drained, and I water once every 7-10 days or so. I wonder whether this is enough as most of my other phrags get a soaking and dont mind it. I feed weakly at around 400 m/s with the MSU 13-3-15, should this be stronger? Light levels are very low now we are in winter, with no supplementary lighting. Temps are 13C min and 20C max.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gary
UK