Phrag Sunset Glow (meh)

[The Mutant]

I've had this one for about a year now, bought it in bud in October last year I think, and now it's flowering again (the flower opened yesterday).

The colour is very "meh" this time, and that colourless spot on the petal bugs me a lot (as do the ones on the pouch). I think the colour was better on its previous flowering, but that could be due to beautified memories and over-saturated pictures. Not sure.

What I do know, is that the form is better (at least in my eyes). It looks really perky and happy and I like that. Those extra things on the petals, teeth or what I should call them, seem to be thing for this one. Don't know why it gets them.

Some of the pictures aren't that good, since it was way too dark in my apartment for some of the shots, and my hands were too shaky.


Here it is:

Profile picture that will be replaced due to being too much out of focus for my taste. I just wanted to show it from this angle:

Picture of the whole plant, which will also be replaced due to it being too dark in some places (I don't have a good photo editing program anymore, so couldn't fix it any better than this). I just wanted to show the size of the growth that's flowering (can you spot the old growth behind the new one?):

I have been grumbling about this plant a lot. One of the reasons that I bought it (beside that it was reddish, being sold really close to where I live and a Phrag) was because it wasn't that big, which was great. I wanted a nice, compact growing Phrag, since I don't have that much space. So... Where did that new growth come from?! Has it been eating steroids behind my back?

I took a picture to show the difference in size. As it was too dark, it was kind of difficult to get a decent picture, but I hope you can see what I'm talking about. The two bottom leaves (not the yellowing one) on the new growth are the same size as the largest ones on the old. This thing has the ability to become a monster...

 

[troy]

Very nice, I like the color contrast on the pouch, you live in an apt. In sweden! I thought everybody who lived in sweden lived in a huge house on farmland!!! Lol. Jk

 

[Linus_Cello]

Looks like there's another bud. Maybe the next flower will be darker?

 

[Secundino]

Hey, if you don't like it - and it grows far to big for you - I take it!!! For I do love those teeth - why are they considered a flaw? - and I love that veining and that colour combination. So, next time you come to the islands, I'll be waiting!

 

[NYEric]

There you go, vacation in Spain! Yay besseae hybrids. Yes, the teeth are a flaw. Photos are fine.

 

[Secundino]

The Mutant - for the photo editing you might try gimp. I like it a lot. :wink:

NYEric, just imagine half of all st-users without teeth. Did you? Well, to which half would you like to belong ?! Teeth are no flaw, they add ... bite. Yes. And I love black hairs, too, like in this flower!oke:

But in serious: Why must flowers be flat, round, big, overlapping, smooth and tame? Why? Ever noticed that Hemerocallis cultivars almost look like Cattleya cultivars an viceversa?
There are a few Phrag-hybrids that show teeth, and to me they are mostly very appealing.

Just been at the beach this morning ... oke: ... the water is warmer than the air!

 

[The Mutant]

Very nice, I like the color contrast on the pouch, you live in an apt. In sweden! I thought everybody who lived in sweden lived in a huge house on farmland!!! Lol. Jk

Yep, I sold the huge farmhouse I never had and moved into the city (more like a smaller city/town).

But yes, and it's getting quite crowded under my T5... I need to get another one, especially if this Phrag is going to continue doing steroids.

Looks like there's another bud. Maybe the next flower will be darker?

There's one, maybe two more buds. I was pondering whether or not I had this bud too close to the T5... It's not impossible, since the spike is doing its best to grow up into it.

Hey, if you don't like it - and it grows far to big for you - I take it!!! For I do love those teeth - why are they considered a flaw? - and I love that veining and that colour combination. So, next time you come to the islands, I'll be waiting!

Oh, I like it alright, I'm just a bit whiny/greedy :wink: . It's a very nice and easy Phrag, so it's staying. If it gets too big, I'll divide it and send you one.

Personally, I don't dislike the teeth/ragged edges. It's just something which seems to occur in this hybrid a lot. I checked old Sunset Glow posts here on ST, and the majority seem to have them. I see them as a "thing" or "quirk" if you like.

 

[Ozpaph]

what is "meh"??
Nice flower and very healthy plant, too.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I have a number of Sunset Glows from a JF flask many moons ago. Some of the commonalities? These are not small plants. One of them that I own is my largest phrag, though I do have some much smaller sibs. Almost universally, the flowers are prone to developing the teeth. It's not consistent, in that not every flower on every plant from every bloom has them, though. I think it's symptom of polyploidy, and also happens consistently in other polyploidic hybrids, usually involving besseae as one of the parents.

By the way, I'm cursed with picking small plants from other vendors. Time and time again, I choose a plant because it's small and compact, bring it home, and bam, in my conditions they become monsters. It's just a sign that people like you and I know how to care for these babies!

 

[abax]

I agree with Secundino. Not every single flower has to be perfect by someone else's definition. I like character and this Phrag. has character
and the color is quite nice. Be proud and grateful, I have a Randy McDonald that's been in bud practically forever, but hasn't bloomed
yet...frustration!

 

[The Mutant]

what is "meh"??
Nice flower and very healthy plant, too.

The colour...

I know, I'm greedy, but I blame you guys! You post pictures of such wonderful Phrags, it's all your fault! :rollhappy:

I have a number of Sunset Glows from a JF flask many moons ago. Some of the commonalities? These are not small plants. One of them that I own is my largest phrag, though I do have some much smaller sibs. Almost universally, the flowers are prone to developing the teeth. It's not consistent, in that not every flower on every plant from every bloom has them, though. I think it's symptom of polyploidy, and also happens consistently in other polyploidic hybrids, usually involving besseae as one of the parents.

By the way, I'm cursed with picking small plants from other vendors. Time and time again, I choose a plant because it's small and compact, bring it home, and bam, in my conditions they become monsters. It's just a sign that people like you and I know how to care for these babies!

I noticed... I thought it would be a pretty compact Phrag. It was all lies. Not only is the plant big, the flower is pretty large too, 12cm (4.75").

Plants usually shrink when I bring them home. This one and my other Phrag are the exceptions. Regarding my Paphs, it's a bit hard to tell, since the majority of my them were bought as seedlings/young plants, and they have grown bigger. Phals are the ones that shrink the most; there's something they're not fond of in my conditions. I also think most of my multipaphs won't reach the same sizes as they could in a better environment. Which is good as long as they're healthy and flowers, I don't mind if they stay on the small side.

I agree with Secundino. Not every single flower has to be perfect by someone else's definition. I like character and this Phrag. has character
and the color is quite nice. Be proud and grateful, I have a Randy McDonald that's been in bud practically forever, but hasn't bloomed
yet...frustration!

I think this hybrid is very very easy, which is why it flowers and yes, I am very happy with it (even though it might not have sounded like that). It's my little Christmas Phrag after all and the flower looks so darned happy

Btw, Randy McDonald is a beautiful cross (just checked it). I hope it decides to flower for you.

 

[NYEric]

Phals like warm. Phrags like a bit cooler, especially the roots. Maybe that's why they haven't shrank for you. :wink:

 

[The Mutant]

Phals like warm. Phrags like a bit cooler, especially the roots. Maybe that's why they haven't shrank for you. :wink:

That sounds very probable. I think this could be why my stonei wasn't happy and succumbed to whatever it was. It loved it during summer, but as soon as winter arrived = unhappy stonei. If I get another T5 and put it in my living-room window, I could grow the more warm loving Paphs better. Excellent plan.

Oh, yes... No space... :sob:

 

[SlipperFan]

That is quite nice.

 

[Phrag-Plus]

Very nice! I like the contrating colouration...

 

[troy]

I like looking at your very beautiful blooming everytime, very nice color contrast and shape maybe next bloom it will shed the blemish

 

[The Mutant]

Thanks guys.

I've confirmed that it indeed had more colour last year when it flowered, but that they form and size is much better this year. So, if I can just give it a bit colder temperatures while the buds are developing, I might get flowers with this form and last years colour. Yay!

I like looking at your very beautiful blooming everytime, very nice color contrast and shape maybe next bloom it will shed the blemish

I hope so too, but since the humidity is crawling around 43% right now, I think more blemishes are to expect. I ordered new filters for my humidifier about 3 weeks ago, and still no filters.

 

[The Mutant]

Just an update (the flower is pretty big, 13cm or ca 5¼"):

It's more red red now, so it's kind of fitting as an X-mas flower, so Merry Christmas to those reading this!


EDIT:
The newest flower looks like it might have a more saturated colour, but in exchange it shrunk (it just opened today, but there's no way it'll stretch 4cm...). So I apparently can't have both, eh? Stupid Phrag. oke:

Still like it though.

 

[NYEric]

Merry Xmas.

 

[Secundino]

Ho-Ho-Hooo!