Wow!! What is your secret? I hear phrags are fussy. I have some nice Paphs, but I've been afraid to venture into the world of Phrags.

I'd also like to hear any growing tips you might have to offer. I keep trying, but have not been very successful with phrags or paphs.

Sheila :)

Amyqofu I find phrags to be much easier than paphs! About 1/2 of my paphs are in rehab now. It is my husbands job to figure out which ones need extra calcium and magnesium. Which ones need a cool down in the winter or grown warm in the winter.

Sheila phrags do best in catt light. I grow some in s/h and some in a coir mix with their toes sitting in saucers of water. When I grew them underlights I had to tie the foliage up to be near the lights and the tall spikes had to go between the fixtures. I am finding in the g/h I am getting branches on the spikes and never did underlights. I am guessing here, but suspect the increased light created the branches.

I still have new growths maturing on many of them with new spikes coming on. I may have phrag blooms year round now :>)

Brooke

Wonderful to see pics of a species you can't grow. I had a lindleyanum until recently but it was never really happy. I have heard they must have very pure water...

Brooke - how often do you water/take care of the s/h phrags? I've killed a few phrags trying to get them to go into s/h. I have one plant that is nearly dead - there is one large growth left (out of three) with a few buds. Do you water frequently? I figured that was my problem - letting 'em get dry. How about fertilizing them? (I think mine is a Phrag. eric young x with something)

And beautiful plants! Thanks for sharing!

Wirtlo phrags don't like to dry out. The roots are hairy and need constant moisture. If NV means Nevada, you might need to water every day. In the g/h they get watered about every three days to fill the reservoir, less in cool temps.

They do need really good water and very little fertilizer. If the water is heavy in salts, the leaf tips brown - ask me how I know :>)

I have an Eric Young x Sorcerer's Apprentice cross and I think it is either Afterglo or Chuck Acker. I can't remember sitting here and it is grown in s/h and is thriving. Some I've had to move back to the coir mix.

You can always move the plant out of s/h and sit it in a saucer of water. Flushing the containers once a week is also important to eliminate salt build up.

Brooke

Thank you much Brooke - I DEFINITELY have been leaving them too dry (and too much fertilizer when they do get water). And yup - Nevada! In my window room I put some passion vines and a hydroponic tomato to get some evapotranspiration going which works pretty good - but it still stays pretty dry here.

Good luck wirtlo, I hope your phrag comes around. They are some of my easier orchids once I figured out which ones love s/h and which ones didn't.

My Phrag. Jason Fischer is in the cutest little 2" pot of sphag making a come back from his near death experience when I put him in s/h. I do have roots on him now :>)

Brooke