On Fri, 13 May 2005 00:34:29 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

Now that I have a Phrag, I figure I am interested in knowing what a Phrag's
flowering spike looks like and where it emerges, so that I will know what to
watch out for. Is it more like a Paph's spike in the middle of the growth,
or is it more like an Oncidium's spike on the side? I know that a Phal spike
can be confused with a root at the beginning, a Paph spike can be confused
with a new leaf at the beginning, and an Oncidium spike I think looks like a
new growth at the beginning. Is the Phrag spike like any of these? Or what
is it like? Also does a Phrag flower only once from a growth or can it
reflower from a growth that previously flowered?

Thanks,
Joanna


Your Phrag is just a slipper from South America rather than a
Cypripedium (slipper from North America or a Paph (slipper from
SE Asia). It will bloom only once and centrally. Except many of
them bloom sequentially. The one nasty habit the Phrag has is
looking perfect - not showing any age on the flower and suddenly
it drops off. Usually this happens on the way to "show and tell"
at a society meeting, or on the way to a show, or even between
the grow area and where you stage plants to take a photo. grin
Very disconcerting. You pick up the flower and it looks perfect,
just displaced. Yes, you should enjoy them.

Oh, some have a bad habit of growing out of the pot upward - kind
of the way some Oncidium do. Phrag Ecua-Bess is a cross of
Phrag pearcei x Phrag besseae. Our besseae is a climber. So
watch it and if it starts to go, see if you can run it around the
inside edge of the pot and staple it to the media so it does not
climb up out of the pot.

Phrags also like to be watered with very good water and like to
have water often. Some people grow them sitting in a dish of
water. we use Semi-hydro - see firstrays.com.













SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php