Just acquired a Phragmipedilum and i am looking for the basics

[DirtyCoconuts]

Most of the research I have done leads me to Phal and Paph info and says something like "Phrags are happy in similar conditions" which is way to vague to me.

this is what i have gathered so far.

they like to be wet- keep the medium from getting completely dry ever

they like bright shade- not direct light like a vanda or catt but the same brightness, just diffused

what else? i have seen people who keep them in moss and some who favor an open mix like the one i make....pot? basket? mount? are they susceptible to crown rot like a Phal or pretty safe like a vanda?

thanks in advance


oh, i picked up a Phrag. Wossner Supergrande (longiform)

[neophyte]

from what I've gathered (ie. advice from other people), i think s/h works pretty well for them...

their roots like to be wet, but excellent drainage is a must. I've seen a report of phrags growing along a sloping bed, with water constantly running over the roots. the key is making sure the water doesn't become stagnant.

[WaterWitchin]

Yes, neophyte is spot on! I do mine in S/H. But the advice about no stagnant water is a good tip if you choose a different medium. I used to have a little fountain and kept one in one of the pockets of the fountain. It loved it.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I will make a new thread in the S/H forum as I have a question now.....



thanks guys

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

they like to be wet- keep the medium from getting completely dry ever.

I'm not absolutely certain about their limits. At the moment, I'm tending to believe that they can handle having dry roots for relatively short time. These plants are sort of slightly 'succulent' too (only slightly). They don't have pseudobulbs obviously. So probably can't handle being without water for that long, especially in relatively dry places - unlike orchids with pseudobulbs.

I grow mine all in 100% scoria. Small pieces for relatively small plants. Larger pieces for relatively large plants. I water the media each morning.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

I'm not absolutely certain about their limits. At the moment, I'm tending to believe that they can handle having dry roots for relatively short time. These plants are sort of 'succulent' too, just like most of the mainstream orchids - except they don't have pseudobulbs. So probably can't handle being without water for that long, especially in relatively dry places - unlike orchids with pseudobulbs.

I grow mine all in 100% scoria. Small pieces for relatively small plants. Larger pieces for relatively large plants. I water the media each morning.

Thanks SP. do you have any reservoir or just free draining?

I was inclined to do the later as that is how i grow the vast majority of my 'chids but i was really having a tough time getting good culture info

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Thanks SP. do you have any reservoir or just free draining?

I was inclined to do the later as that is how i grow the vast majority of my 'chids but i was really having a tough time getting good culture info

Most welcome DC. The pots I use are very good drainage ones. And because I grow my plants on the floor hahaha (growing constraints), I use pot dishes - and make use of those plastic drainage grates, which always keeps the bottom of the pot above any water that drains through the pot. When I water (using the watering spray wand), I just send water down onto the media surface around the sides of the plant. The water just works its way down into the scoria, and gets absorbed - most of it. Some water will eventually trickle out the bottom of the pot and into the dish, which usually is evaporated by the next day. For my conditions here, I never need to empty out those dishes, as the dishes just become dry by the next morning.

[DirtyCoconuts]

perfect- that is super close to the "normal" way i try to do it as well.

thanks!

[DirtyCoconuts]

this is what i cam up with for the time being

More haauuuus by J Solo, on Flickr


6" terra cotta orchid pot, filled with Hydroton, it is sitting in a baking pan in 1" of rain water.

if the plant is happy like this then i will replace the pan with a plastic res, add a drain at the appropriate depth and then conjure up a way for the rain barrel overflow to flow into this

any glaring errors in my setup?

[WaterWitchin]

Hey DCoconuts... Just saw this. That looks just fine to me. Although were it mine and at that size (nice) I'd have the reservoir deeper than an inch. Is the LECA wicking all the way up? Of course, you get a ton more humidity year 'round. My humidity here is very seasonal.