Phrag kovachii

[weng]

This site may answer your question http://www.orchidweb.com/dtl_spec.asp?PRecno=3846

Flasks were on sale at the WOC in France, and at the Newbury Show in England. Unusually, the vendors recommended immediate deflasking despite the seedlings being only 2mm across! I did as recommended, and mine are growing well .

Weng

[Tindomul]

Thanks.

[Rod Knowles]

I am not going to post a long diatribe here on this topic, but feel free to email me if you would like some details of the saga that have not been made public. Flasks of kovachii seedlings were received by two commercial growers in the US several months ago. Just prior to that, I declined to purchase flasks in France last April at the WOC - all legal and pre-approved by USF&WS. The problem was that the plants looked terrible and had been jumbled in shipment. Since then I declined additional flasks for similar reason. The kovachii saga has been filled with tons of rumor, speculation, hype and an overwhelming amount of emotion. I was probably one of the first to be offered illegal plants within days after their discovery - I DECLINED - not because the asking price was $20,000 but because they were illegal. As for the hybrids, yes the two authorized nurseries in Peru began making hybrids immediately and several of those have entered the US legally as well. Lists of those hybrids have been circulating for some time. My impression is that many of the plants used in the hybrids were also species, but there may have been some hybrids used in crosses as well. I don't recall seeing any AOS awarded Phrags being used in any of the crosses, but that doesn't mean that they don't already exist. It SHOULD be a few years before any legitimate hybrids between kovachii other Phrags in the US are available, unless someone in Peru has obtained US stock and already begun breeding with them. The only legal kovachii's in the US are the ones that were shipped a few months ago in flask, and one would assume that they will not be mature enough for breeding for a while at least. I was told at the AOS meeting in Florida in early April that many more flasks will soon be arriving in the US and that the prices will be much more reasonable. This will all be interesting to watch as it unfolds.

[Tindomul]

20,000!!!! I cant believe it! Thats soooooo much money. Thanks for the great info, and welcome if I haven't already said so.

[Piper]

Several US breeders are acting with Alfredo Manrique's nursery in Peru and have legally imported flasks of kovachii. Seedlings are only just becoming available this summer-fall, as trade embargos in the flask contracts begin to expire.

Prices are looking like $100-200 per seedling, depending on size and how quickly seedlings are obtainable (obviously, the price will go down over time.)

Chuck Acker and Jerry Fischer are one source:
http://www.flasksbychuckacker.com/

Glen Decker at Piping Rock is another:
http://www.pipingrockorchids.com/

Julie

[Tindomul]

kovachii looks soo great. I hope to try some sort of slipper orchid soon.

[Eric M Muehlbauer]

Well, I have been impressed by kovachii....but only by its size, not its color...certainly not its shape, as I have read that the blooms start to curl almost immediately after opening...I for one will wait until kovachii becomes a more commonplace seedling to buy...by then, easier culture strains will be around..although I have heard that kovachii is "easy"...that's still only from professional growers in Peru. I'm comparing kovachii to besseae...when besseae first became available, it was not an easy phrag to grow...and for me, the infamous orchid killer, phrags are the easiest slippers to grow..among the easiest orchids to grow. Now, besseae's are easier to grow, no harder than other phrags, and way better looking...I'll still take my besseae over any phrag hybrid, period. So...I can wait. Take care, Eric

[Heather]

I am with Eric on this - and I have the chance to buy my first hyrbids in the near future - but have decided to wait. I figure, small plants growing larger in experienced growers' greenhouses will grow better and better to let them do the experimenting.

I want one now, but I think waiting, for me, is a better option.

[Oscarman]

Understandable Phrag kovachii will generate a ton of attention - the color, the size, the potential. The impact on breeding is very exciting. But come on....$100 per seedling, $1000 per flask - ridiculous!

It all sounds like a lot of hype of a new species and I want to first on the block to own one!

Much respect to any of you for not succumbing to the hype and the frenzy.

[Heather]

Actually, $100 a seedling is really quite reasonable.
Hybrid seedlings are going for $75. When besseae was first available (and as Eric said, tricky!), plants were well into the thousands of dollars.

Glen's always said his plan is to flood the market as early as possible with lower priced species seedlings in order to avoid that sort of price gouging that went on with besseae.

He also has a jump on the other two because he isn't working with Peruflora (Arias), who made everyone sign agreements that the seedlings would not be sold until 2007. So, by the time Chuck and Jerry (who owns Orchids Ltd - not affiliated with Ackers except in friendship) can sell their seedlings, Glen's plants will have already been on the market for quite a while.

However, I still think that letting the professionals grow them and figure them out for a while, is not such a bad plan.

I'm looking forward to seeing the hybrids in person in a few weeks. Hopefully Glen will allow photos.