my first two phrag

[fiskio]

hi...
i've just received my first two phragrhagmipedium besseae and phragmipedium caudatum....
have anyone any advices helping me??
i ve put them into my greenhouse, but i'm afraid that it's too warm inside for them....
if i place them outdoor, they may have problem with the rain??
thanks a lot to everybody....

[WhiteRabbit]

I am afraid I don't grow Phrags, so I am unable to help, but wanted to bump your thread, so perhaps someone who can help you will see it

[fiskio]

thank you, white rabbit.....
ciao

[Connie Star]

I'll put in my
I've bloomed a couple of already mature phrags. According to Glen Decker who spoke at our orchid society, they like more light than paphs, so I have them on a shelf in a very sunny south window (really a sliding door with windows from floor to second floor ceiling). I made the mistake of over-fertilizing them and the leaf tips turned brown. Now I just water them with rain water and fertilize weakly once a month or so. I'm anxiously waiting/hoping for spikes.

[Jerry Delaney]

I have never tried growing them outside, so can't comment about that. As Connie pointed out, they are quite sensitive to salts so if your water quality is high in dissolved solids, you should probably use RO water or, as Connie pointed out, rain water. Have fun with them!

[fiskio]

thanks....
fortunately i live in one of the best city of italy for what is concerned the water.... this is very poor in minerals, but i'm agree in the idea of watering my phrag with rain water or RO maybe sometime....
they are luck about the sun, it's very sunny now, but it's really too warm in the green house, about 35°C, if i don't make mistake phrags, expecially besseae, are well with temperature round 25°C in daytime and 20°C in nighttime.... an so i've put the inside my home....
ciao

[ewcia1028]

Fiskio, welcome on Orchidboard! I grow some Phragmipediums in my greenhouse and grow them i s/h.Phrags like to be moist all the time so I water them with RO water every second day and they seem to be happy.Good luck with your phrags and happy growing

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Connie Star

I'll put in my
I've bloomed a couple of already mature phrags. According to Glen Decker who spoke at our orchid society, they like more light than paphs, so I have them on a shelf in a very sunny south window (really a sliding door with windows from floor to second floor ceiling). I made the mistake of over-fertilizing them and the leaf tips turned brown. Now I just water them with rain water and fertilize weakly once a month or so. I'm anxiously waiting/hoping for spikes.

Connie, what type of humidity are they in, and what are the lower limits for successful phrag cultivation? Also, when you say sensitive to water quality, do you mean like pleurothallids?

[Connie Star]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

Connie, what type of humidity are they in, and what are the lower limits for successful phrag cultivation? Also, when you say sensitive to water quality, do you mean like pleurothallids?

I have trouble maintaining adequate humidity here in New England with the heating system on in the winter and the AC on right now. I have an ultrasonic humidifier going and I spritz them once, sometimes twice a day.
My well water is quite hard, so I use distilled (bought at the drugstore) RO (from the lab at the clinic where i work) or rainwater from the system my hubby set up. We've had no rain for about 12 days so my rainwater is running low.
Be sure you don't over fertilize them, or the leaf tips get brown.

[Connie Star]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

Connie, what type of humidity are they in, and what are the lower limits for successful phrag cultivation? Also, when you say sensitive to water quality, do you mean like pleurothallids?

I forgot to mention that I measure the humidity regularly- it gets as low as 25% in the winter, even with the humidifier, and around 60-80% once the heating system if off.