# P. Fritz Schomburg



## newbud (May 15, 2012)

Here she is. My new baby, straight from Ecuador without the red tape. Acquired at our OS meeting last night. Now, I don't want to screw this up. I'm new to orchids and extremely new to Phrags especially South American so I need your help. First off here's the pics:







It has two nice growths on it. He told me it is blooming size. What do you think?











I was thinking about putting in a plastic pot for starters. This is a 5". Too much?






Ivan said to put it in bark and perlite. What do you all think? Has anyone had success with these? Some of the guys commented last night: "Good luck getting it started". That sorta scared me. That's why I'm asking for your help. Thanks


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## Ray (May 15, 2012)

I purchased a flask of Fritz and put the seedlings directly into semi-hydroponics. Lost only one little guy, and the rest are doing great.


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## Shiva (May 15, 2012)

I have two flowering size Fritz but so far, neither has flowered. I use Aussie Gold Mix but most phrags I buy are potted in bark, so it must work. I have an Allison Strohm with a very fat bud that should open any day now. I certainly will post it.


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## newbud (May 15, 2012)

Aren't kovachii and besseae terrestrial in the wild? Or are the epiphytic? I thought I read in one of the books that they saw the ground covered with them. 
Shiva and Ray - What do you do for humidity? I'm sure they need a good amount of humidity. I don't have a g/h but I'm working on building a plastic tent in the garage next to the window.


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## Gcroz (May 15, 2012)

I think that the pot may be a little large for the plant, a 4 inch might be better. I also use Aussie Gold mix and if you do a search on this site for threads about kovachii, you see that some people like to water using an "ebb and flood" method. 

I have Fritz Schomburg, Suzanne Decker, Haley Decker, Allison Strohm, Peruflora's Cirilia Alca, and Kaila Quintal, as well as 2 straight kovachii seedlings. I have only been able to bloom the Suzanne Decker and the Kaila Quintal. I have heard that kovachii and its crosses like to get fairly large before successful blooming. 

I wouldn't worry about "getting it started". It has been my experience that they are generally easy to grow plants, just not easy to bloom. Plus, you now have this forum as a resource and there are many excellent growers here always willing to help!


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## Tim S (May 15, 2012)

newbud said:


> Here she is. My new baby, straight from Ecuador without the red tape. Acquired at our OS meeting last night. Now, I don't want to screw this up. I'm new to orchids and extremely new to Phrags especially South American so I need your help. First off here's the pics:
> 
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> 
> ...



I picked up a couple when Ivan came to our show at Strongsville Ohio several months ago. I would agree that the 5 " pot is too large (I potted mine up in 4" plastic) I planted mine in a mix of small bark, perlite and diatomite. They are both sitting in saucers which I keep water in. I water until the saucers are flushed, I do this about 2 times a week with RO water and MSU fertilizer mix. 

Good Luck 
Tim


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## Shiva (May 15, 2012)

newbud said:


> Aren't kovachii and besseae terrestrial in the wild? Or are the epiphytic? I thought I read in one of the books that they saw the ground covered with them.
> Shiva and Ray - What do you do for humidity? I'm sure they need a good amount of humidity. I don't have a g/h but I'm working on building a plastic tent in the garage next to the window.



In my growing room with HPS and HID lamps, in winter, the humidity stays at around 70%. Right now, with the windows open, it goes from 50 to about 65%.


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## newbud (May 15, 2012)

Good stuff Thanks all. I took the package apart and there was two separate growths so I'm guessing it's ok to go ahead and separate them and make two plants. Or are they supposed to stay together?


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## littlefrog (May 15, 2012)

If they are already separated, no point in putting them together again. Other than it saves space. If you are confident that they are the same plant, make sure you make a note of it. Give it a clonal name. That way in 10 years you will know that they are the same.


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## Linus_Cello (May 15, 2012)

Does anyone use crushed oyster shell with their Kovachii hybrids, like Fritz (I see Tim uses diatomite)? Supposedly Kovachii inhabit more alkaline karst habitat (see http://www.pipingrockorchids.com/assets/Glenn-Decker-Nov-2007-Article-AOS-PK.pdf); same culture for hybrids?


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## Shiva (May 15, 2012)

Linus_Cello said:


> Does anyone use crushed oyster shell with their Kovachii hybrids, like Fritz (I see Tim uses diatomite)? Supposedly Kovachii inhabit more alkaline karst habitat (see http://www.pipingrockorchids.com/assets/Glenn-Decker-Nov-2007-Article-AOS-PK.pdf); same culture for hybrids?



Not all hybrids of kovachii require an alcaline soil. As for kovachii, diatomite are not enough. Here we have a product called Ph+ which I mix with pure water to get a pH of 7.5 to 8. And the plant is growing well. It should be large enough to flower on the current developping fan, if nothing goes wrong.


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## Linus_Cello (May 15, 2012)

Shiva said:


> Not all hybrids of kovachii require an alcaline soil.




Does Phrag. Peruflora's Cirila Alca (kovachii x d'alessandroi) like more alkaline conditions? I added oyster shell to my mix when I repotted. I think Sam Tsui said that was ok (I got it from him/Orchid Inn)


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## Shiva (May 15, 2012)

Linus_Cello said:


> Does Phrag. Peruflora's Cirila Alca (kovachii x d'alessandroi) like more alkaline conditions? I added oyster shell to my mix when I repotted. I think Sam Tsui said that was ok (I got it from him/Orchid Inn)



In my opinion, oyster shells take a long time to degrade. You can still find them on top of mountains millions of years old. I've never been a believer in them. Diatomites do break down faster but they don't increase pH that much. Phrag besseae/dalessandroi prefer slightly acidic soil, so any hybrid with kovachii could be happy in a neutral potting mix with some exception preferring higher pH. I can't tell you about your Cirila Alca. Mine seems very happy with a pH of 6,2 but yours may have inherited different genes. Observe your plants: if they don't do well after a while, you can adjust the pH slowly and see what happens. Most of my phrags (160 so far) seem happy with a pH water of 6.2.


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## Silvan (May 15, 2012)

Your Fritz seems to me to be flowering size and 5" pot is fine.. if, after untwining his roots you can fit it in a smaller pot go ahead, but you'll have to water it more often.. since the weather is getting warmer you'll have to be more concern about not gettin the plant too warm than caring much about humidity.. as for the mix, like shiva says, bark mix must be fine. Anyway, with the intense watering, you'll probably will have to repot in the fall too..lol so you'll have all summer to see if your plant likes his condition or not.. looks like a sensitive plant though..lots of cut leaves...





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## Eric Muehlbauer (May 15, 2012)

I only have one kovachii hybrid (x longifolium....forget the hybrid name). I originally grew it in my standard phrag mix (small bark, sponge rock, a little NZ sphagnum) topped with crushed oyster shell. The plant got very chlorotic. After repotting it to my normal mix without oyster shell, it gradually returned to a normal color. It's still a little pale, but nowhere near chlorotic.


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## Tim S (May 15, 2012)

For my kovachii species I do use some oyster shell in the mix. Along with diatomite. I'm up to two mature growths and two new growths on my plant.


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## newbud (May 16, 2012)

Silvan said:


> Your Fritz seems to me to be flowering size and 5" pot is fine.. if, after untwining his roots you can fit it in a smaller pot go ahead, but you'll have to water it more often.. since the weather is getting warmer you'll have to be more concern about not gettin the plant too warm than caring much about humidity.. as for the mix, like shiva says, bark mix must be fine. Anyway, with the intense watering, you'll probably will have to repot in the fall too..lol so you'll have all summer to see if your plant likes his condition or not.. looks like a sensitive plant though..lots of cut leaves...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gosh Silvan that's a beautiful flower. What are all the little accouterments on the top of pot? Do you keep yours in a g/h? What is the top end of too 'warm'? It can get up to 90+ here in the summer but we run the a/c in the house so the highest it gets is about 80 but the humidity is higher then to. Thanks for your input.


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## Silvan (May 16, 2012)

Thanks  I posted my pic just to show that it can flower at a small size and it happenend that it was planted in a 5" pot.. I've never used oyster shells in my mix, but only because I couldn't find any..I sprinkle the top with crab powder.. don't know if it does anything, but since I water with RO and rain water gotta find a way to provide some extra calcium and magnesium (plus epsom salt and some tap water from time to time) .. 

the top of my pot is filled with clover and moss and it only took a year to look like that..I grow in my basement under T5 and fluorescent lights..nothing fancy.. yet.. lol humidity is always between 60 and 80% and temp is in the 60 to 80F ...if under yur conditions your plant get too warm you'll see some pale yellow-brownish spots on the leaves...soft rot usually only happen on longer petals phrags..


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## Silvan (May 16, 2012)

.. Just wanted to add that good ventilation seems to help when it gets over 80F


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## newbud (Jun 3, 2012)

*Update: Fritz Schomberg*

I'm about 4 weeks post receiving my Fritz Schomberg from Equagenera and a little concerned and really need your advice. I have them under lights next to a very shaded window.






One looks so so:






And the other is the one I'm really concerned about notice the leaves curling under on this one:






Being under the lights (t-5 HO 10 hrs./day) they dry out pretty fast so I have to water about every other day using tap water. They are in a media of mostly large bark and some perlite and charcoal. They are sitting on rock and water humidity trays. 
I'm setting up a wardian tank (terrarium) and wonder if that would be better for them. Any suggestions would really be grateful. Thank you all.


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## Shiva (Jun 3, 2012)

The potting mix keeps the plant too dry. You should pot your phrags in sphagnum moss with a good measure of large perlite. Other than that, it's normal for plants to lose some vigor after importation as they have to adapt to your condition. But the wrinkling of the leaves is a sure sign of dehydratation. Remember though that sphagnum moss requires the plants to be repotted at the first sign of degradation of the moss. Another important factor if you want to use bark is to leave it soaking in wter for 12 to 24 hours before use. Otherwise, it won't really get wet when you water.


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## NYEric (Jun 4, 2012)

Too dry. Put some dolomite or sphagnum in the mix.


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## Linus_Cello (Jun 4, 2012)

Can you grow these like other phrags, in water with wet feet?


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## newbud (Jun 5, 2012)

Thanks Shiva and all. What would be a sign that sphagnum moss is breaking down? And what about a wardian chamber?


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## NYEric (Jun 5, 2012)

It dies and turns brown and slimy!


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## newbud (Jun 5, 2012)

I use sphag on the tops of some of my plants and it turns dark brown on the tips but it's not slimy. What up?


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## NYEric (Jun 5, 2012)

I found live sphagnum to be better for top dressing and mixes than the dried out stuff. A photo would help; but if you are using the dried stuff and not overfertilizing it should be fine for many months.


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