# Phrag. Robert-Jan Quene´



## KateL (Apr 28, 2021)

First to bloom from a Peruflora flask. I was hoping for one of those amazing giant-besseae ones, but not this time . . .


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## terryros (Apr 28, 2021)

Interesting. I knew Dr. RJQ when he was the plant scientist at Orchids Limited and the cross (Fritz Schomburg x besseae) was named for him. Here is the link to the Slippertalk page when he posted about it.





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Phrag. Robert-Jan Quené


This is the second time that this plant has been in flower. Phrag. Robert-Jan Quené is Fritz Schomburg x besseae. We used the 'Rob's Choice' 4N AM/AOS for this cross, so it got a double dose of besseae. It basically looks like a giant besseae! It is close to 9 cm across, with petals that are 3...




www.slippertalk.com





That original cross used a polyploid besseae so there was a lot of besseae in the cross. As you point out, there is not so much besseae in your plant. Robert's original cross was about 9 cm in width. I am guessing that yours is much wider, keeping much more of the kovachii in the flower?


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## KateL (Apr 28, 2021)

Hi Terry, This first-to-open flower is pretty cupped, but n.s. is about 11 cm. The velvety substance is definitely kovachii influenced.
Thanks for posting the link - that one is the bomb!
I have about four more from the same flask, one of which is big enough to bloom and has a healthy-looking sheath just popping up, but it did not get the benefit of a repotting when this one did. I could possibly have more, but I am organizationally challenged (frenetically repotted plants kind of get distributed by space available, like size, and perceived light requirements, rather than by cross). I recall that these came in little plastic envelopes of less than ten, with almost no discernible roots and barely differentiated leaves, so there’s that, too. Lol. I also “share” a lot of phrags and I used to do it somewhat randomly. I might have given some of these away. (Now, I try to give people plants I think they might keep alive for a while and I will confess to holding back some plants I want to see first.) 
Best, Kate


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## Paphluvr (Apr 28, 2021)

On of the nicest (in my mind) kovachii hybrids I've seen. Great color!


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## abax (Apr 28, 2021)

A tad wonky, but understandable for a first bloom. The color is fandamntastic! I love
that shade of rose pink.


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## Djthomp28 (Apr 29, 2021)

The color is amazing but I understand what you mean about wanting the colossal besseae look. I saw one like that at a show and have been obsessed since.

How long did it take you to get these to blooming size?


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## monocotman (Apr 29, 2021)

I agree that the difference between this one and the OL plants is down to the tetraploid besseae they used. 
On another note, I bought one of those triploid RJQ plants from OL and after four years of struggling with it, it’s finally gone in the bin. It was down to a single small 6 inch wide growth. It was always a very poor grower and after trying several things I lost patience. 
What tipped the balance was the new cross ‘lovely lynne’. It’s just a nice as RJQ but grows like a weed and has flowers over 12cm on a first flowering. 
I don’t need to keep plants that struggle, I don’t have the room.


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## terryros (Apr 29, 2021)

OL told me that the RJQs had been difficult to grow. I don’t know why. They were all gone when I went to buy, so I found one from Tom Kalina that should be diploid. It also struggled for me, but now is starting to come around. RJQ was analogous breeding to Jason Fischer (Fritz Schomburg x besseae) compared to (Memoria Dick Clements x besseae) so the hopes were high for it. I think this is the only RJQ I have seen other than the few pictures from OL and may represent what diploid RJQs will be like.


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## KateL (Apr 29, 2021)

Djthomp28 said:


> The color is amazing but I understand what you mean about wanting the colossal besseae look. I saw one like that at a show and have been obsessed since.
> 
> How long did it take you to get these to blooming size?


Hi Darlene, This was about two and half years. Best, Kate


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## KateL (Apr 29, 2021)

monocotman said:


> I agree that the difference between this one and the OL plants is down to the tetraploid besseae they used.
> On another note, I bought one of those triploid RJQ plants from OL and after four years of struggling with it, it’s finally gone in the bin. It was down to a single small 6 inch wide growth. It was always a very poor grower and after trying several things I lost patience.
> What tipped the balance was the new cross ‘lovely lynne’. It’s just a nice as RJQ but grows like a weed and has flowers over 12cm on a first flowering.
> I don’t need to keep plants that struggle, I don’t have the room.


David, I’m so jealous of your sources. I tried to find a Lovely Lynne, but no luck yet. I am trying to grow up some other interesting 2nd/3rd gen PK crosses (not mine of course), but time will tell how they pan out. I’m really bad at the bin thing; mine gotta be pretty darn dead. Best, Kate


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## KateL (Apr 29, 2021)

terryros said:


> OL told me that the RJQs had been difficult to grow. I don’t know why. They were all gone when I went to buy, so I found one from Tom Kalina that should be diploid. It also struggled for me, but now is starting to come around. RJQ was analogous breeding to Jason Fischer (Fritz Schomburg x besseae) compared to (Memoria Dick Clements x besseae) so the hopes were high for it. I think this is the only RJQ I have seen other than the few pictures from OL and may represent what diploid RJQs will be like.


Terry, Chuck Acker had at least a few flasks of RJQ available last year, pretty sure the cross is diploid. So, at some point, you ought to be seeing some out there. Mine seem to be moseying along, some faster than others, but I have not reached the epic state of blooming size. Maybe next year for the more robust ones. . .


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## monocotman (Apr 30, 2021)

I have an RJQ from Asendorfer. It’s probably a diploid. It’s a seedling first growth and doing averagely well. It may bloom at the end of next year.
Kate, I am surprised that ‘lovely Lynne’ isn’t for sale in the USA. It’s parents are very common. Maybe it’s a tough cross to produce lots of seedlings from. I think mine may have originated at peruflora. You could try emailing them,
David


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## PeteM (Apr 30, 2021)

monocotman said:


> I agree that the difference between this one and the OL plants is down to the tetraploid besseae they used.
> On another note, I bought one of those triploid RJQ plants from OL and after four years of struggling with it, it’s finally gone in the bin. It was down to a single small 6 inch wide growth. It was always a very poor grower and after trying several things I lost patience.
> What tipped the balance was the new cross ‘lovely lynne’. It’s just a nice as RJQ but grows like a weed and has flowers over 12cm on a first flowering.
> I don’t need to keep plants that struggle, I don’t have the room.


hear! hear!


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## tomkalina (May 1, 2021)

Seems to have very little besseae influence; more like a straight Fritz Schomburg.


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## terryros (May 2, 2021)

Tom, you wouldn’t have a picture of the RJQ cross that you made, would you? I think mine won’t bloom until next year.


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (May 2, 2021)

Kate, I know that the shape could be better on that one, but color is nice. The big plus that you have is that you have the ability as well as the great weather to grow things from flask very successfully and at a fast pace. Wish I could, you make me jealous. You should be VERY proud of yourself.


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