# Phrag. Peruflora's Cirila Alca



## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

My current pride and joy. Flower is 10 cm wide.


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## SlipperKing (Dec 8, 2011)

That is one sweet Santa!!!!!


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

A couple of more pics taken in the growing room






The whole plant and more.






The colour differences are due to a hps lamp about 8 feet away.


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## phrag guy (Dec 8, 2011)

that is great,making some crosses?


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## FlowerFaerie (Dec 8, 2011)

Nice! I see that "and more" is an understatement


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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Dec 8, 2011)

Really beautiful! Something to be proud of!


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

phrag guy said:


> that is great,making some crosses?



No! It takes so much time to grow seedlings and I'm not getting any younger. But if you want pollen, I may be convinced to give some.


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## NYEric (Dec 8, 2011)

Yay besseae (v. dalesandroi) hybrids!  

Man, that light is bright! Is that in the house!?!?


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

NYEric said:


> Yay besseae (v. dalesandroi) hybrids!
> 
> Man, that light is bright! Is that in the house!?!?



Yes! On the second floor. There are two 1000W lamps, one metal halide and the other hps. I moved the plant on the MH side for the pictures so I would get a bluer light and less yellow. The room is 18 feet long by 9 feet wide.


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## NYEric (Dec 8, 2011)

How are they mounted?


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

Straight on the ceiling about eight feet apart with a reflecting metal shade above (the wing type) mostly to keep the heat from burning the wood above. The ceiling is 9 foot high.


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## phrag guy (Dec 8, 2011)

That would be great and I would give you flasks or seedlings for the crosses that take
Russell




Shiva said:


> No! It takes so much time to grow seedlings and I'm not getting any younger. But if you want pollen, I may be convinced to give some.


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

You got yourself a deal. When is the best time to take the pollen?


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## NYEric (Dec 8, 2011)

We have no ceiling fixtures in our building so I would have to make a frame...Thanks.


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## Carper (Dec 8, 2011)

Very nice flower Shiva. I'm getting addicted to the kovachii hybrids so its on my list.

Gary
UK


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## phrag guy (Dec 8, 2011)

I take it in about 3 days if it has been longer take it anyways you never know.
Thanks



Shiva said:


> You got yourself a deal. When is the best time to take the pollen?


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## SlipperFan (Dec 8, 2011)

Color looks great! The staminode looks orange -- it that right? If so, it's a nice contract with the pink of the flower.


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## Shiva (Dec 8, 2011)

Dot, the colour is right in the first pic. The staminode is more brown than orange. The next two pics have their colour tinted by a HPS light. I wanted to show the whole plant with stem and flower in my growing room.

Michel


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## SlipperFan (Dec 8, 2011)

Shiva said:


> Dot, the colour is right in the first pic. The staminode is more brown than orange. The next two pics have their colour tinted by a HPS light. I wanted to show the whole plant with stem and flower in my growing room.
> 
> Michel


Then, :smitten::smitten:


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## raymond (Dec 9, 2011)

tres jolie Michel 

tu viens a la prochaine réunion


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## JeanLux (Dec 9, 2011)

It is a Lovely bloom Michel !!!! Jean


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## biothanasis (Dec 9, 2011)

gorgeous flower!!!


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## Marc (Dec 9, 2011)

Very nice flower, I'm wondering though. As more and more PK hybrids pop up on the forum here. How hard are they "culture" wise compared to a regular PK?

I'm really interested in growing either PK's or their hybrids ( as soon as they are available in the EU ). But at least the price toghether with the problems people encounter in PK culture is still preventing me from "investing" any money in them.


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## Dido (Dec 9, 2011)

Great one. would love to have one too.


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## Shiva (Dec 9, 2011)

Marc said:


> Very nice flower, I'm wondering though. As more and more PK hybrids pop up on the forum here. How hard are they "culture" wise compared to a regular PK?



Not as bad as PK for sure. My Pk hybrids grow well and some are rather big plants already but none has yet flowered apart Cirila Alca. Like all phrags, it seems they'll flowered when they want to. One thing though: they take a while to take off but once the leaves get larger they grow faster and faster.


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## toddybear (Dec 9, 2011)

Wow!


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## NYEric (Dec 9, 2011)

As Shiva (Michael) mentioned, they take a while to get started. The hybrids are easier to grow than the species,  costly discovery. In a couple of years the prices should be reasonable; I'm already finding Pk hybrids inbut for $50-60 US.


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## Shiva (Dec 9, 2011)

I noticed a curious phenomena with my Cirila Alca. The dorsal sepal folds down over the lip during the day then goes up again when the light goes out. Temperature goes up to 25°C and the humidity is maintained between 50 and 60%. Has anybody seen this on Pk hybrids?


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## W. Beetus (Dec 9, 2011)

That is quite nice! Great bloom.


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## NYEric (Dec 10, 2011)

Never heard of that before!  I'll have to ask others to look for that.


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## Marc (Dec 10, 2011)

Shiva said:


> Not as bad as PK for sure. My Pk hybrids grow well and some are rather big plants already but none has yet flowered apart Cirila Alca. Like all phrags, it seems they'll flowered when they want to. One thing though: they take a while to take off but once the leaves get larger they grow faster and faster.



Thanks for the info :wink:


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## Erythrone (Dec 10, 2011)

Marc said:


> Very nice flower, I'm wondering though. As more and more PK hybrids pop up on the forum here. How hard are they "culture" wise compared to a regular PK?
> 
> I'm really interested in growing either PK's or their hybrids ( as soon as they are available in the EU ). But at least the price toghether with the problems people encounter in PK culture is still preventing me from "investing" any money in them.



I must say I grow only one PK hybrid (Andean Tears) and that I was very lucky to get such a vigorous and easy plant to bloom since Andean Tears seems to be reluctant to bloom .


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## Marc (Dec 10, 2011)

Erythrone said:


> I must say I grow only one PK hybrid (Andean Tears) and that I was very lucky to get such a vigorous and easy plant to bloom since Andean Tears seems to be reluctant to bloom .



Ok that's a good thing to know as well, but for now I'm still not very worried. Haven't seen a PK hybrid for sale yet in Europe.


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## NYEric (Dec 10, 2011)

Rattecliffe has LaVingtaine (x MDC) in stock.


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## monocotman (Dec 11, 2011)

Marc, 
Elsner orchids have kovachii x besseae for sale. I also watch out for them on ebay. Bought Allison Strohm and kov x schlimii from ebay. The la Vingatine cross from EYOF via Ratcliffes are excellent. Two have been posted here - just search for photos. These hybrids are straighforward on a windowsill,
David


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## Shiva (Dec 11, 2011)

Shiva said:


> I noticed a curious phenomena with my Cirila Alca. The dorsal sepal folds down over the lip during the day then goes up again when the light goes out. Temperature goes up to 25°C and the humidity is maintained between 50 and 60%. Has anybody seen this on Pk hybrids?



I believe I understand why. Too much light. kovachii hybrids and many phrags prefer more shade. So what I do now is create a natural lighting effect in the plant room. The 1000 W HPS lights up in the morning on the East side along with a 400 Watts MH on the west side of the room. Then at around noon, the 1000W MH takes over on the west side and a 400 W HPS on the east side. Thus most of the day, the plants have 1400W of light, except for a brief period at 2800 W. around noon.
Now the dorsal sepal doesn't fold down anymore. Temperature is cooler and I ease up on the lighting bill. I still need to tweak the lighting period.


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## Marc (Dec 11, 2011)

monocotman said:


> Marc,
> Elsner orchids have kovachii x besseae for sale. I also watch out for them on ebay. Bought Allison Strohm and kov x schlimii from ebay. The la Vingatine cross from EYOF via Ratcliffes are excellent. Two have been posted here - just search for photos. These hybrids are straighforward on a windowsill,
> David



Thank you, I'll keep my eye open


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## Phrag-Plus (Dec 11, 2011)

Very nice flower and colour!


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## Dido (Dec 11, 2011)

monocotman said:


> Marc,
> Elsner orchids have kovachii x besseae for sale. I also watch out for them on ebay. Bought Allison Strohm and kov x schlimii from ebay. The la Vingatine cross from EYOF via Ratcliffes are excellent. Two have been posted here - just search for photos. These hybrids are straighforward on a windowsill,
> David



One of the Kovachii X besseae from eBay Uk is now mine :evil:


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## NYEric (Dec 11, 2011)

Congrats!


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## Silvan (Dec 24, 2011)

You must be very proud indeed.. 

I've noticed the same thing about the dorsal on my Suzanne Decker.. Those
flowers really don't like the heat from those lights!!


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## e-spice (Dec 24, 2011)

Really great! Looks like it's a huge flower.


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