# Phragmipedium kovachii



## JPMC (Mar 16, 2013)

This plant is really becoming a brute (in a good way). It first bloomed last year with one growth having one flower. The plant is currently 22 inches tall and 24 inches across. This year there are two growths with flower spikes and this is the first of those to bloom. It's not totally open and in only 5 1/2 inches across. I hope to exceed 6 inches which was last year's flower span. The spike in bloom has one flower and two buds while the other spike has two buds. I suspect that they will flower successively rather than simultaneously but I'll record what happens either way.






[/IMG]





[/IMG]


----------



## Shiva (Mar 16, 2013)

Well done JPMC. Very nice!


----------



## eggshells (Mar 16, 2013)

Beautiful. Really really good!


----------



## Rick (Mar 16, 2013)

Beautiful!:clap::clap


----------



## Ron-NY (Mar 16, 2013)

congrats and great growing! Is the pollen going onto another Phrag?


----------



## dodidoki (Mar 16, 2013)

Very nice! Any culture tips?


----------



## JPMC (Mar 16, 2013)

Ron-NY said:


> congrats and great growing! Is the pollen going onto another Phrag?



Thank you.

The only other phrag that grows for me is andreettae, but I am not a fan of hybrids. If you would like some, please let me know.


----------



## parvi_17 (Mar 16, 2013)

I'm very jealous


----------



## Carper (Mar 16, 2013)

Great looking plant and bloom. Will get there one day and bloom one of these!!

Great growing.

Gary
UK


----------



## JPMC (Mar 16, 2013)

dodidoki said:


> Very nice! Any culture tips?



Thank you. I grow it in a clay pot with 50% supersphag and 50% perlite. I fertilize with urea-free fertilizer (the low K fertilizer caused the leaf tips to brown so I use the Michigan State type blends) at 125-150 ppm weekly. I keep it moist at all times. It is under a 100 watt LED plant light about 3 feet from the fixture. In the summer the daytime temps. are ~85 F and ~70F at night while the winter temps are about 10F cooler.


----------



## dodidoki (Mar 16, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you. I grow it in a clay pot with 50% supersphag and 50% perlite. I fertilize with urea-free fertilizer (the low K fertilizer caused the leaf tips to brown so I use the Michigan State type blends) at 125-150 ppm weekly. I keep it moist at all times. It is under a 100 watt LED plant light about 3 feet from the fixture. In the summer the daytime temps. are ~85 F and ~70F at night while the winter temps are about 10F cooler.



Very interesting mix, perlite and sphag are both acidic, aren't? However pk likes neutral pH, if I knew well. I agree with fertilizer cc, I also adjust solution at 120 ppm, no more.


----------



## The Orchid Boy (Mar 16, 2013)

Awesome blooms!


----------



## Justin (Mar 16, 2013)

awesome!


----------



## SlipperKing (Mar 16, 2013)

You've got another one for the books JP!!


----------



## jjkOC (Mar 16, 2013)

Love it!


----------



## SlipperFan (Mar 17, 2013)

Kovachii is such an amazing flower.


----------



## mrhappyrotter (Mar 17, 2013)

I like it. I'm thinking about getting kovachii at some point, though I'm playing it safe and sticking to the hybrids for now. These guys are still expensive enough to make me cautious about purchasing.

I still remember how expensive my first kovachii hybrid was and how quickly it was devoured by my roommate's cat.


----------



## NYEric (Mar 17, 2013)

very nice. good growing.


----------



## Stone (Mar 17, 2013)

Outstanding!!!!!!!


----------



## JeanLux (Mar 17, 2013)

OM..., that's great !!!!! The first kovachii with 2 spikes or me :clap: !!!! Jean


----------



## Tom499 (Mar 17, 2013)

Really, REALLY nice!!


----------



## valenzino (Mar 17, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you.
> 
> The only other phrag that grows for me is andreettae, but I am not a fan of hybrids. If you would like some, please let me know.



I will really interested in both as selfing of this kovachii and also a cross with andreettae!!!
If you can pollinate and then send me seed I will be extremely happy!!!!


----------



## AquaGem (Mar 17, 2013)

Nice plant and such good culture.


----------



## dodidoki (Mar 17, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you.
> 
> The only other phrag that grows for me is andreettae, but I am not a fan of hybrids. If you would like some, please let me know.



Interesting for me....I just suffer with andreettae, however the others ( eg. pk, bessae) do well. What do you do with andreettae? Has is flowered yet?
Thanks: Istvan


----------



## e-spice (Mar 17, 2013)

Really well grown and a beautiful plant!


----------



## dodidoki (Mar 17, 2013)

Other I'd like to ask watching your beautiful flower, that some kovach has 2 yellow strips on throat, some has not....or is it only question of wieving angle?


----------



## Chuck (Mar 17, 2013)

I don't know about beautiful but certainly fascinating. Congratulations on very successful culture.

Chuck


----------



## cnycharles (Mar 17, 2013)

great growing and flowering


----------



## JPMC (Mar 17, 2013)

dodidoki said:


> Interesting for me....I just suffer with andreettae, however the others ( eg. pk, bessae) do well. What do you do with andreettae? Has is flowered yet?
> Thanks: Istvan



I grow it warm. Please see this thread:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22039&highlight=andreettae


----------



## JPMC (Mar 17, 2013)

dodidoki said:


> Other I'd like to ask watching your beautiful flower, that some kovach has 2 yellow strips on throat, some has not....or is it only question of wieving angle?



I think that it is an individual characteristic that can be exaggerated with lighting. I take my images in natural light. Also, cooler temperatures may change things. I grow mine relatively warm and the color may darken in cooler temperatures.


----------



## chrismende (Mar 17, 2013)

Terrific incentive for all of us! You are a consummate grower!


----------



## junglejim (Mar 18, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you. I grow it in a clay pot with 50% supersphag and 50% perlite. I fertilize with urea-free fertilizer (the low K fertilizer caused the leaf tips to brown so I use the Michigan State type blends) at 125-150 ppm weekly. I keep it moist at all times. It is under a 100 watt LED plant light about 3 feet from the fixture. In the summer the daytime temps. are ~85 F and ~70F at night while the winter temps are about 10F cooler.



JPMC:
I was wondering the source of your LED light. Did this kovachaii cross come to bud under this light? Is the LED light the equivalent of a 100 watt bulb? I'm very amazed at what you can grow under LED. Thanks, Junglejim


----------



## JPMC (Mar 19, 2013)

junglejim said:


> JPMC:
> I was wondering the source of your LED light. Did this kovachaii cross come to bud under this light? Is the LED light the equivalent of a 100 watt bulb? I'm very amazed at what you can grow under LED. Thanks, Junglejim



Yes, it did. The one I use in in the PM I sent to you. Not sure if I can name a product in a public post.


----------



## Bjorn (Mar 19, 2013)

Congratulations! a very well-grown plant!:clap: One question, do you know the pH of your water? Any other description is also welcome.:wink:


----------



## JPMC (Mar 19, 2013)

Bjorn said:


> Congratulations! a very well-grown plant!:clap: One question, do you know the pH of your water? Any other description is also welcome.:wink:



Thank you.

I use RO water so I assume that the pH is neutral. I have also found that it needs repotting annually.


----------



## Rick (Mar 19, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I use RO water so I assume that the pH is neutral. I have also found that it needs repotting annually.



Do you use lime like for your armeniacums?


----------



## JPMC (Mar 19, 2013)

Rick said:


> Do you use lime like for your armeniacums?



I did when it was a seedling, but I forgot this past year. Thanks for reminding me. I wil add some when I repot after flowering.


----------



## smartie2000 (Mar 19, 2013)

WOW! Congrats  and beautiful flower. There are two spikes too.


----------



## NYEric (Mar 20, 2013)

valenzino said:


> I will really interested in both as selfing of this kovachii and also a cross with andreettae!!!
> If you can pollinate and then send me seed I will be extremely happy!!!!



In the last DC Paph Forum thread there is a photo of Pk x andreetae 4N from EYOF. the normal 2N cross was quite bad.


----------



## JPMC (Mar 24, 2013)

*Simultaneous Flowers*

I was hoping that at least for a time there would be more than one flower open at the same time. I'm happy that it happened. Interestingly, the second flower has a rounder form than the first. Even more interesting is that it occurred on the same plant under the same conditions knocking against the previously opened flower as it expanded.





[/IMG]




[/IMG]


----------



## Ron-NY (Mar 24, 2013)

very nice!


----------



## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 24, 2013)

As always, well done!


----------



## Leo_5313 (Mar 25, 2013)

Just stunning!


----------



## chrismende (Mar 25, 2013)

Wow and more wow! How long from your purchase as a seedling? How large was it when you first obtained it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JPMC (Mar 25, 2013)

chrismende said:


> Wow and more wow! How long from your purchase as a seedling? How large was it when you first obtained it?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thank you.

I believe that I bought it about 4 years ago from Orchids Limited and it was about 12 inches across. The leaves were much more narrow at that time as well.


----------



## The Orchid Boy (Mar 25, 2013)

Stunning!


----------



## Linus_Cello (Mar 25, 2013)

Have you brought this in for judging yet?


----------



## JPMC (Mar 25, 2013)

Linus_Cello said:


> Have you brought this in for judging yet?



No, I have not. There are not too many opportunities in this area. The few times I contacted the nearest AOS center, they took 3 months to return my inquiry. They were helpful in terms of the logistics of bringing in the plant, but not timely.


----------



## Rick (Mar 26, 2013)

JPMC said:


> No, I have not. There are not too many opportunities in this area. The few times I contacted the nearest AOS center, they took 3 months to return my inquiry. They were helpful in terms of the logistics of bringing in the plant, but not timely.



You shouldn't need an apointment, and they should meet the same day /time each month.

You should just be able to walk the plant in on the monthly session, register the plant, and then wait around and watch the activity.


----------



## NYEric (Mar 26, 2013)

Bring a book!


----------



## JPMC (Mar 26, 2013)

Rick said:


> You shouldn't need an apointment, and they should meet the same day /time each month.
> 
> You should just be able to walk the plant in on the monthly session, register the plant, and then wait around and watch the activity.



Thank you. I've just never done it before and hoped for more guidance from the local AOS.


----------



## Phrag-Plus (Apr 1, 2013)

Gorgeous! Nice looking plant and flower...and buds...!


----------



## NYEric (Apr 1, 2013)

Cincinnati Judging Center
Chair - Janice Yates, 4110 Rose Ave., Cinncinati, OH 45229-1527; H: (513) 475-9771, Email: [email protected] 

Judging takes place at the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH at 1:00PM on the second Sunday of the month. Send cut flowers to: Steve Helbling, 2489 Erie Ave., Cincinatti, OH 45208-1201.


----------



## JPMC (Apr 1, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Cincinnati Judging Center
> Chair - Janice Yates, 4110 Rose Ave., Cinncinati, OH 45229-1527; H: (513) 475-9771, Email: [email protected]
> 
> Judging takes place at the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH at 1:00PM on the second Sunday of the month. Send cut flowers to: Steve Helbling, 2489 Erie Ave., Cincinatti, OH 45208-1201.



Thank you. Cincinnati is a bit far, I was trying for Ann Arbor, but more information is always helpful.


----------



## Ron-NY (Apr 1, 2013)

JPMC said:


> Thank you. Cincinnati is a bit far, I was trying for Ann Arbor, but more information is always helpful.



http://www.gljc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=34


----------



## Jim734 (Apr 1, 2013)

The Spring 2013 Mid-America Orchid Congress meeting is in Ann Arbor Arpil 19 - 21, 2013
http://midamericanorchids.org/meetings/

There should be judging then but then you would probably incur costs for the conference too.


----------

