# My phrag on the windowsill



## orchideya (Dec 25, 2013)

As I preordered 4 new phrags from ecuagenera, I found myself in desperate need of space for them, so I decided to experiment with Eric Young on my large empty windowsill:







Temps outside now -21C, heater works non-stop to keep the house at 22C and as a result the overall humidity is below 30%. However, thanks to the humidity trays and much lower temps - the RH on the windowsill is between 45 and 50%, with temp at 15C.
Eric Young spent there over three weeks, during that time it grew and opened new flower and started yet one more bud.






Lower temperature doesn't seem to bother it, few new shots still grow nicely. I put layer of sphag atop the medium to help to keep it moist.

So, I think phrags can be grown on the windowsill and now I have room for even more. Am I right?


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## Erythrone (Dec 25, 2013)

Very nice one, Orchideya!! I grow some successfully on the windowsill too. But I have found they grow much better in a growing room with temperature, humidity and light control.


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## NYEric (Dec 25, 2013)

Yay besseae hybrids! Bloom looks a little stressed but keeping it in sphagnum is helping w/ the humidity for sure.


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## eaborne (Dec 25, 2013)

Nice job!


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## naoki (Dec 25, 2013)

orchideya said:


> Temps outside now -21C, heater works non-stop to keep the house at 22C and as a result the overall humidity is below 30%. However, thanks to the humidity trays and much lower temps - the RH on the windowsill is between 45 and 50%, with temp at 15C.



Nice flower!

Can a humidity tray really raise RH by 15-20%?? Are you heating the tray? The climate is similar here, and I've never seen a small humidity tray raising RH more than 5%. So I'm limited to enclosed growing area. But with 45-50%, you can grow lots of orchids!


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## SlipperFan (Dec 25, 2013)

Nicer flower than my Eric Young.


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## abax (Dec 25, 2013)

The pouch is especially pretty.


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## monocotman (Dec 26, 2013)

I grow my phrags in a similar fashion and they do well. The only difference is that I don't have to heat the room to the same extent so the RH is probably a bit higher.
I use deeper trays with more water and keep the phrags actually sitting in the water.
The besseae hybrids don't seem to mind cooler temps and the colour of the flowers may be better,
David


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## orchideya (Dec 26, 2013)

Thanks everybody!
Naoki, the humidity tray with much lower temps and always wet sphagnum in the pot seems to do it. In the house RH is 30% but on the windowsill it is 45% and goes up to 50-55% when I am cooking .
I think color of the bloom looks better and more even than when it flowered in the tank with higher temps. This is bloom in the tank with 20-25 C temps and 60-65% RH:





Aside question, beside more hybrids I have preordered one species - Phrag. caudatum var. fortuna. What is diffrent in care from besseae and its hybrids?

Thanks a lot.


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## NYEric (Dec 26, 2013)

Phrag caudatum is not a water grower.


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## orchideya (Dec 27, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Phrag caudatum is not a water grower.



As in - "no saucer with water under the pot but keep the medium moist" or "let the medium dry between waterings".
Thanks


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## NYEric (Dec 28, 2013)

As in 'don't drown or rot it!'


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