# More Phrag. besseae babies (and a couple of their phrag friends)



## KateL (Apr 9, 2021)

Bosom buddies. First blooms.



Another first-bloom flavum.



Standard type.



Phrag. Anthony Omeis.



Phrag. Kelly Forks. Just opening, but a sweet yellow.



Phrag. Lilith. Perky little puffs of pink.



Phrag. Manzur la Aldea (flavum form). These are what I give my orchid buddies as starter phrags. I potted up a ton of these from flask. Easy to grow and quick to bloom.



Phrag. Cape Sunset. The shape is nothing special, but the flower sits up nicely on its stem, sort of like a Cardinale. If I can grow it up a bit, I think it will be very nice to look at.



Phrag. China Dragon. I’m not in love with the reflexed dorsal sepal, but it’s monster big on its first outing.

Happy spring!


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## tomkalina (Apr 9, 2021)

Very nice. I especially like the pale hybrids and the first besseae.


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## NEslipper (Apr 9, 2021)

Love the big fat petals on that first bloom “standard” besseae! I would say that it’s definitely a cut above “standard!


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Apr 9, 2021)

What can one say except beautiful one and all.


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## abax (Apr 9, 2021)

Gorgeous Phrags. and they all look so pristine. How do you do that growing more or
less outside???? I'm rather drawn to Lilith. I love petite pinks.


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## KateL (Apr 10, 2021)

abax said:


> Gorgeous Phrags. and they all look so pristine. How do you do that growing more or
> less outside???? I'm rather drawn to Lilith. I love petite pinks.


Thanks Angela. Lilith really is a little darling, fuzzy, round and pink. The phrags really seem to like the challenge!


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## southernbelle (Apr 10, 2021)

KateL said:


> View attachment 26815
> 
> Bosom buddies. First blooms.
> 
> ...


Kate, great growing especially of besseae. I am just about to give up on besseae. I’m very close to losing both of my besseae flavum, one of which is the awarded ‘Broadwaters’ division. They do beautifully all winter, then start to decline. I think I’ve tried just about everything,


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## abax (Apr 10, 2021)

belle, I finally learned my lesson that my greenhouse just gets too hot in summer for
besseae. I've tried everything but installing an air conditioner. Same story...winter
good...summer...killer. I've just had to move on.


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## southernbelle (Apr 11, 2021)

abax said:


> belle, I finally learned my lesson that my greenhouse just gets too hot in summer for
> besseae. I've tried everything but installing an air conditioner. Same story...winter
> good...summer...killer. I've just had to move on.


Angela, I figured out the same thing about the 84 degree high of my grow room, and moved mine upstairs into my living room window. A large window with eastern exposure at comfortable room temperature for them 65-78. The only thing I’m thinking now, is that they’re getting too much light as it is a large picture window, and in the spring the trees have no leaves to shade it at all.. I will check on the next bright day, as we’ve had rain for the last few. If that is the problem, hopefully it’s not too late to save them. Otherwise, I’ll move on…at least from besseae.


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## richgarrison (Apr 11, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> ...The only thing I’m thinking now, is that they’re getting too much light as it is a large picture window, and in the spring the trees have no leaves to shade it at all.. I will check on the next bright day, as we’ve had rain for the last few. If that is the problem, hopefully it’s not too late to save them. Otherwise, I’ll move on…at least from besseae.


Just FYI, my besseae are on the west facing side of the greenhouse year round, and get full sun after about 2 PM til the end of the day... i wouldn't have thought they'd be okay with that.,.. but so far they have been.. and flower... there are small fans that blow almost directly on them... @FrankRC may be able to chime in with some interesting in situ observations that would be helpful...


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## PeteM (Apr 11, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> Kate, great growing especially of besseae. I am just about to give up on besseae. I’m very close to losing both of my besseae flavum, one of which is the awarded ‘Broadwaters’ division. They do beautifully all winter, then start to decline. I think I’ve tried just about everything,


Ughh sorry to hear that, it’s the worst feeling.. similar to what I’ve felt for years with kovachii. Hope you find a way through the woods. I’m rooting for you, literally


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## Hien (Apr 11, 2021)

All gorgeous. Not one sulking child among these phrags , you really should give us a detail lesson or two on growing phrags, particularly on besseaes


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## NYEric (Apr 12, 2021)

Yay besseae and it's hybrids! That is not a 'standard' besseae. OZ breeding?


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## alex.sorensen51 (Apr 29, 2021)

when you see photos of bessae in situ,the light seems indirect,angular to the plants position.Maybe bright light is seasonal at best,along with temperature at the ground level.


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## KateL (Apr 30, 2021)

alex.sorensen51 said:


> when you see photos of bessae in situ,the light seems indirect,angular to the plants position.Maybe bright light is seasonal at best,along with temperature at the ground level.


Hi Alex, Could be. For me, this was my best year ever for besseaes. I had at least 10 different plants in bloom, more buds still coming. It was a cooler “winter”, mine are in 100% sphagnum moss (they like it fresh and go downhill quickly when the moss starts to breakdown), and they only get RO and rain water, along with occasional fertilizing. I have lost a few over the years, too, though. I compensate by having too many plants. 
My growing conditions are not comparable to a lot of people’s though. If I was Belle or Angela, I would be tempted to find a cool, mostly shady spot outside of the house/greenhouse, preferably next to a barrel/bucket of rain water, and leave it there from after the last frost in the spring to just before the hard cold comes in the fall. Or, I would nestle it in with my begonias or violets, or tuck it in with a clump of something under a tree. LOL.


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## PhragNewbie021 (Apr 30, 2021)

Really liking those 2 Yellow flavums. Really Nice!


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## abax (May 1, 2021)

Wonderful suggestions, Kate, but I live "back in the woods" and squirrels, raccoons and
whatever drops by think it's a meal offering.


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## alex.sorensen51 (May 1, 2021)

Myself, happened to stumble upon a way to allow the plant to find it's own happy medium( after many suggestions from skilled growers), and it did.I have now done that for all my species...if they want water wet feet,I let them grow to it,but I don't flood the medium itself.I am watching the aerials go look for moisture,and more often than not,they go swimming.That includes my Cats,Laelias,and phrags.I grow in clear cases,and clear trays, so I can see what they are doing.


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## cpmaniac (May 3, 2021)

Love 'em all, but especially the Kelly Forks...well done, Kate!


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## NYEric (May 4, 2021)

PhragNewbie021 said:


> Really liking those 2 Yellow flavums.


Yellow = flavum.


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## PhragNewbie021 (May 4, 2021)

AH!


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## KateL (May 7, 2021)

abax said:


> Wonderful suggestions, Kate, but I live "back in the woods" and squirrels, raccoons and
> whatever drops by think it's a meal offering.


Where my mom lives, deer are the big problem. So, I understand. Used to be squirrels and chipmunks, too, but steely-eyed Mom and her eagle-eyed grandson pretty much solved that problem. Mom hangs tails on the clothesline. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!


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