# magdelina rose X wallisii



## jemmam (Jan 25, 2014)

I have grown this to a nice size plant from a seedling. It has never bloomed : Any suggestions?


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## Erythrone (Jan 25, 2014)

Those hybrids with long petals often take years to bloom. Is your plant a single growth or a multigrowth one? Can you show us a picture?


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## SlipperKing (Jan 25, 2014)

Welcome to the club and the forum Jemmam!


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## jemmam (Jan 25, 2014)

Pics attached. Plant, roots and the center that has a hint of something buried in there. It has 3 mature growths, 1 brand new one and I did chop one off last summer. It had gotten spots. I have always treated it like a bessae; and it is a very slow grower. I recently read that wallisii are drier growers, so I thought maybe I have the conditions for this cross wrong. If you look close, some of the leaves I thought were (dry) stressed. Thanks for any advice.


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## The Orchid Boy (Jan 25, 2014)

Welcome! 

Try a little more fertilizer and quite a bit more light. What are your lighting conditions?


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## jemmam (Jan 25, 2014)

It lives under a T5 fixture, but at the end...the cats live in the center but I can get it a lot closer to the middle. I've always been stingy with fertilizer with these guys....I can up that too. Thanks!


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## SlipperKing (Jan 25, 2014)

Personally I wouldn't mess with the fertilizer just yet. Your PICs are extremely small but what I do see is a plant starving for light. Granted, it could be this particular plant's nature to grow "flat out" but most phrags are more upright and a bit lighter green on the newest leaves coming up. Plants tend to grow horizontal exposing as much of their leaf surface to the light as possible when there is too little light. Also, plants will be extremely dark green ( more chlorophyll to catch more light). Generally speaking, phrags need cattlaya light to grow and bloom well.


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## mrhappyrotter (Jan 25, 2014)

In my experience, the hybrids containing besseae and the caudatum types in the background seem to be finicky bloomers compared to most other phrags. They often take many years to bloom, even after they are mature sized with multiple growths.

You can definitely try increasing the amount of light, but if possible, make that adjustment slowly. Since this is a phrag we're talking about, I wouldn't bother increasing your fertilizing rate. Unless you're seeing clear signs of a nutrient deficiency, then the plant's probably getting enough of everything it needs.

Wallisii does like to grow a bit drier than the average phrag, but if you've been successful growing your hybrid plant in wetter conditions or sitting in water, then there's no reason to change that part of your culture. Growing drier isn't likely to increase the chance of the plant blooming. My only advice would be to keep a watchful eye out for rot. With these kinds of crosses, individual plants have variations in their preference and tolerance for wet conditions. If your plant has been fine growing wet, though, then it will likely continue to do well growing that way.


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## jemmam (Jan 25, 2014)

Thanks!


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## SlipperFan (Jan 25, 2014)

Welcome to Slippertalk, jemmam. I agree with Rick -- I noticed that the leaves look dark.


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## Erythrone (Jan 25, 2014)

I am with Rick an Dot, you should give it more light. I also grow under lights and I try to give as much light to my caudatum type hybrids than to my Cattleyas. But even with hight light levels, caudatum type hybrids don't bloom when young for me.


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## NYEric (Jan 25, 2014)

welcome to the forum. a little more light for sure. How are those photos attached to the thread?


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## abax (Jan 26, 2014)

Welcome from KY.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 26, 2014)

With the exception of besseae, I give all my phrags strong light, same as my catts. (Although this summer I'll keep them in the shade while outdoors...outside they are far more light sensitive than catts or strap leafed paphs.) Hybrids of caudatum/walissii/etc are unpredictable. Some bloom early and easily. Some bloom rarely.Some never bloom at all. Some bloom easily for a few years, then stop. Some bloom rarely, then suddenly bloom more frequently for a few years. And as I already said, some never bloom at all. I had a grande for 15 years or more...grew well, never bloomed. I gave it away...maybe to NY Eric. If you're unfamiliar with phrag blooms, early spikes can surprise you. Unlike paphs, they don't look like buds or sheaths...they look like a spiky leaf...then a cluster of spiky leaves that stretches out. Buds develop more quickly than paphs. Good luck!


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## jemmam (Dec 20, 2015)

*It bloomed! Phrag Magdelina Rose X Wallisii*

Well, here is the same plant blooming its little self. Click on the thumbnail for it to be big...I seem to have issues posting pics on this site


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## troy (Dec 20, 2015)

This plant blooming is the same plant in you're initial inquiry?


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## NYEric (Dec 20, 2015)

Looking great. Yay besseae hybrids! 
This thread is so old some of the people are no longer with us, RIP.


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## jemmam (Dec 20, 2015)

Troy...yes. its bloomed three times since the original inquiry. I guess it just needed to get old enough...and under the T5s My nicest phrag. Big flowers and beautiful color, not a lot of flowers though, maybe total 4 on a inflourescence


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## troy (Dec 20, 2015)

Who is not with us? I didn't realize this thread is old, very nice phrag!!! I like shape, size & color of the blooms, whats yur secret to yur successful seasonal blooming?


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## jemmam (Dec 20, 2015)

Ha!

Secret? Better dumb luck with phrags than any other orchid. I read that as water. I have 16 phrags of varying hybrid and species. I keep them wet and some in standing water, fertilize very lightly. They are all under T5s or in a south window. They sit outside on the shaded deck all summer.

Needless to say, I can kill a cattleya in less than a year.


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## gonewild (Dec 20, 2015)

troy said:


> Who is not with us?



Eric Muehlbauer, the last person posting on the old thread, has passed away.


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## troy (Dec 20, 2015)

Rip to eric muelhauer, I never knew him, but I beleive he had good knowledge of growing slippers, I hope he is happy wherever he is


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## Erythrone (Dec 20, 2015)

Lovely!


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## cnycharles (Dec 20, 2015)

Beautiful color


Elmer Nj


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## Ozpaph (Dec 20, 2015)

That's nice


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## Linus_Cello (Dec 21, 2015)

jemmam said:


> Well, here is the same plant blooming its little self. Click on the thumbnail for it to be big...I seem to have issues posting pics on this site



Nice! Where'd you get this from?


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## jemmam (Dec 22, 2015)

Thank you! I got it as a seedling from Woodsprite Orchids in Maine. I don't know who the original breeder was. Sorry.


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