# Phragmipedium kovachii



## JPMC (Mar 1, 2014)

Here is this year's effort from this plant. This is its third year to bloom for me. The past year seems to have been all about growing leaves and I will only get one flower in 2014. It's a bit better in form than last year where I got 6 flowers successively on 2 spikes. The plant currently has 7 growths with 2 new ones starting. Only one of the 4 growths made last year is flowering this year.






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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Mar 1, 2014)

Very nice! 
You seem to be having success.

p.s. I love that hairy stem!!


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## NYEric (Mar 1, 2014)

Paph_LdyMacBeth said:


> p.s. I love that hairy stem!!



Of course you do! :evil: 

Very nice Pk. You will inspire many to try to grow them.


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## MorandiWine (Mar 1, 2014)

Such a great species!! You have had great success in creating a very vigorous plant. Kudos to you.

I might have a couple of mine bloom this year if I am lucky like you.

What are your growing conditions?

Thanks

Tyler 


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## Ruth (Mar 1, 2014)

So nice!!!!!!!!


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## PaphMadMan (Mar 1, 2014)

One of the bet I've seen. Nice healthy plant. I think you're set up for an impressive display next time around.


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## Justin (Mar 1, 2014)

impressive! great growing. nice that the dorsal is not brown like some can be.


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## Rick (Mar 1, 2014)

Beautiful:clap::clap:

Mine seem to be into leaves and growths with no spikes showing yet

But they are growing really fast


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## PotomacV (Mar 1, 2014)

Beautiful! Congrats! Where did you buy it from? I just received my kovachii from Peruflora on Monday. Very disappointed about the quality and size of the plant they sent to me.


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## Brabantia (Mar 1, 2014)

Very nice flowering! What is your feed regime?


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## MorandiWine (Mar 1, 2014)

PotomacV do you mind sharing what tier plant you purchased? They have something like four plant sizes available.


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## PotomacV (Mar 1, 2014)

Sure.
http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33175


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## limuhead (Mar 1, 2014)

I'll post some pics of mine when they bloom. Should be in about 3 or 4 years...


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## MorandiWine (Mar 1, 2014)

Thanks!


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## JPMC (Mar 1, 2014)

MorandiWine said:


> Such a great species!! You have had great success in creating a very vigorous plant. Kudos to you.
> 
> I might have a couple of mine bloom this year if I am lucky like you.
> 
> ...




I grow it indoors in a spare bedroom. The daytime temps. are 75F winter and 85F summer with night temps about 10-15F cooler. I give it light from a 100 w LED lamp placed 3 feet above the plant. I fertilize with a urea-feee fertilizer weekly at 125-150 ppm. I keep it constantly moist potted in a clay pot with a 50/50 mix of perlite and supersphag (NZ sphagnum minus the stems).


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## JPMC (Mar 1, 2014)

PotomacV said:


> Beautiful! Congrats! Where did you buy it from? I just received my kovachii from Peruflora on Monday. Very disappointed about the quality and size of the plant they sent to me.




I got mine from Orchids Limited. The cross is 'Laura' x 'Ana'.


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## JPMC (Mar 1, 2014)

Brabantia said:


> Very nice flowering! What is your feed regime?



I fertilize with a urea-feee fertilizer weekly at 125-150 ppm.


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## Erythrone (Mar 1, 2014)

JPMC said:


> I fertilize with a urea-feee fertilizer weekly at 125-150 ppm.



Great plant!!

125 to 150 ppm : total or Nitrogen?


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## JPMC (Mar 1, 2014)

Erythrone said:


> Great plant!!
> 
> 125 to 150 ppm : total or Nitrogen?



Total


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## eteson (Mar 1, 2014)

Great looking plant and nice flower!


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## phrag guy (Mar 1, 2014)

very nice,and you are having great success,good for you


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## eOrchids (Mar 1, 2014)

Happy to see you are having great success with your kovachii!


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## SlipperFan (Mar 1, 2014)

:smitten:

Nice photos, also.


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## raymond (Mar 1, 2014)

very nice one flower onely


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## Bjorn (Mar 2, 2014)

JPMC said:


> I grow it indoors in a spare bedroom. The daytime temps. are 75F winter and 85F summer with night temps about 10-15F cooler. I give it light from a 100 w LED lamp placed 3 feet above the plant. I fertilize with a urea-feee fertilizer weekly at 125-150 ppm. I keep it constantly moist potted in a clay pot with a 50/50 mix of perlite and supersphag (NZ sphagnum minus the stems).



And your water is? Just wondering about the calcium, but if you have hard water it would explain the abscence of limestone in your mix. Great growin btw. I start to believe that the temperatres are the critical issue in growing that species


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## JPMC (Mar 2, 2014)

Bjorn said:


> And your water is? Just wondering about the calcium, but if you have hard water it would explain the abscence of limestone in your mix. Great growin btw. I start to believe that the temperatres are the critical issue in growing that species



I use RO water but add some pelletizes lime to the potting mix (1/2 tsp in the pot) per year. Not sure it matters, but some say that the lime is necessary.


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## Rick (Mar 2, 2014)

JPMC said:


> I use RO water but add some pelletizes lime to the potting mix (1/2 tsp in the pot) per year. Not sure it matters, but some say that the lime is necessary.



How often do you water between the weekly feedings?

If the lime is your only source of calcium then it would matter. There could be some from the breakdown of the moss, and you didn't specify if any could be in the fert. All plants need some, but it's amazing how little plants need of anything besides water and CO2 as testament to this well grown plant.


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## JPMC (Mar 2, 2014)

Rick said:


> How often do you water between the weekly feedings?
> 
> If the lime is your only source of calcium then it would matter. There could be some from the breakdown of the moss, and you didn't specify if any could be in the fert. All plants need some, but it's amazing how little plants need of anything besides water and CO2 as testament to this well grown plant.



Generally no watering between weekly waterings.


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## Rick (Mar 2, 2014)

JPMC said:


> Generally no watering between weekly waterings.



Wow!

Is the pot in a tray of water? How does it stay moist for so long at household humidity?


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## Rick (Mar 2, 2014)

JPMC said:


> I fertilize with a urea-feee fertilizer weekly at 125-150 ppm.



Do you use a TDS meter to measure, or is this calculated by weight of material?

That's about 1/2 a gram of material in a gallon of water so only about 1/10 of a tsp/gallon. Or dipping out small amounts out of a stronger stock (which is how I manage it).


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## Rick (Mar 2, 2014)

JPMC said:


> I keep it constantly moist potted in a clay pot with a 50/50 mix of perlite and supersphag (NZ sphagnum minus the stems).



How often do you need to repot? The perlite can hold up indefinitely, but I don't have any experience with that form of moss (in pot conditions).

Your feed rate is very low, so it may hold up for quite a while.


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## JPMC (Mar 2, 2014)

Rick said:


> Wow!
> 
> Is the pot in a tray of water? How does it stay moist for so long at household humidity?



No, but I keep the hunidity at 50-70%. Also, the mix holds lots of water.


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## JPMC (Mar 2, 2014)

Rick said:


> Do you use a TDS meter to measure, or is this calculated by weight of material?
> 
> That's about 1/2 a gram of material in a gallon of water so only about 1/10 of a tsp/gallon. Or dipping out small amounts out of a stronger stock (which is how I manage it).



I use a TDS meter.


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## JPMC (Mar 2, 2014)

Rick said:


> How often do you need to repot? The perlite can hold up indefinitely, but I don't have any experience with that form of moss (in pot conditions).
> 
> Your feed rate is very low, so it may hold up for quite a while.



For this plant, I repot yearly. This is not because of decomposition rather it is because of the rapid growth of the plant. I think that I will divide it this year since it has so many growing points. I have been using this mix with paphs and they seem to do well with it too and I repot them every 2-3 years and do not notice any decomposition of the mix.


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## Heather (Mar 2, 2014)

Really nice! Interesting to see your conditions. Thanks for all the question answering!!


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