# Finally! A mature triploid Fritz Schomburg



## monocotman (Jul 27, 2021)

This is a Fisher cross of kovachii ‘terminator’ x besseae ‘rob’s choice’(4n).
Its always been a vigorous grower right from when it arrived as a small seedling. There is also no evidence of any climbing, despite it being two thirds besseae. This makes culture so much easier.
This is it’s third flowering on what looks like the first truly mature growth and showing it’s true potential.
The flower is already 12cm across and it’s only just opened yesterday. It may add another centimetre when fully expanded.
There is no need for a stake. The spike is thick and very stiff. It is also branching.




David


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## P.K.Hansen (Jul 27, 2021)

Absolutely gorgeous. I think I'll make room for one


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## GuRu (Jul 27, 2021)

David, lovely flower which looks like almost like a huge Phr. bessemae. Congrats


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## Linus_Cello (Jul 27, 2021)

I have some of these as seedlings. Hope they look like this.


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## monocotman (Jul 27, 2021)

Linus , it’s a really good cross. Good luck,
David


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## richgarrison (Jul 27, 2021)

from what i recall these were quite pricey even as small seedlings... (150$ ish)...

but certainly nice.... 

pay to play?


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## monocotman (Jul 27, 2021)

Rich, it’s difficult to find something of this quality from other Fritz crosses…


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## terryros (Jul 27, 2021)

Orchids Limited made two different polyploid Fritz Schomburgs. David is showing the 'Terminator' x 'Rob's Choice' cross and I have the besseae 'Rob's Choice' x kovachii 'Tessoro Morado' cross. They both produced some outstanding plants. The flower on mine looks the same as David's with similar size. The tetraploid besseae 'Rob's Choice' has been a fantastic parent and controls the size, shape, and color of most of its progeny.


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## southernbelle (Jul 27, 2021)

richgarrison said:


> from what i recall these were quite pricey even as small seedlings... (150$ ish)...
> 
> but certainly nice....
> 
> pay to play?


Rich, the only one Orchids Ltd shows on its website now is the 3N Tosoro Morodo x Rob’s Choice at $300 which is what I thought David’s 3N cross had gotten up to before they were gone.


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## southernbelle (Jul 27, 2021)

Absolutely gorgeous, David. Beautiful growing, too. I’m trying your culture for Phrag besseae to revive mine for a Hail Mary before they die. Hope I save them.


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## abax (Jul 27, 2021)

A true red David! This stunning color should make you very happy. I have two Fritz made
with 'Rob's Choice'. Both are slow growers, but coming along fine. I'm so looking
forward to blooms.

SB, you are certainly dedicated to growing besseae. Good luck!


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## monocotman (Jul 28, 2021)

Thanks for the comments!
There is a tale to tell about these triploid Fritz crosses from OL. In the spring of 2017 I received two small seedlings from the cross between Tesoro morado and robs choice.
Now it’s quite a perilous journey for a small phrag from their home, crossing the Atlantic to Germany and from there to the UK.
One of the seedlings arrived looking the worse for wear and subsequently faded away to a small leaf and a nub.
I contacted Jerry and they promised to send a replacement.
That seedling arrived in the autumn of 2017 and was this plant from the other triploid cross. It was larger than the other two seedlings and has always been a vigorous grower.
However in the meantime, I managed to save the poorly seedling so I’ve ended up with three triploid Fritz.
Comparing the three plants, one of the seedlings of Tesoro morado is as good as this one from terminator but the other is very so so. It’s the luck of the draw with seedlings.
Overall I cannot complain. Two top quality plants out of three is a great result.
As is usual with these things, the one with the dodgy flower is much more vigorous.
Angela, the colour isn’t quite as fire engine red as the photo shows!
The iPad camera slightly flatters the reds plus there was a bit of weak sun on the plant when the photo was taken.


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## terryros (Jul 28, 2021)

My 'Rob's Choice' x 'Tesoro Morado' is now two plants and they have healthy root systems but are still slower growers as many polyploid plants can be. Not as slow as my tetraploid besseae however! I have heard some long-experienced experts talk about looking over seedlings trying to find the runts because this is where the tetraploids lurk. The vigorous seedlings may be the first to bloom, but not necessarily with the best flowers and that is what David is describing.


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## abax (Jul 28, 2021)

David, it sure screams RED to me!


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## richgarrison (Jul 29, 2021)

monocotman said:


> Rich, it’s difficult to find something of this quality from other Fritz crosses…



yup these photos make me want to chuck the 3 i have ... one from orchid zone back in 2014ish..,, which of course was 150$  but it did have 2 flowering growths... and 4n characterisitics... (when i found that plant amongst the 100 or so seedlings, John was regretting telling me 150$ for any plant you pick  )


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## My Green Pets (Jul 29, 2021)

what a lovely chonker!!


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## monocotman (Jul 30, 2021)

A mature flower with photos taken in dull conditions that show the true colour more closely.


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## terryros (Jul 30, 2021)

David, did it get to 13 cm?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jul 30, 2021)

terryros said:


> David, did it get to 13 cm?



I think I exceeded 13 cm just looking at the photos!


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## monocotman (Jul 31, 2021)

Terry, it didn’t! It is just over 12cm.


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## richgarrison (Jul 31, 2021)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> I think I exceeded 13 cm just looking at the photos!



That's a freakin riot!...  hope you don't get censored...


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## terryros (Jul 31, 2021)

David, mine has not crossed 12.0 either. I think ’Rob’s Choice’ is so dominant in these two crosses. That makes the shape and color great, but restricts the size. Diploid FS will be larger, but not as well shaped.


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## monocotman (Aug 1, 2021)

Terry, you’re probably right. But I would take this style any day!


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## terryros (Aug 2, 2021)

I think this type of breeding is for red, round, and large in good balance. If you try and emphasize any one of them more, the others seem to suffer. I think the true tetraploid FS that Orchids Limited showed recently is probably the end result of this kind of breeding with nothing left to do except use it to go after other shapes.


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## monocotman (Aug 2, 2021)

You’re probably right Terry. The goal should be to make this standard more readily available. Red and plum coloured tetraploid hybrids are slowly becoming more available. I have tetraploid seedlings of a sib cross of Lovely Lynne, which I am hoping that should produce something similar to this.


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## NYEric (Aug 2, 2021)

Yay besseae hybrids! Nice, thanks for sharing. Good parents. Only in the first photo does it look red. Does anyone know the parents of the ones Popow sells as "select"?


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## monocotman (Aug 2, 2021)

No I don’t Eric. I bought one of his tetraploids last year from their general catalogue. It’s no more than average.


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## abax (Aug 5, 2021)

Eric, that flower is RED! Perhaps not fire engine red, but a most pleasing color.


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## NEslipper (Aug 7, 2021)

Just amazing, are planning to take it for judging?


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## NEslipper (Aug 7, 2021)

abax said:


> A true red David! This stunning color should make you very happy. I have two Fritz made
> with 'Rob's Choice'. Both are slow growers, but coming along fine. I'm so looking
> forward to blooms.
> 
> SB, you are certainly dedicated to growing besseae. Good luck!



I’ve had a similar experience, my diploid fritz runs circles around my triploid, that extra chromosome seems to make it grow at a glacial pace….


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## abax (Aug 7, 2021)

Thank you, NE! I thought I was the only one who acknowledged the "glacial pace". I
feel reassured.


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## monocotman (Aug 10, 2021)

It may depend entirely on the cross. Triploids generally have the reputation of being quicker to grow and more robust than diploids. Obviously this is not the case all the time.
This plant is a triploid and a good robust grower.
The second flower has just opened and in some cooler weather so it slightly more red, less purple.


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