# New acquisition - Phrag kovachii!



## xiphius (Mar 3, 2019)

Well... finally took the plunge! 

Found a pretty nice deal on a Phrag kovachii at Orchid Trail this weekend. Was driving down to Raleigh for the wife's birthday and decided to make a quick stop. It is 5 total growths, probably two separate plants, in a four inch pot. One of the plants looks to be 4 growths (definitely attached to the same plant) and the other _may_ be attached, but is likely a separate plant that was just potted up alongside.







They looked pretty healthy to me. Plus, I've been ogling this species from afar for quite some time now, so I just couldn't pass it up. Hoping I can find something it likes and get it acclimated to it's new home!

It looks to be currently potted in fine bark with some course perlite. I don't see any limestone or oyster shell, so I am guessing that their source water must be pretty high in calcium to have grown them for so long without supplemental lime. The guy told be they came out of a flask from CJM and have been growing for 8-9 years out of flask. It hasn't been repotted in about 1.5 years, so it is due (roots look decent, not great, but decent). Since my water is not particularly high in calcium, I am thinking sphag moss (or bark) + lava rock + oyster shell. All of my other phrags are in a mix of sphag moss and lava rock. Pretty much all of them are loving this. I am a little worried about sphag moss and kovachii because I am afraid it might still be too acid, even with some oyster shell. Any input on the substrate would be most welcome! Currently trying to sift through the various threads about growing it here on ST.

Super excited and hoping I can find something it likes soon! Wish me luck.


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## Tom-DE (Mar 3, 2019)

Congrats! Nice healthy plant and I hope you got a good deal($$)!
I am still looking for a real thing(confirmed ID) too....so I can't buy one unless I see the flowers.


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## xiphius (Mar 4, 2019)

Tom-DE said:


> Congrats! Nice healthy plant and I hope you got a good deal($$)!
> I am still looking for a real thing(confirmed ID) too....so I can't buy one unless I see the flowers.



Thanks! Yeah, it was $125. That makes it my most expensive single plant by a fair margin. But, most I have seen in seedling, or large seedling, size are like $60-$80 at least (and these are usually very small, right out of the flask). So I felt that was a pretty solid deal for a multi-growth, fairly mature plant(s). Like I said, one of them is at least 4 growths (possibly 5). It is definitely large enough to flower. In fact, I bought this one as the largest growth on the 4-growth plant looks like it *might* have the beginnings of a sheath down in the leaves (probably wishful thinking though... still too early to say for sure ). If that 5th growth is a separate plant, then that would be all the better, because that would mean I got two! Gonna repot in the next couple days and find out. The current mix is fairly dense. Gonna repot with plenty of lava rock and some oyster shell to open it up a bit.

I don't have any reason to doubt the ID of the plant. Also, from what I have heard, Orchid Trail is a fairly reputable place. If it blooms out as something other than kovachii, I will definitely have words with them. If they didn't do something about it, that would be the last sale they ever make to me (and I would be sure to spread the ill will)...

I was actually kind of surprised that the kovachii was in such good shape. To be honest, their sales greenhouses were kinda hit-or-miss. I saw a lot of plants in bad shape (there were some minis that were straight-up dead).


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## NYEric (Mar 4, 2019)

Hard to tell what LS that is but should be a good acquisition. Good luck.


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## xiphius (Mar 4, 2019)

NYEric said:


> Hard to tell what LS that is but should be a good acquisition. Good luck.



Thanks! For reference, that counter ledge it is sitting on is 13-14 inches wide... so at least that (not counting the curl).


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## xiphius (Mar 5, 2019)

Went to repot them this morning. As I suspected, it is two separate plants. The larger one has 4 growths, the other is a single growth plants that was potted up alongside. Bonus!





The bark was fairly decayed (lots of sow bugs and millipedes in there). The pot was filled with decaying roots from some weeds that had sprouted. I combed all of those out and gave them a good rinse. There were some small white pellets in there that looked like tiny, white, glass marbles. I haven't seen anything like them before. Perhaps this is what the grower was using as a calcium source? I have a hard time imagining that they contribute much of anything. They looked and felt like glass.

I potted it up in the same mix I am using for all of my other phrags (sphag moss + lava rock) and then added a generous amount of rinsed crushed oyster shell. These are soon destined for the recirculating water table!


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## abax (Mar 6, 2019)

I have my fingers crossed that the plants are kovs. Please keep us
informed.


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## Wendy (Mar 7, 2019)

Beautiful looking plants! Fingers crossed that you’ve got the real deal. I look forward to flower photos.


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## Tom-DE (Mar 8, 2019)

Hey xiphius you want to trade the smaller one?.......... Eric, back off!


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## xiphius (Mar 9, 2019)

Tom-DE said:


> Hey xiphius you want to trade the smaller one?.......... Eric, back off!



Lol! I might consider a trade for the smaller one. Just don't be offended if I politely decline though  ...


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## Tom-DE (Mar 9, 2019)

xiphius said:


> Lol! I might consider a trade for the smaller one. Just don't be offended if I politely decline though  ...


None taken. I was kidding mostly anyway.


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## xiphius (Mar 11, 2019)

Tom-DE said:


> None taken. I was kidding mostly anyway.



Yeah, this is one I have wanted for a long time. Having two plants gives me two chances to keep it alive and someday hopefully see a flower. Fingers crossed! Still looking good, but it's only been like a week. I will feel safe when I see one or both start to pump out some new roots.


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## Tom-DE (Mar 11, 2019)

Good decision--keeping both to see how they go! It would be a really good buy if it is the real thing. Good luck!


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