# brand new to Phrags



## manfred (Dec 5, 2006)

Hi All
I finally took the plunge and bought 4 phrags 
one of them that was sold to me as flowering size plant is ricteri X extaminodium the plant is single grow and max leave size is 7 centimeters.Does any one have experience with that particular orchid?It just looks so small to me.
anotherone is Franz GLANZ richteri x besseae. this plant has ;leaves max 12 centimeters.
any tips as to growing ---wet dry sun shade amonut frequency of fertiliser etc would be appreciated
regards
manfred


----------



## bwester (Dec 5, 2006)

Welcome to the dark side :evil: 

My only suggestion is good water. Others here will chime in with culture info, I tend to experiment around too much to give advice.


----------



## Ron-NY (Dec 5, 2006)

7cm leaf size would be a seedling and not blooming size


----------



## NYEric (Dec 5, 2006)

Yep. With few exceptions anything less than 25cm is not blooming size. Most people here grow phrags [except carnicum and it's hybrids] in water. I use reverse osmosis others use distilled water because Phrags are not supposed to like salt build up. Hi from NYC and Good Luck.


----------



## manfred (Dec 6, 2006)

thanks for the response i live in sydney australia so i am lucky with climate and can keep mine outside basically all year round and only bring them in when they flowr.do any of you grow outside how much sun do they need and how often do you fertilise?greetings from down under


----------



## NYEric (Dec 6, 2006)

Of course it depends on what you're growing. Don't give them so much sun that they toast [there's a thread somewhere here about growing accidents and disasters.].


----------



## manfred (Dec 8, 2006)

thanks guys i thought there were lots of very experienced phrag growers in the forum.
to those who replied to my plea for help I thank very much.
it is all trial and error so i will muddle thru it all and see what result is in 6 month time.at the mom i have all 4 plants in terracotta pots sitting in tray of water receiving morning sun for about 3 hours.
regards
manfred


----------



## Stephan (Dec 10, 2006)

Manfred

Most of the really experienced growers on this forum live in the USA where Summer temperatures can rival our Winter ones. I'm from Brisbane and wouldn't consider myself much of an expert for all that I've got something like 50 Phrags. Bolero in WA has quite a lot of experience and there are others who don't frequent this forum all that much (if at all).

Local conditions aside, I'm interested in just where you got the richteri by exstamindoium cross - wouldn't mind one myself. To my knowledge what you have in that plant is a short petal/long petal cross. The long petal phrags tend to like it a "tad" drier than the short.

I'm growing my plants in three different kinds of mixes and am still fine tuing. Given that we're rolling in to Summer I'm watering most of my plants (other than my caudatum) every couple of days. The mixes are;

1. Hydroton base with an about one inch topping of supercoarse perlite (sits on water and the hydroton wicks it up - almost S/H) My Phrag Praying Mantis was recently repotted, in spike, in to this. The spike has grown and there are roots showing through the transparent surface of my pot 

2. Coconut Husk Chips treated as per web based instructions (One of my Sedenii's is going beserk in this)

3. Medium sized Aus Gro bark, Charcoal, Super Coarse Perlite, CHC and Medium sized maidenwell stone at about equal measures. (A richteri x besseae transplanted from S/H, where it wasn't doing all that well, has picked up remarkably in this mix.)

Seedlings are in a small bark, charcoal, supercoarse perlite and CHC blend.

Your conditions will be different to mine. Today it's 26 here in Brissie and I believe you guys are in the 30's? 

Dare I suggest that a local society is sure to have at least one phrag enthusiast who'll have experience with you local conditions there? 

Cheers
Stephan
P.S. - I've been a tad ill for the last two weeks or I'd have entered this thread a lot sooner.


----------



## Heather (Dec 10, 2006)

Stephan, nice to see you, hope you're feeling better.


----------



## Billie (Dec 10, 2006)

*Stephan - Ezi-grow will find you that cross .& our new phrag grower*

I'm currently moving house to South west country W A . -- I didn't realize how many plants I had till i started packing up today .
In answer to our new phrag grower here in Aust :clap: growing phrags is really quite easy there are several web sites now- my main rule is here in fremantle -i never water them after 2 pm although they enjoy water at root level all the time the leaf axiles dont like water overnight .and ferterlizer is not a big issue as I find they don't like a lot . they grow well with good quality water - not to much salt -potting mix well - some I like in straight bark -caudatum's types - others I find here in W A they love the Coconut husk fibre - but watch this some climates with higher humidity it dosn't work . - Billie


----------



## manfred (Dec 10, 2006)

Stephan thanks for your detailed reply,very helpfull and I might have to change things with mine.
I potted all 4 of mine in terecotta pots a bit of spaghum moss and medium bark[grow my cats in that] pots are standing in water and getting part sun till about 11 am.see how I go.What you think???

richteri by exstamindoium cross 
my gripe is/was that I was sold a flowering size plant and when I got it it turned out to be a midget with 7 cm leaves.

Billie thanks for your input good luck with moving
regards
manfred


----------



## Stephan (Dec 12, 2006)

Hey Manfred (Sorry Billie - got my growers confused  )

Bolero is in NSW which is sorta close to Manfred 

O.K., Manfred. Mate, I think your mix sounds O.K. on the face of it. I started out growing a couple of 5 dollar calurum's . I bought these a little over three years ago now. One of them was brought to it's knees by my growth "experiments" - It has three growths a little larger than my kovachii X wallisii seedlings but it's picked up again and growing.

The richteri X exstaminodium NFS plant. The exstamindoium plant attached to the flowers I posted recently had a leaf length of around 14 inches base to tip and a spread of maybe 10. I've never seen richetri in the flesh but my understanding is that it's a smallish plant. On top of that "flowering" size on any slipper doesn't mean it'll flower as soon as you get it  I bought a NFS Gloria Naugle last year. It's growth habit is very like micranthum and the hints say it's even closer now. I got another GN from Nicky Zurcher that looks to follow the roths parentage in growth habit. It looks like a gangly teenager but it's larger than the Ezi Gro plant (go figure).

Manfred, ever since I started using transparent pots for some of the plants I've been "iffy" on, it's been an eye opener. You get to see how the mix settles and how the plant roots "like" your mix. Additionally some plants look like they're forever tentative in their growth habit while others are into it almost from day one of transplanting.

For mine, you have the age old formula for almost any plant. Air, Water, Food and a place to call "home" (Media). Phrags need regular water and a mix that doesn't go "stale" too quickly. They want good air movement (through the mix - some of them - as well by the looks of it). They (Phrags) like really good quality water which can be slightly acidic. I actually add a little vinigar to my water here occasionally and "some" of the plants perk up noticeably when I do.

As for transparent pots and where you get them here in Oz? You don't. I tend to adapt available materials. A one litre fruit juice plastic bottle makes an admirable sqaure pot. The Farmers Union one litre milk bottles also have a nice tall squarish form factor than can be used as well. I've had ***** looks from society members when I recently brought a paph in that I thought wothwhile showing that was in one - 

I've written enough -


Cheers
Stephan


----------



## manfred (Dec 14, 2006)

stephan you are a better typist than me and certainly full of knowledge maybe we can talk on phone one day and i cud really pick your brain  
cheers manfred


----------



## Stephan (Dec 18, 2006)

It's easier to get me via email Manfred 

The phone is possible but there's a very limited window where I'm actually close to one. Strenge considering I work in the I T industry - oh well.

Just PM me here and I'll try to respond as soon as possible. The other guys on this forum, for the greater part, are much more knowledgeable than I. You just have to remember that their conditions (and mine) are different to yours 

Cheers
Stephan


----------

