How are your kovachii seedlings doing?

[SlipperFan]

I'm asking this question because mine seem to be "stuck" -- I've lost a bunch, and the remaining seem to be holding their own. But they are growing, if they are growing, ever so slowly.

Mine came from Piping Rock, so I'm wondering if it has to do with parentage, or just the nature of kovachii?

I've noticed a couple of threads where people indicated their seedlings were growing fast, and maybe even some posts about their kovachii's about to bloom, but no photos were posted yet. The only one I remember is the photo of Chuck Acker's plant.

So how about it? How are your kovachii seedlings doing? If they are growing fast, what's your secret????????

 

[Magicboy]

Mine is growing very slowly! I don't know where it's from and don't know it's parentage.

 

[JeanLux]

I have got 2 smallies from Wubben in 2007, one passed away, 1 is growing but slowwly. My other youngster from f Glanz is yet smaller and already loosing 1 leaf ! Jean

 

[Paul]

Mines needed two years to acclimate from flask but they were really bad at the begining: very tiny plantlets with no roots, flask contaminated... I'm lucky to have saved most of them!
Now they are growing well, but far from blooming size.

 

[P-chan]

I bought mine last summer from Piping Rock. It was about 4" at the time. I have mine under T-12's about a foot from the bulbs. I water it each morning spraying the bark mix. It's pretty much doubled in size, which is still small, but it's healthy and I can see growth.:wink:

 

[Clark]

Pk x Living Fire- small seedling bought Feb. 2007, grows like a weed.
I am sure it will spike next year.

Pk- bought Feb. 2008. Very small seedling, has tripled in size since.
These are the most expensive plants by size I have bought.

When it rains, they go outside. Hybrid gets same fertilizer as sanderianum,
but it is a larger plant. Newer Pk gets just a little fertilizer, same as
longifolium (which I find sensitive to fertilizer).
Light-same as roth and sand.
Water-they'll teach you how to do the backstroke. The wettest plants
in the house. I mist most of the plants.
Both came from Piping Rock. Except for cost, no complaints.
Air flow- unless a window is open or they go outside-none.

 

[Wendy]

I had two...lost the smallest one. The biggest one now has a leaf span of 12", which is deceiving as the leaves are very upright. This is actually the second growth for this plant. The first growth faded away as this growth grew. I have it in an opaque pot so I can monitor the root growth, in coconut and perlite and top dressed with limestone chips. It is also grown wet and in low light with good air movement.

 

[goldenrose]

.... The biggest one now has a leaf span of 12", .... It is also grown wet and in low light with good air movement.

How long did it take to get that size?
At what point would one increase the light? Can't they handle pretty good light?

 

[John M]

Back in June 2007, I started with two flasks of kovachii that originated from Piping Rock. I potted them all (about 60 plants), individually in pure sphagnum moss and watched them rot and die en-masse. A few months later, I finally salvaged the survivors (about 18 plants) and put them into clay pots, using a mix of perlite and coconut chips. I fed them the same as my mixed collection of adult plants and gave them Cattleya light. They established and grew some, doubling their size; but, it took about 18 months.

I've heard that I should've been able to get better results. Specifically, I've read/heard that kovachii seedlings like very low light and only appreciate the higher light levels (for say...a Cattleya), when they are near blooming size. Also, acid conditions at the roots is not good for them. So, the sphagnum moss was a mistake to use on newly deflasked seedlings. They need a slightly alkaline condition at the roots.....so, limestone added to the mix is very helpful. I believe that in nature, they are supposed to grow on limestone hills.

FWIW; Some food for thought...in a nutshell.....what I've come to understand for this species is that the seedlings will grow quickly...
1) if they have a neutral to slightly alkaline potting mix containing limestone.
2) if they are grown in very low light.
3) if they are grown at no higher than intermediate temperatures.
4) if they are fertilized very lightly; expecially at first when very young.
5) if you have good karma and the moon and the stars are aligned right!

 

[NYEric]

Eh, fair.

 

[smartie2000]

I had three kovachii ('laura' x 'ana') and I also put mine into sphagnum. I have one left now, and I noticed it had a small root system this year when I unpotted it.

Now it is in sphag with dolomite (pH increaae). Its small but now it has started growing faster and hopefully in the coming years it will bloom. But I might put it into fine bark later this year

Kovachii hybrids are as easy as other phrags, mine are now blooming sized.

 

[P-chan]

How long did it take to get that size?
At what point would one increase the light? Can't they handle pretty good light?

Glenn Decker told me that they need to start out with Phal. type light until they're at least an 8 inch leaf span, and then gradually increase the light as the plant grows. once it's 12 inches or so, it should be able to take Cattleya light. Gradual increase is the trick. Low light when very small.

 

[Gilda]

5) if you have good karma and the moon and the stars are aligned right!

You hit the nail on the head with that advice !!:clap::wink:

 

[Rick]

Glenn Decker told me that they need to start out with Phal. type light until they're at least an 8 inch leaf span, and then gradually increase the light as the plant grows. once it's 12 inches or so, it should be able to take Cattleya light. Gradual increase is the trick. Low light when very small.

I'm having somewhat similar results with multifloral paph species. The seedlings of some of my light hogs like phili and kolo grow very well under indoor florescent light levels, but stall out (or die) at brighter conditions in the GH. If I find dark corners to stash them they take off again. There also seems to be a connection between light levels and temperatures too, so you might be able to grow brighter if you keep them cooler.

 

[SlipperFan]

This is interesting.

Does anyone have a kovachii seedling with a leaf span of greater than 12 inches???

 

[Wendy]

Here is my seedling. If I stretch the single leaf it is 9" from tip to crown. I like how the leaves curl on Pk. I still have this plant on the bottom shelf where the temps are lower...on the cool side of intermediate. I've found that in the time I've had it, it has told me pretty quick when it was happy and when it was not.

Yes Gregory 'needed' to get in on the photo shoot. he's always a good boy so I suffer through his neediness.

 

[slippertalker]

I also purchased a flask from Decker about 1 1/2 yrs ago, it had 30 flasklings.
My previous experience of growing phrags from flask has probably helped with this species. Out of those 30, I have lost one....

The largest are 20+ inches in spread, and they are starting their 2nd and 3rd growths. I have good conditions for this species (cool, good water, and medium light). They grow the best in spring and fall, and stop in summer temperatures. They really seem to enjoy 50-55F nights and bottom moisture along with oyster shell in the mix to raise the PH.

I would guess that half are over 12", 1/4 are 8" or so and the runts are about 5-6". Pretty typical for phrags to have such a spread in vigor.

I expect flowers in probably two more years and if lucky, perhaps this fall.

 

[NYEric]

Don't forget your STF friends!!! :drool:

 

[Hien]

I also purchased a flask from Decker about 1 1/2 yrs ago, it had 30 flasklings.
My previous experience of growing phrags from flask has probably helped with this species. Out of those 30, I have lost one....

The largest are 20+ inches in spread, and they are starting their 2nd and 3rd growths. I have good conditions for this species (cool, good water, and medium light). They grow the best in spring and fall, and stop in summer temperatures. They really seem to enjoy 50-55F nights and bottom moisture along with oyster shell in the mix to raise the PH.

I would guess that half are over 12", 1/4 are 8" or so and the runts are about 5-6". Pretty typical for phrags to have such a spread in vigor.

I expect flowers in probably two more years and if lucky, perhaps this fall.

YOU ARE THE MAN
:clap::clap:
I SHOULD HAVE SENDING MY PERU-FLORA & PIPING ROCK FLASKS TO YOUR KOVACHII BOARDING SCHOOL.
WELL IT IS TOO LATE NOW. THERE IS NOTHING TO SEND

 

[Hien]

Here is my seedling. If I stretch the single leaf it is 9" from tip to crown. I like how the leaves curl on Pk. I still have this plant on the bottom shelf where the temps are lower...on the cool side of intermediate. I've found that in the time I've had it, it has told me pretty quick when it was happy and when it was not.

Yes Gregory 'needed' to get in on the photo shoot. he's always a good boy so I suffer through his neediness.

WATCH THAT CAT LIKE A HAWK IF HE EVEN LICKS THE KOVACHII LEAF, GIVING HIM SOME GOOD SPANKING