Phrag. kovachii ‘Grande’ x self

[DrLeslieEe]

Clap clap clap... standing ovation! Good job on such a cute 'Mickey Mouse's ear' flower.

I concur with you that the first time I ever laid my eyes on one years ago in Japan, I was star struck. Since then, a few have passed through judging and I got to handle it up close. It still takes my breath away every time I see one in bloom. So surreal.

 

[JustinR]

Wow congratulations, must be sight to behold

 

[awesomei]

I purchased this plant from Sam Tsui at The Orchid Inn, in May of 2020. It was a decent sized, one growth seedling with one leaf measuring 11-12 inches.

I put her directly into this large net pot with styrofoam peanuts at the bottom and a mix of grodan cubes/#4 perlite/charcoal. Heavily top dressed in oysters shells. The moss has established all around the pot, it looks like a giant moss ball.

I water with RO daily first with a low dose of balanced fertilizer in a hand pump. 25-50ppm rotating among a few different brands. Later in the day I come back around with a hose and drench the pot. I add oyster shells every 1-2 months and extra (most of my ferts have some) cal/mag quarterly.

My daily temps target a high of 78 and a low of 65, which fluctuates seasonally but I try to never let the temps rise above 80. Its positioned on the edge of the grow table closest to the evaporative cooler during the summer months. Grown all under LED, towards the edge of the footprint. (I’ll include a picture of the grow table).

I went back to look at my records and I have been trying to grow and bloom this species since 2008. It’s been one of my main motivators all these years. I’ve killed a few and even bloomed out an incorrectly labeled kovachii, but was never able to get them big enough. I think a lot has to do with time, age of the plant. Seems the others I know who have bloomed them from the early generation of seedlings were waiting 10 years. I also believe that this seedling is a few more generations removed from those original jungle collected plants.

We shall see. I’m sitting on 3 more earlier generation kovachii seedlings and I have recently moved them all over to the exact same culture.
I really still can’t believe this mythical beast is in front of me. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the flower in person after all these years.

The spread on the first day of opening is 12cm across. And the vertical width of the petal is 6.5cm. I’ll try and get a few pics later this week under natural sunlight.

Anyways enough rambling. Enjoy the pics.


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Amazingly stunning!

 

[e-spice]

Very impressive. Nice job.

 

[Michael Bonda]

Wow. Just can’t grow well for me in Florida. I’ll have to enjoy your via photos.
congrats.

 

[cnycharles]

Congrats!

 

[NEslipper]

Magnificent, congratulations!

 

[PeteM]

She is blooming again. We are about 14.5 cm across, so a little larger than last bloom. Hopefully I can get her to put on a few more growths this next season. Might need a larger pot, I have yet to move a kovachii up past a 1 gallon net pot.

Does anyone have recommendations on how to conjure up multiple growths with phrags?

Enjoy, Pete

 

[littlefrog]

She is blooming again. We are about 14.5 cm across, so a little larger than last bloom. Hopefully I can get her to put on a few more growths this next season. Might need a larger pot, I have yet to move a kovachii up past a 1 gallon net pot.

Does anyone have recommendations on how to conjure up multiple growths with phrags?

Enjoy, Pete

You could try using a bulb pan. Some of the best growth I've ever seen on phrags was in plants in shallow pans. Unfortunately they take up a heck of a lot of shelf space or I'd grow more that way.

 

[monocotman]

Stunning clone!

 

[Djthomp28]

Wow, @PeteM! That is stunner. I am still waiting for my two to blooms. However they are at least throwing out growths. Mine are nice clumps but no flowers.

 

[GuRu]

Unfotunately I missed this thread in 2022. If I had seen it than I would have said what a gorgeous flower ... so I must say it now,
what a gorgeous flower.
You say she's larger than 2022 and what about the colouration ? the colour seems to be slightly lighter this time ... or is it just the light ?

 

[PeteM]

Unfotunately I missed this thread in 2022. If I had seen it than I would have said what a gorgeous flower ... so I must say it now,
what a gorgeous flower.
You say she's larger than 2022 and what about the colouration ? the colour seems to be slightly lighter this time ... or is it just the light ?

Thank you! It is the lights. I just changed / upgraded the LED lights in this section of the grow room and it is throwing an overall cooler color.

 

[mwong9440]

I purchased this plant from Sam Tsui at The Orchid Inn, in May of 2020. It was a decent sized, one growth seedling with one leaf measuring 11-12 inches.

I put her directly into this large net pot with styrofoam peanuts at the bottom and a mix of grodan cubes/#4 perlite/charcoal. Heavily top dressed in oysters shells. The moss has established all around the pot, it looks like a giant moss ball.

I water with RO daily first with a low dose of balanced fertilizer in a hand pump. 25-50ppm rotating among a few different brands. Later in the day I come back around with a hose and drench the pot. I add oyster shells every 1-2 months and extra (most of my ferts have some) cal/mag quarterly.

My daily temps target a high of 78 and a low of 65, which fluctuates seasonally but I try to never let the temps rise above 80. Its positioned on the edge of the grow table closest to the evaporative cooler during the summer months. Grown all under LED, towards the edge of the footprint. (I’ll include a picture of the grow table).

I went back to look at my records and I have been trying to grow and bloom this species since 2008. It’s been one of my main motivators all these years. I’ve killed a few and even bloomed out an incorrectly labeled kovachii, but was never able to get them big enough. I think a lot has to do with time, age of the plant. Seems the others I know who have bloomed them from the early generation of seedlings were waiting 10 years. I also believe that this seedling is a few more generations removed from those original jungle collected plants.

We shall see. I’m sitting on 3 more earlier generation kovachii seedlings and I have recently moved them all over to the exact same culture.
I really still can’t believe this mythical beast is in front of me. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the flower in person after all these years.

The spread on the first day of opening is 12cm across. And the vertical width of the petal is 6.5cm. I’ll try and get a few pics later this week under natural sunlight.

Anyways enough rambling. Enjoy the pics.


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[mwong9440]

I am growing two now years from blooming, getting good roots quite easy n I do the opposite of everyone. Organic mix with egg shells n no fertilizer or supplements.
Hehe then my Peruflora Cirla Alca measures 5.25 inches across, then in kovachii definitely has influenced the hybrid

 

[krisk]

That really is a great flower. I’m hoping mine isn’t too far off. This one is 5 years from flask. The old growth got a bit burnt over summer, but the other growth is fine, and it’s got 2 new growths. I didn’t think to take a photo of the roots when I potted it up, as they were really healthy. It’s in a 20cm pot.