Phrag Mem. Mariza Rolando

[monocotman]

a bit of a tease as the bud is just opening but you can already see the potential.
This is a seedling from the EYOF via Ratcliffe’s. This is only its second flowering as it is such a bad climber that it has taken time for me to work out how it grow it. It now has lots of moss around the base. The cross is Hanne Popow x kovachii. The first time it flowered the final colour was a hot pink and the shape was pretty much perfect. I’ll post again at the weekend,
David

 

[blondie]

Looks like it's going to be stunning. I really need to improve my culture with Phrag's

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Cool. A shapely flowered kovachii hybrid sounds wonderful.

 

[tomkalina]

That's a great looking bud, David. Can you show the entire plant?

 

[monocotman]

Just now.
Two spikes this year and the plant is not yet fully mature. On the first flowering it was easily better than the two that the EYOF have had awarded with AM/RHS. This one is very round and the colour ends up a really hot pink.

 

[tomkalina]

Thanks. Well grown!

 

[abax]

Outstanding growing. I can't wait to see the flower fully
open.

 

[monocotman]

It’s opened up overnight. This is very much a flower with some growing to do. The natural spread of the petals is currently 8cm but it should end up at close to 9cm, as is the way with its kovachii parent.

 

[Silverwhisp]

It’s opened up overnight. This is very much a flower with some growing to do. The natural spread of the petals is currently 8cm but it should end up at close to 9cm, as is the way with its kovachii parent.
View attachment 16721 View attachment 16722

Wow. Congratulations! That’s exquisite! Thanks for posting.

 

[likespaphs]

wow!

 

[richgarrison]

wow! and the plant really looks awesome Can you provide us a little about your culture?... looks like some sphagnum on the top of pot (as you mentioned above)
..

 

[BrucherT]

Breath taker.

 

[monocotman]

Rich, it’s potted in grodan minicubes with a topping of moss for the new shoots and roots as it’s such a bad climber. It sits on a trolley in a west facing window most of the year with my other phrags. It receives rain water plus maybe half rate rain mix (TDS around 180) feed year round at every watering. In summer the phrags go outside for 3-4 months where they receive afternoon sun. They sit it trays of water year round so never go dry. I find these wet growing types easy to grow indoors under UK conditions. The plants are never subjected to the extremes of greenhouse growing ( temperature/sunlight) and so the foliage stays perfect, no dings and marks. Winter indoors varies between 13 and 18 degrees and summer is around 18-25 degrees, with occasional peaks into the low 30’s.
David

 

[tomkalina]

That's a beauty. One of the best I've seen.

 

[monocotman]

Wait another three or four days. It should improve!
David

 

[Guarceñosis]

Just fantastic.

 

[ScientistKen]

Great culture and very nice bloom! My Mariza Rolando should be blooming size but no sign of any spikes yet.

 

[abax]

Stunning flower David. The shape is perfect with no curling
petals. Absolutely one of the best I've seen. Keep us informed
of future developments.

 

[monocotman]

Abax I may be crossing with it in future years. No idea yet whether it is fertile but it will be fun to try it with some of the other kovachii crosses.

 

[richgarrison]

Rich, it’s potted in grodan minicubes with a topping of moss for the new shoots and roots as it’s such a bad climber. It sits on a trolley in a west facing window most of the year with my other phrags. It receives rain water plus maybe half rate rain mix (TDS around 180) feed year round at every watering. In summer the phrags go outside for 3-4 months where they receive afternoon sun. They sit it trays of water year round so never go dry. I find these wet growing types easy to grow indoors under UK conditions. The plants are never subjected to the extremes of greenhouse growing ( temperature/sunlight) and so the foliage stays perfect, no dings and marks. Winter indoors varies between 13 and 18 degrees and summer is around 18-25 degrees, with occasional peaks into the low 30’s.
David

Thanx... Your plants do look really good....
....lot's more to say ...but in summary ...i can see a bunch of growdan cubes in my future... My open bag is calling my name for the next repotting session... just not sure which batch of plants to try first... (ya i'm chicken, things are finally growing well for me in my highly inorganic mix- 40 % (river gravel, perlite), rest in kiwi bark, with a sprinkling of chopped up NZ sphagnum)