Phragmipedium kovachii

[Kostas]

Thank you very much! How do you keep it soggy wet? I think mine is pretty wet too but not sure if it would like to be even wetter. I could flood the pot higher if needed

 

[Linus_Cello]

Like Justin, my mature plant is also grown like an aquatic plant (soggy wet) and it is very very very happy.

Could you post a pic of your growing situation. One day, I'd love to have a half water/land aquarium with PK and discus.

 

[trdyl]

One day, I'd love to have a half water/land aquarium with PK and discus.

I think they would be beautiful together. But I am pretty sure that discus take a warmer environment than what would be good for PK.

 

[Kostas]

Sounds like it would be awesome Linus! I think its doable even with discus as kovackii can grow at the 28-30C discus enjoy(albeit slower), but it would be better with fish from cooler water. Few tropical fish enjoy water as warm as discus anyway(only fish from Rio *****, Xingu and a few other tributaries).
Cichlids are nice and fish with character. Aequidens rivulatus are especially personable fish as well as other bigger cichlids


A couple of pictures from my kovachii. It seems to progress well in the new medium, keeping the pot slightly flooded and rinsing everything from above every 2 days(to leach out the fertiliser contained in the growing medium and not get concentrated enough to harm it)



Moss seems to be establishing and grow well too

 

[Kostas]

Today i received my second Phragmipedium kovachii. Its a little beaten up from drought during the trip here but seems healthy overall apart from a few yellow leafs that will be lost. Its substrate mix seems great and incorporates around 50% rock wool which i see as very advantageous to keeping a high moisture content while maintaining aeration. The roots seem better established in the pot than my first one, they seem to fill the pot nicely. The roots must probably be quite stressed now from the drought they saw but seem functional and ok so far. I watered well immediately upon arrival and it now sits in 1cm of water






Watered well, submerged in 1 cm of water and placed in a humid cool breeze to recuperate...






As seen, the plant's base sits above the substrate level. Isn't this too shallow for this species? I would tend to bury the stem up to where the last root begins and a little bit higher to allow proper rooting of the stem as it grows taller. What do you think?






Shall i remove the yellowed leafs or wait them out for the plant to get back what it can? Some minor infections had started on them

I look forward to seeing it grow well and full again

 

[Kostas]

Here it is today that the true condition of the leafs is starting to show




I am holding on to the leafs as much as possible to let it retrieve what it can and will only remove when dried or if an infection is getting close to the stem

 

[Happypaphy7]

I agree with you in that I would also bury or cover up the base where the roots will grow.

Regarding other plant in bonsai mix, they drain well but they also retain moisture quite a bit. You might want to try and sit the pot in the shallow water, or just water every couple days.

I had kovachii hybrid once, which I grew in coir peat.
I was quite worried about the idea of growing it in wet feet, but boy, what a difference it made once I moved the plant to a saucer full of water.
The plant just took off like crazy!!!

 

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for your advise!

The first plant is in a complex mixture of zeolite, pumice, lava, a little bark and some akadama. The lower you go in the pot, the purer the inorganic components. Its in a self watering pot, so part of the pot's lower surface is always submerged in water, and i keep it a 1-1,5cm flooded as well, so the bottom cm of the pot should be submerged in water. So far its growing very well thankfully and has thickened considerably at the base

Great to know your experience with kovachii hybrid in coir peat, amazing indeed how it did so well in submerged/saturated coir! These seem like they are almost aquatic