Somewhat odd growth habit for a Phrag.

[silence882]

I got a flask of Phrag. Eumelia Arias about 3 years ago and the plants have been growing steadily, but slowly. Then about 6 months ago with leaf spans of only 6-10" they started putting out new growths. There's no sign of spiking and the new growths are now growing way faster than the first growths ever did.

Has anyone had plants that do this? If it had happened to only one seedling I'd have dismissed it as a freak but it's happening to the 6 I have that are furthest along.

Here's a pic of one that's particularly pronounced:


--Stephen

 

[mrhappyrotter]

It's not "typical", but it's not exactly rare either. It seems to happen at a much higher frequency in phrags than in paphs (at least in my experience).

My Phrag. "Fritz Schomburg" that actually turned out to be Eumelia Arias did this. First growth "matured" fairly small, second growth popped out and eventually dwarfed it many times over. My Phrag. Allison Strohm is doing it, as well.

But, this doesn't just happen in kovachii hybrids. I've had it or seen it occur in numerous hybrids and species, spanning more or less the entire genus.

 

[gonewild]

It's a condition called "growing faster"!
It looks like normal advanced age growth, the way the plant should grow.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

My phrags do this all the time. I wouldn't worry its just gaining some strength!

Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9900 using Tapatalk

 

[ehanes7612]

of the 30 plants I got from a flask ..3 of them did this

 

[monocotman]

All my smaller phrags grow like this.
Nothing to worry about.
David

 

[PaphMadMan]

It's a condition called "growing faster"!
It looks like normal advanced age growth, the way the plant should grow.

I have to agree. It looks like healthy normal growth of a plant that was ready to take a leap rather than crawl along, but if you'd prefer plants that are slow I'm sure someone could take the vigorous ones off your hands.

 

[silence882]

Thanks, everyone, for the reassurance. I guess I'd gotten so used to them creeping along that I was startled when they picked up speed.

--Stephen

 

[gonewild]

Thanks, everyone, for the reassurance. I guess I'd gotten so used to them creeping along that I was startled when they picked up speed.

--Stephen

So what did you change or do different that caused the positive result?

 

[silence882]

So what did you change or do different that caused the positive result?

I put a different set of bulbs in my T5 fixtures about 6 months ago. So far all my plants are loving them.

 

[Kawarthapine]

What bulbs did you change to?

 

[limuhead]

That seems pretty normal to me, but I grow mine in pretty high light. I grow all of my Phrags under 50% shade cloth, but they do get some additional shade from a tree near my greenhouse. Frequent fert, lately anyway at moderately low strength. Blooming schlimii and besseae x manzurii in less than 2 years from flask. Plants look lighter green than I would like but tons of roots and running out of room in the greenhouse really quick...

 

[NYEric]

.. and running out of room in the greenhouse really quick...

Sounds good to me!