Where can I buy Phrag Kovachii and phragmipedium caudatum?

[Ssarner]

I have searched eBay, Etsy, OrchidMall, OrchidWeb and Paph Paradise and no luck. Any advice?

 

[big923cattleya]

Kovachii is not like bananas, they are not always available. You have to be patient.

 

[Tom-DE]

Check with Springwater Orchids, FL. and I am pretty sure they still have a few.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Ecuagenera had them in the past? (though mislabeling not uncommon)

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Are you in the USA?

I know that Woodstream had some Phrag. kovachii for sale somewhat recently, perhaps you can check with them directly via email? I also know that Springwater (via Ebay) has had some recently, but I couldn't tell you if those plants are of good breeding quality or not.

I was also going to mention Ecuagenera BUT with the exact same warning that you already got: They seem to have a considerable problem with mislabeled Phrags these days so I hesitate to recommend them. If you're very familiar with Phrag. kovachii already, then you'd likely be able to tell upon arrival if the plant was mislabeled based on the foliage. But if you're not super familiar with how it looks vegetatively, I wouldn't risk it given the cost. For a Grande, it would be difficult to tell from foliage alone if the ID was correct, as there are many hybrids that would/could look very similar until they bloom.

I'm prepping to downsize my collection a bit in the spring, and I'll have some smaller sized divisions of my Phrag. Wossner Supergrande available if you're interested. I probably do have an extra Phrag. kovachii division in my tubs somewhere as well, but I'd be hesitant to offer it up because it's from a very old (and super, super crappy quality) clone and it's basically been ignored for the past year if it hasn't kicked the bucket.

 

[littlefrog]

I'll probably have some flasks of kovachii come summertime. But you don't see larger plants come up for sale very often.

I'm pretty excited that a kovachii cross I made a few years ago has its first seedling in bud. Not expecting much but I also expected it to take a few more years. A tiny plant though.

 

[Djthomp28]

@littlefrog are you planning on selling flasks?

 

[littlefrog]

If I get enough back. Lab said there was good germination but things can always go wrong. I asked for as many as he could make...

 

[Ssarner]

Ecuagenera had them in the past? (though mislabeling not uncommon)

That is good to know. Thank you.

 

[Ssarner]

Are you in the USA?

I know that Woodstream had some Phrag. kovachii for sale somewhat recently, perhaps you can check with them directly via email? I also know that Springwater (via Ebay) has had some recently, but I couldn't tell you if those plants are of good breeding quality or not.

I was also going to mention Ecuagenera BUT with the exact same warning that you already got: They seem to have a considerable problem with mislabeled Phrags these days so I hesitate to recommend them. If you're very familiar with Phrag. kovachii already, then you'd likely be able to tell upon arrival if the plant was mislabeled based on the foliage. But if you're not super familiar with how it looks vegetatively, I wouldn't risk it given the cost. For a Grande, it would be difficult to tell from foliage alone if the ID was correct, as there are many hybrids that would/could look very similar until they bloom.

I'm prepping to downsize my collection a bit in the spring, and I'll have some smaller sized divisions of my Phrag. Wossner Supergrande available if you're interested. I probably do have an extra Phrag. kovachii division in my tubs somewhere as well, but I'd be hesitant to offer it up because it's from a very old (and super, super crappy quality) clone and it's basically been ignored for the past year if it hasn't kicked the bucket.

I am in US and in Alabama. I will check spring water orchid and email wood stream to see what they have. Thank you.

 

[awesomei]

Ecuagenera had them in the past? (though mislabeling not uncommon)

I can never recommend Ecuagenera again! I have had several issues with them about poor packing and shipping of Phrags. The last order, 5 plants, were sent bare root, in small open plastic bags, no wet sphagnum or any moisturing around the roots, All of the roots were totally dried up and all of those plants have died. I had sent Ecuagenera emails with pictures showing the horrible condition of my order. They apologized and said they would replace them. Now after several more emails, still no reploacement plants. Never again!

 

[Ssarner]

I can never recommend Ecuagenera again! I have had several issues with them about poor packing and shipping of Phrags. The last order, 5 plants, were sent bare root, in small open plastic bags, no wet sphagnum or any moisturing around the roots, All of the roots were totally dried up and all of those plants have died. I had sent Ecuagenera emails with pictures showing the horrible condition of my order. They apologized and said they would replace them. Now after several more emails, still no reploacement plants. Never again!

Good to know. When I searched in eBay Ecuagenera always came up. I stay away from now on. Thank you for sharing your experience with me.

 

[Ssarner]

@littlefrog are you planning on selling flasks?

No I just want one adult plant if I can buy one.

 

[Ssarner]

Kovachii is not like bananas, they are not always available. You have to be patient.

I been searching for last two years. Orchid web said they had some but when I checked there were none. Either they sell quickly or they just don’t have any.

 

[big923cattleya]

Adult plants are likely to be expensive and much harder to find!
Here is one thing that you may not be aware of. Slipper orchid seed pods reduce very few viable seeds. Some are better than others but we may be talking about a few dozen seedling at most. Then those seedling have to survive and make it to a size suitable for sale. Those two things work against availability. AND drive up the price.
Come hybridizers and breeders might be reluctant to part with seedlings. VERY reluctant.
If we were talking about a standard Cattleya hybrid as a contrast, they can produce hundreds, a few thousand seedlings. I BECOMES ALL ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
Every supermarket has bananas, not every slipper vendor has kovachii!!! And they are very fussy to try and grow.

 

[Linus_Cello]

If we were talking about a standard Cattleya hybrid as a contrast, they can produce hundreds, a few thousand seedlings.

Also Catts and other orchids can be cloned. Many slippers can’t be successfully cloned (yet, there are some Cyp reginae that have been cloned I think).

 

[Ssarner]

Adult plants are likely to be expensive and much harder to find!
Here is one thing that you may not be aware of. Slipper orchid seed pods reduce very few viable seeds. Some are better than others but we may be talking about a few dozen seedling at most. Then those seedling have to survive and make it to a size suitable for sale. Those two things work against availability. AND drive up the price.
Come hybridizers and breeders might be reluctant to part with seedlings. VERY reluctant.
If we were talking about a standard Cattleya hybrid as a contrast, they can produce hundreds, a few thousand seedlings. I BECOMES ALL ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
Every supermarket has bananas, not every slipper vendor has kovachii!!! And they are very fussy to try and grow.

I brought one from spring water orchid but only had 2 leaves. In 6 months it grows to 4 leaves but then one leaf turned brown. I watched Jason fisher from orchid web said it took 8 years to become bloom size, so I rather pay extra for adult plant but it seems high demand and seeds production low and fussy like you said. I just wait for someone sells one.

 

[Tom-DE]

A week ago, Springwater had 6 NBS bare-rooted kovachii on their Ebay store for $150, they looked pretty good size and decent condition in photos...I think they sold out fast. I also saw they had seeding for $50 every so often too.
I am not a Phrag grower in general, but seeing some kovachii here makes me think I should give it a go too.