Phrag Sorcerer's Apprentice x wallisii

[k_andreev]

oh one more thing,my phrag has one spike came out from the middle (as the picture)hope you can see the dark one

[TwoStems]

Just noticed today how big the spike is getting on my new phrag. From the looks of it, this will be a decent sized flower

[mauraec]

Yay for you, Ali - looks great! By the way, I forgot to mention that Sorcerer's Apprentice crossed with wallisii is Phrag. Lucy Robbins. It was registered in 2003, but I'm sure it's been around longer than that. You'll most likely be getting some pretty long "droopy drawers" on this one - dark red, I would say. Your plant is REALLY beautiful - such healthy leaves and such a vigorous green color. Keep up the good growing - you're well on your way to a very nice reward on this one.

[TwoStems]

Thanks for finding that out Maura!!!

BD - any chance you want to update the thread name? It bugs me that I misspelled wallisii haha

[TwoStems]

Thanks for the title update BD

So the spike keeps growing, and I'm getting impatient!! But she seems to be doing very well I noticed the tip of one leaf beginning to brown, should I be concerned? The rest of the leaves look totally fine. I'm thinking this is somewhat normal since a couple of the leaves on the old growth were cut by the grower. Pics attached for reference!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

That is normal, at least it is with many of my phrags, Ali. Just take a clean razor blade and cut a new leaf tip (out of the green area below the yellow band). No worries. If you see more brown tips like this, consider the amount of fertilizer you are giving this orchid and be sure you are flushing the potting medium with clean, fertilizer free, water.

cheers,
BD

[TwoStems]

Already ahead on the snipping the brown bit part I've only fertilized it once since I've gotten it (I was advised by another paph grower to only fertilize monthly with a weak solution...?) but I'll make sure next time I water it to kind of rinse it. Being in s/h with the holes an inch from the bottom makes draining a little more difficult than with other plants in slotted pots

[Halloamey]

Very nice healthy Phrag !

[mauraec]

Hi Ali - I started to reply to you, then went off-page and lost my response - so I'll try again:

Not to worry about the brown tip - probably still from what was in the plant's system from the old medium and the grower's water. You probably know that phrags are very sensitive to water quality and the purer the better, whether terrestrial or lithophytic - that's what they got in the wild. The brown tip is most likely due to mineral/salt buildup. You can start to eliminate that by ensuring that the water you use is as high quality as possible. Since it takes awhile (I have no idea how long) for the culture the plant is receiving to show up in the leaves, I use mineral buildup on the clay pellets as a sign that it's time to REALLY flush out my phrags - that averages out to be about once a month, but the water here in Atlanta - thanks to a federal court order about 7 years ago - is extremely good, so, as long as I don't overfertilize, I don't have too much concern about buildup. The purer the water, the less actual chemicals and minerals in it, obviously, so phrags need SOME kind of fertilizing. I use an MSU-type (which actually comes in different formulations based on the water type) that comes with pH balancer, keeping my phrag pH around 7.0 (neutral) - but I use it VERY sparingly - I use water alone to "top off" the reservoirs, and use a fertilizer to water thoroughly only about every 3 weeks. I keep the reservoirs full at all times - to the best of my ability.

The spike is going to take its own sweet time and will probably be at least 2' tall with 3 or more blooms, depending on how old the plant is, etc. - I'd say you may well have 3 or 4 weeks more before the spike stops growing and the buds materialize. Remember that you're going to get droopy drawers from the wallisii parent(s), so it's important that the spike grow straight up (more for presentation than anything else). I'd stake it firmly while it's still growing, being very careful that the stake-tie gets moved as it grows. I don't know about others, but my light source is primarily from a bright window, so I turn the plant about 1/4 every week to keep it growing evenly - believe me, you don't want to be fighting to upright a big phrag that has tilted in one direction. The stems are incredibly strong.

Hope this helps - again, Geoff Hands is my involuntary mentor for most of this.

[TwoStems]

Thanks Maura for all the awesome info!! I read somewhere not to move paphs and phrags when they're spiking so that flower unfolds correctly (a presentation thing) but what you're saying about getting a crooked spike makes a lot of sense. I was wondering when I should start staking it, if now is too soon or a good time. I don't want the buds getting too heavy and dragging down the spike. Completely forgot this can be a multi-floral slipper, so that makes me even more excited to see it bloom!

Would gallon jugs of spring water be a good idea to purchase? I can't really collect rainwater at the office...I use the filtered water they offer (it goes through this big filter thing with hot and cold spigots, but it's hooked up to the water lines) but I'm wondering if that isn't filtered enough.