Phrag. besseae

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Julie,
BTW, your orchid naming piece is great, a classic for this forum. BD should have made it sticky! (Is it already? Can't tell!)
Cheers. Hoa.

It is now, Hoa. Thanks!

Cheers!
BD

[Piper]

Thank you, Hoa and BD!

Julie

[wogga]

That reminds me - what do HCC, AM, and FCC stand for??

[Diane]

That reminds me - what do HCC, AM, and FCC stand for??

This is from the AOS web site:

AD (Award of Distinction) and AQ (Award of Quality)
These awards for breeding recognize worthy new trends and improved quality, respectively.

AM (Award of Merit)
A flower scoring 80 to 89 points on a 100-point scale. This flower-quality award is a fine though lesser achievement than the FCC.

CBR (Certificate of Botanical Recognition)
Awarded to rare and unusual species with educational interest. This award is granted provisionally and filed with the judging center Chair pending the exhibitor's supplying full taxonomic verification by a taxonomist acceptable to the AOS. Click here to link to the Web-site section detailing information regarding AOS-approved taxonomists, which also includes instructions on obtaining taxonomic verification.

CCM (Certificate of Cultural Merit)
The beginning orchid grower may hope to attain this award because it recognizes the grower, rather than flower quality. The CCM/AOS may be given more than once if the plant continues to thrive and increase in both the size and number of flowers.

CCE (Certificate of Cultural Excellence)
This award further distinguishes growers of plants that exhibit an extreme degree of skill in cultivation, having received 90 points or more on the scale that has been used for the Certificate of Cultural Merit (CCM).

CHM (Certificate of Horticultural Merit)
Awarded to a well-grown and well-flowered species or natural hybrid with characteristics that contribute to the horticultural aspects of orchidology, such as aesthetic appeal. This award is granted provisionally and filed with the judging center Chair pending the exhibitor's supplying full taxonomic verification by a taxonomist acceptable to the AOS. Click here to link to the Web-site section detailing information regarding AOS-approved taxonomists, which also includes instructions on obtaining taxonomic verification.

FCC (First Class Certificate)
The highest flower-quality award, given to flowers scoring 90 points or more on a 100-point scale.

HCC (Highly Commended Certificate)
The HCC is granted to a flower scoring 75 to 79 points on a 100-point scale. The great majority of awarded orchids receive this award, which implies that, while the flower is outstanding, there is room for improvement.

JC (Judges' Commendation)
Given for distinctive characteristics that the judges unanimously feel should be recognized but cannot be scored in the customary ways.

[Jmoney]

thanks all! Bruce, I've never taken a pic of dalessandroi but you can find them on the web--they really look different.

I have two red besseae that have bloomed, my mom has one, and I have a flavum plant that is very slow-growing.

besseae to me aren't really hard to grow if you keep them COOL in the summer. I don't really grow them to their potential but it seems relatively hard to kill them.

[Piper]

Hi Jason,

I think the bit in your post about fertilizer intolerance is really important.

I've burned (nearly to death) several Parvi primary hybrids through fertilizing. It's not just a little brown at the tip of the leaf. That's the part that makes you go, "uh oh..." It progresses down the leaf, like Sherman marching through Georgia (a Civil war expression we use here in the States) until there's nothing left. Kind of scary.

My question is and you were wondering, I'm sure when I'd get to it... what Paphs and Phargs are severely fert intolerant and which ones are moderately intolerant. Do any actually like to be fertilized regularly?

Julie

[wogga]

thanks so much, diane

[Molly Taco]

Love the Pic and the info, but I don't think that I can grow Phrags down here in SW Fla. Can I???
Cin

[Jmoney]

most phrags will do just fine in florida. besseae is slightly more cool-growing but it is still considered "intermediate" overall--just need to try your best to cool the ROOTS during the summer (that's the reason why I use sphag & clay for it). the vast majority of phrag hybrids will do very well if you keep them moist at all times.

Julie, besseae is as intolerant as it gets. I have not grown schlimii which is somewhat related to besseae. besseae hybrids seem to be very tolerant.

when it comes to paphs, the brachys are probably the most sensitive to salts. (also some uncommon species like bougainvillieanum and such, which I have NOT tried since they cost a ton and I would kill them anyway). coryos are probably heavier feeders when they're growing but we're talking heavy for paphs, not like vanda-heavy.

[Piper]

How do your nourish salt-intolerant Phgrags/Paphs? Is it the pH that upsets them? Would kelp extract or worm castings provide nutirents without salt?

They have to get trace elements from somewhere.

Julie