Phrag Wossner Super Grande

[JOHNnDC]

I'd bought this one last winter and it's just blooming now. I was at first a bit disappointed, only because I'd expected a flower a bit larger (it did get a LOT of light this year), but then again, it's matured nicely, and I do love the deep red color. I was expecting a larger bucket and longer petals. Is that a function of the plant itself, how old it is, the number of growths, sunlight, or what?

[Forrest]

what a total disappointment. You should probably send it to me and I will dispose of it for you.




I love it! Great color!

[uncasteeb]

Oh yes.

Beautiful , love the dark red.
Good growing m8

[Jmoney]

that is outstanding color. the warscewiczianum influence really came through.

flower size depends on, in no particular order, genetics, culture, maturity of plant, yadda yadda.

superior culture can make an average clone look like a marginal award winner, and specimen plants usually produce exceptionally large flowers.

first bloom seedlings sometimes produce the "max" for the plant, if it is a very *large* and vigorous plant upon first blooming. often the plant is not fully mature and the flowers will improve with subsequent bloomings.

but that is exceptional color on your phrag and that came through already!

is it too late to call dibs on the first division?

[LJA]

Beautiful coloring on that, John. It's not uncommon for the flowers on first bloomers to be "lesser" than what the plant will be capable of once it's fully mature, and yours here is showing the signs of becoming something really exceptional. So, along with everything else orchid, don't despair, and give it time! You've done a really nice job of growing and blooming this one.

[orchid_fan]

That's spectacular! I saw several Wossner Super Grande plants last weekend at a show and they weren't nearly as striking as yours. Good growing!

[Cinderella]

Love that red. Good for you, John!

[JOHNnDC]

Wow, thanks everyone! Gosh, now I'm starting to like this plant after all :-) Jason, no divisions happening yet, but I'll let folks know when I do. Which raises a question - when exactly DO you divide a phrag? I've noticed with this plant - as the vendor told me it would - the old fans die off after they've flowered. He said to remove them once they're dead dead. I already removed one from a previously bloom before I'd bought it, and a second has been losing leaves, but not dead yet, so I'm leaving it for now. So when exactly do you divide these things? I mean, do the fans always die after blooming, do you thus divide fans that haven't bloomed yet, or what? And finally, if the plant keeps losing fans, then how does it ever turn into a nice specimen, since it's in essence starting over again, no?

[uncasteeb]

Phragenstein has 3 fans , the first is only a couple of small leaves now but it has thrown up a new a new start.Middle fan has 1 new start growing well & the main flowering fan has 3 starts & 1 off these is growing very quickly.

I suppose in a few months i can remove the original fan with the new start as a division without upsetting the rest of the plant.

[Jmoney]

Certain plants seem to always put out a growth and lose the oldest growth once the new one is near mature. I had a Hanne Popow that always did that for some reason. Can't divide a plant that grows like that. Most Grande-type plants shouldn't do that, but you never know. And plants that do that while they're young may still clump up at maturity.