Now that I own a Phrag....

[OrchidTraci]

I need to know how to grow it. I know there are a *FEW* growers on the boards that can help me. I'm pretty scared because these seem out of my league...

[Heather]

Once upon a time, back on, May 21st...I was scared too!


The phrag was what did me in, you know Traci...that one phrag became 10! Good luck!

(Letting the experts take this one!)

[uncasteeb]

(Letting the experts take this one!)<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Yep me to.
I grow them the same as everything else ,same feed , same water ,
same medium but thats just me .

[OrchidTraci]

Once upon a time, back on, May 21st...I was scared too!


The phrag was what did me in, you know Traci...that one phrag became 10! Good luck!

(Letting the experts take this one!)

Ugh, don't say that. As long as I don't get any good deals, I am NOT buying any more orchids. I swear. Really. I'm not kidding.

[OrchidTraci]

Yep me to.
I grow them the same as everything else ,same feed , same water ,
same medium but thats just me .

Everything else? What do you have? Is it high light or low light? Cool / warm? Fertilize or not? Help, I'm feeling the anxiety set in!

[uncasteeb]

Wellllllll i have 4 Phrags.

Phrag "Sorcerers Apprentice" in spike(see not in bloom photos)
Phrag "Saint Ouen"
Phrag "Mont Fallu"
Phrag "Petit Port"
Nothing "difficult"
I grow them in an East window , it gets full sunlight from 5.30 am to 11.00 am.
I use 1/2 strength fert & rainwater every watering with a good flush now & again.I mist the medium(i use s/h for virtually all my 'chids) twice a day , keeps the top of the medium damp as i have a fan running constantly.
But my conditions in the UK are probably way different to yours.
Temps have been below 80f days & about 60f/70f @ night but this has changed & temps & humidity are going up @ last.

[OrchidTraci]

Wellllllll i have 4 Phrags.

Phrag "Sorcerers Apprentice" in spike(see not in bloom photos)
Phrag "Saint Ouen"
Phrag "Mont Fallu"
Phrag "Petit Port"
Nothing "difficult"
I grow them in an East window , it gets full sunlight from 5.30 am to 11.00 am.
I use 1/2 strength fert & rainwater every watering with a good flush now & again.I mist the medium(i use s/h for virtually all my 'chids) twice a day , keeps the top of the medium damp as i have a fan running constantly.
But my conditions in the UK are probably way different to yours.
Temps have been below 80f days & about 60f/70f @ night but this has changed & temps & humidity are going up @ last.

Your situation seems to be similar to mine. Maybe I
shouldn't be so afraid...

[Jmoney]

what kind of phrag, and what media is it in?

general culture:

bright light. much more than phal light, and ranging up to almost standard catt. can get away with less during blooming, but good light helps growth.

temps: most of them don't really care. 60-85.

water: most phrags love water. if there's one way to annoy a phrag, it's not to give it enough water.

[peteMc]

I'm not growing any myself, but I was just at a nursery yesterday that specializes in paphs and phrags - apparently heather has been there too - and he had them in the east and south sides, shaded down a bit..seemed that they were somewhat brighter than paphs, more shaded than catts... sitting in pebbled trays and staying pretty wet. said it was hard to overwater them in his mix - CHC, a little charcoal, diatomite, a very little perlite. keeps his gh at around 80 or so summer days, regular under-bench misting, over-plant misting only when it got really hot. air circulation, avoid standing water in the crown...I'm sure you know the usual stuff...sorry i can't be more specific, maybe i'll have to try one and see...

pete

[JOHNnDC]

I have all water-loving phrags (I second the question: which one do you have?) Mine I have growing in either S/H (they like it, but again, they're water-loving), or I grow them in CHC mixed with some sphag and some charcoal (and maybe some perlite). All of them I water EVERY day, with the CHC mix they're always moist. I fertilize normally with the other plants. As for sunlight, I've noticed that different phrags have different tolerances, but all enjoy a lot of light. My biggest phrag gets full sun until noon-ish, then gets dappled sun the rest of the day. Increase the amount of sun slowly.

Also, people generally say it's not a bad idea to repot phrags every 6-9 months - they apparently like it - and if you're watering them that much, which we are, then the medium will apparently break down quicker.