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Phragmipediums

How difficult are they compared to any other orchids? They seem to be considered a bit harder(or at least less commonly grown) than phalaenopsis. I'm interested in the possibility of growing one in a terrarium type setting(similar to what Rattler has been playing with). Also, does anyone know any species or hybrids with short flower spikes? Something 2 feet and under would be ideal...I think I remember reading of one small species.
 
Phrags are relaively easy I think. I have Sedenii. Its a hybred and its the first slipper I bloomed I think. They for the ost part like to stay wetter than most orchids, and some people grow them with their feet wet. They take to semi-hydro rather wll I hear too. Atleast one of my smaller sedeniis did for me. I have like 3 different ones. I like phrags for their long pettles. They are more comonly grownthanyou think. Your just not seeing them in the stores. You have to buy them from nurseries. They are not as easy as Phals, but easy enough. They all are when youlearn their culture. You can water phrags everyday. Alteast I do and they are fine if the mix is moisture retentive and free draining. They like to hold a little more moisture than others do, but still like the air at the roots. The roots on phrags also do not look like epiphyte roots foo. Phals and other tree growers. Most phrags are terestrials. the roots are brown with little hairs all over them. So don't confuse them with dead roots like a friend of mine did with the sedenii I gave her and she killed the poor things. CUT ALL ITS ROOTS OFF and they were perfectly healthy! They can take some time to bloom thoguh. Most of the time having to have LArge leafspans and multiple growths to bloom. Thats another reason they are not sold in department stores. They take too long to get blooming size. Phals can bloom in 2 years. Phrags can take upwards of 5 to 7 sometimes. But its worth the wait and will teach you patience grasshopper! There are some orchid sites dedicated to the slipper orchids and phrags are one of them.
 
Some people grow Phrags in pots sitting in trays of water, so maybe they're perfect companions for a lot of our CPs.  But Phrags tend to be huge, relatively speaking, with long flower spikes.  Phrag bessae (spelling?) is the small one and also tends to have a real nice pink to red color.  But it also has a reputation for being trickier than the larger and typically brownish flowered species & hybrids. I've killed one, or maybe it's been two.
 
Thanks all for the info. By Phalaenopsis...brain fart. I mean't Paphiopedelium(spelling)...the other slipper orchid. Those are pretty easy to find in stores.

I think the small one I had in mind may have been pearcei...one site says 30 cm spike. bessaea I actually don't think is very attractive.

So do you keep them in the same mix as other orchids just moister or something else modified also?

Also, the 5-7 years blooming time, is that from a seedling?
 
Yes the 5 to 7 is typicaly from seed to first bloom, and thats even in ideal conditions sometimes. Paph Rothchildianum is notorious for taking 7 years to get big enough leaf span to bloom, but with inbreeding and bredding faster bloomers to faster bloomers they have cut it down some. Maybe 3 or 4 years on some. It is true that phrags can be grown sitting in water, but only about an inch. They can;t be grown in water up to the bottom of the soil like CPs. They still must have air to the roots. You will kill Paphs like that. Paphs like it a tad bit dryer than phrags. I personaly like phrags better myself because some have real long petals that just go and go and go. Phrags use Ants for pollination in the wild. Well some do, and so when these long errect flower spikes shoot out the top of the fans, the flowers send down its petals to the ground to give ants a beeline to the flower for polination. You can accualy sit the pot up high and as long as nothing impeeds the petal growth you can have SUPER long petals on some species. There is even a pouchless phrag. It looks so strange!

Alot of people generaly do not use the same orchid mix for their slippers. It drys out too much. Alot of people use a modified seedling mix. Heck I use a modified seedling mix for my seedlings. LOL Anywho. since these guys are terestrials you need a finer mine. Normal orchid bark is too big. I generaly take a seedling mix and add some course milled LFS to it for extra moisture retention. Most slippers resent drying out so the LFS helps hold mosture. I water freguently, and they don;t like alot of fertalizer and can be burned easy.

Oh I have to add the part about drying out is during times of the month that they are growing and its not cold. Paphs atleast can take temps down into the 40's according to a fellow at Ratcliff orchids in Fla, A large paph grower out of the UK with a satalite nursery in Fla till the end of the year, He told me if the plants are kept dry they can take temps into the 40's. He said a dry plant is not a cold plant. A wet plant is a cold plant.

I;m really no slipper expert so take what I tell you with a grain of salt.
 
I love phrags. I grow mine sitting in water. I let the water dry out then fill again. PURE water. They do not like tap water nor too much fertilizer.
 
Yup PAK. That sounds about right. They can take tap water, but not when sitting in it. I don't do anything special for mine, and I fertalize so infrequently that when I do fertilize I don;t reduce anything. I fertilize light anyways though, and don;t have any orchid sitting in water.
 
Interesting stuff. Does anyone know a forum geared towards these plants?

Also, anyone have any suggestions for viviarium orchids? They'd best be tolerant of relatively low air movement, high humidity and possibly temps, and remain a decent size. Be great if they came from Central or South America also.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Does anyone know a forum geared towards these plants?

http://www.ukorchidforum.com is a place to start
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Cheers.
 
  • #10
There are a bunch of orchids that stay small. Alot of bulbos are a good place to start. Not all of them, but there are many. There are some dendrobiums that stay small. Mexipedium is a small lady slipper that should be good too. There is only one species in that genis. I would recomend adding a small muffin fan though. It will do everything in the terreium good. You know those small PC fans work great. Just suspend it a few inches from the top and have it blowing up against the top. It will help circulate the air and make the entire terreium healthier.

You can start parusing through www.orchidspecies.com to find pictures of species orchids and their culture conditions to get an idea of what you might like in your terrerium.

As far as slipper orchid sites go. I will PM you with the sites. I don;t want to violate anything by advertising other sites.
 
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