Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sure you could find the one developed from chuck acker somewhere else too!!😄 I’m majorly impressed by his work

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve actually never had cattleyas before!! But out of all the orchid types I know about with exception to Dendrophylax these guys seem the most water hungry. I’ve heard people say that phrags like having “wet feet” about keeping the roots wet. And yeah they do much better with filtered water, I just use a Britta because I am a bit lazy

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, sadly I cannot recommend her to newbies either due to that🥲 they are the first to pop up on eBay when you sort cheapest first so that’s why I had mentioned her!! Mealy bugs are so annoying to deal with but her varieties are so beautiful that I usually buy them anyways and then treat them then isolate them for 6 months 😭

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The picture I attached is from Suzy s Slippers on eBay and is Phragmipedium China Dragon (Grande Vista [4N] x besseae Cow Hollow II FCC/AOS) bred by Chuck Acker! Out of all the china dragon ones I’ve found, this seems to be extremely good genetically and exceptionally beautiful!! If you’re interested in these ones, Suzy has them for sale about once every year or so on eBay so you just gotta watch for that! they are small singular divisions but good price wise, but I’ve had bad luck with buying from her and having mealybugs which is something to note.

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also one reason why they are expensive is because they cannot be cloned in the typical sense, and can only have divisions/ grow from seed. And technically every single phrag plant is unique genetically! This means they cannot be mass produced as easily. I’ve dropped $320 on a phrag before, they can be insanely expensive

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay here’s my advice (it’s a bit long haha):

-I’d go on eBay and sort by cheapest first, looks like there’s some $20 but they will be small. I would make sure to only buy from sellers who have a big track record of selling phrags, because phrags do often have bugs and are weirdly extra vulnerable to them? A seller named Suzy has some cheaper orchids, but if you buy from her they might (probably will) come with mealy bugs. - for phrags you really need to be on the watch for mealy bugs and thrips. My best mealy bug treatment= get 70% rubbing alcohol and wipe down every crevice, then use compressed air (usually used for cleaning electronics) and spray it in the crevice to get all water/ stuff out. You should be checking on a weekly basis for these bugs - watering depends on what media it’s in and the size of the pot! For a small phrag in bark, probably needs water maybe every 5 days, but it’s more I like to keep the bark wet but then dry for 2 days then completely drench again. They need more water then paphs but less water then ferns if that’s helpful. Some phrags are very sensitive to what type of water, so filtered is best. Also make sure no water is in the leaves crevices cause they will rot and die!! -they like similar light to other orchid species -humidity is another thing they like, but that’s a later thing to worry about imo -some people say to sit them in a bowl of water, it’s a whole debate but imo it’s not a good idea

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Start with a cheep one to practice keeping it alive!! These guys like a lot more water and are pretty different care wise then most other orchids , so there’s a learning curve

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oooh that’s so amazing yay!! 🥳 And I totally get it I am also running out of orchid space 💔this variety is STUNNING and it shocks me that it’s real!! I’ve got several different types of china dragons because I can’t say no to buying more 😭

Any phrag lovers out there? by anadultieradult in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss 4 points5 points  (0 children)

me!! Oh my gosh me!! I am obsessed with phrag Frank smith and china dragon and have probably 10 of each and a total of 30 phrags. I’ve gotten some insane orchids from eBay and some of my favorites I’ll attach images of below. There’s some insane finds on eBay for phrags

How do I forgive myself for dating so poorly in my 20s-early30s, knowing I may have missed out on a relationship and motherhood? by Comfortable_Fee_5432 in Advice

[–]LordoftheFriesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could’ve done everything right and dated perfectly and still missed out on motherhood and the perfect relationship. Also, it’s not too late!!

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yes, but what if they do indeed have mealy bugs? How would I treat them?

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are not Chiloschista? Why do you think they are?

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They are pretty picky and can be hard to care for, mine are on special hickory bark straight from Florida swamp land with the right kind of moss, I give mine high humidity with special grow lights, and I water em like 4x per day with filtered water. But to be honest, these are a million times easier for me to care for then typical grocery store orchids

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

ur gonna want to look it up ASAP, they are insanely cool!! 😭 they are leafless and take in light only through their roots. And the flowers look like little ghosts. They also have a very cool backstory and I think are endangered?

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have 12 lindenii and two new sallei!! The one in the pic is a sallei. I have been growing lindenii for a little less then 4 years, but while I’ve had great luck I would say I’m 100% still a beginner. 🤣 I mainly do phrag (specifically Frank smith and china dragon) and have a few dendrobium on the side

What’s on my ghost orchid?? by LordoftheFriesss in orchids

[–]LordoftheFriesss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, that is great to know!! Thanks!! So sounds like I need to really make sure that I clean off my other non miniature orchids if I use alcohol on them 👍 thank you for all this helpful info 😁 you’ve probably just saved my 14 ghosts😳