#orchids
Hi, Todd – fellow orchidist here. Do you belong to the American Orchid
Society? I write a monthly article for their magazine and wrote a 7-part
beginner's series for them last year. Phrags are terrestrial, unlike
cattleyas and angraceums, so they like to stay wetter; the mix should be a
finer one, with more shredded bark or sphagnum or some such (still, of
course, not soil). Some people even grow phrags sitting in trays of water;
they often grow in nature next to riverbanks that flood seasonally and the
roots are underwater for long periods of time. I got to see Phrag pearcei
and Phrag lindeni growing naturally in Ecuador last year; amazing sight,
thousands (literally) of pearcei in bloom at once. Phrags are quite
definitely some of my favorite choice orchids; they are endangered and
recently listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered
Species) Appendix 1, so they can't be imported anymore, only propagated by
seed here in the U.S. (which, fortunately, is happening more and more).
Light conditions a bit less than cattleyas, temps about the same or
slightly warmer. They grow very like paphiopedilums. I find, however,
they are enormously sensitive to salts, especially in fertilizer and water.
Use rainwater if you can.
You're right to grow the angraceums warmer than cattleyas; they don't like
night temperatures much below 60 degrees F; catts can go to 50.
If you don't belong to the AOS, by all means, join. They put out a
beautiful full color 100 page monthly magazine, with lots of member
freebies – Handbook on Orchid Culture, book and video discounts, show
schedules, local society info, all the mail-order ads you could dream of,
etc. 6000 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, Fla 33405. $30/year and
worth it.
Where are you growing, and how?