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Bill,
Concerning your post "Kovachii" I take it you
mean Phragmipedium kovachii, (note small letter k) commonly referred to as Pk on
public forums.
You speak of Pk seedlings "being impossible to
grow." I totally disagree!!!!!!!!!!!! One very experienced Phrag
grower/exhibitor/vendor tells me that in his experience, Pk seedlings are
easier to grow than Phrag besseae seedlings.
I base my disagreement with your post on my
personal experience and the experience of others as posted for some time now
on public forums . Yes there are some who have problems, but then there are
some who have problems with Phal. seedlings as well.
I feel sorry that you had a bad personal
experience, which may be due to one or more of many factors which you fail to
disclose. The biggest part of your problem may be "too high temperatures for in
flask seedlings" plus "from whom and when," you purchased the Pk flask and not
having been told a few basic rules to follow. You can truly not generalize from
that experience
You certainly can not speak for "anyone growing
them," which I take to mean "everyone growing them."
You can not speak for me, or the many Pk
seedling owners who are growing them successfully in many countries
all over the world; some of whom I know personally.
I think you are doing the vendors and indeed the
average Phrag growers a disservice with your post.
Pk seedlings, legally propagated in the
laboratories of CJM (Centro de Jardineria Manrique)are easy to
grow!!!!!
When in flask, you have to keep the temperatures in
mid to high sixties, for growing them warmer appears to produce toxins perhaps
(no proof) causing the leaves to turn yellow. CJM Pk flasks, kept
at 65 to 70 F, do not have this yellowing problem.
Pk seedlings can be compotted at a very early stage
and do well, even at higher temperatures than my own recommended
Intermediate temps {The plants naturally grow at 1900 meters above sea
level (6235 feet)}.
In my compots, Pk seedlings stay a healthy
green at temperatures around 65F and grow well. I also have some compots
at 80F, occasionally reaching 90 and 95F. These stay a healthy green but
grow slower than those at the lower temps.
My compotted Pk seedlings range in size from
1/2 to 3 inches. Even the 1/4 inch size Pk seedlings are
surviving and growing in NZ sphagnum moss. You must follow a few basic culture
rules for this species, but isn't that true for many orchid
species?
Bill, contrary to what you predict will happen,
I vision Pk species and hybrids on the benches of every Phrag
loving grower in the world, except those who consider big flowers ugly, as
one of my friends does.
When you say Silva, you probably mean well known
Peruvian orchid collector Manuel Arias Silva, who is not connected with CJM at
all.
To anyone contemplating purchasing legal Pk
seedlings, I guarantee that the CJM Pk seedlings are true Pk and easy
to grow when you follow a few basic steps.
Peter
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