You are using Aliflor but are you growing the plant in s/h or just planted in Aliflor without the reservoir? How big is the container? Did you lose roots in the Alifor or have they never had them? How much light is the phrag getting in your light cart? Phrags need almost catt light to bloom their best.

I have two Grande 'Hermanas', one in s/h and one still in fine bark mix which will be moved to s/h when it finishes blooming. I also have a Grande 'Chuck Acker' which just finished blooming and it too will be moved to s/h. I grew all of these phrags sitting in a saucer of water all the time, distilled water, appropriate MSU fertilizer.

When I move any plant to s/h I use a bamboo skewer type stick on each side of the plant to stabilize it until the roots grab hold of the Aliflor. It doesn't take long for them to become stable in the pot.

Brooke

I have a Grande Maybrooke that I just recently put in Lava rock in a s/h environment. In fact all my slippers phrags got transferred. I have some concerns. The OP brought up the point. She is not seeing root growth or experiencing rot. With all of this water how is the wet/dry being observed? Rotting paph or phrag roots is a tough recovery.

Clara

Clara I don't understand "with all of this water how is the wet/dry being observed" statement. Phrags don't like dry roots and seem to thrive in basically sopping wet mud. I don't know anything about lava rock for s/h but the Aliflor remains wet looking through the container. You can see the condensation on the container above the reservoir. This gives them lots of moisture as the roots reach for the reservoir but also allows air spaces for oxygen to reach the roots and the tiny hairs growing on the roots.

I asked about the intensity of the light because the plant could be stalled from lack of light. Most phrags are also cool to intermediate growers and may not grow if the temps are too high.

Brooke

Brooke
I have had issues in the past with root rot on paphs/ phrags. So they need some type of wet/dry. May not be what is traditionally thought of as a wet dry cycle.

Growing in rock is just like growing in any other inert medium I suppose. Rock may stay wetter for longer. However, I am gathering from your post in order to keep them sopping wet they need a high amount of light/heat to avoid rot, not the alleged "paph light" .

Since mine have been moved to better light (outside) and this s/h type mix they are out of stall and growing like weeds. The Grande has been the slowest to respond but it is showing signs of life.

Clara

Root rot is the reason I am switching the phrags to s/h. If planted in a fine bark mix, they have to be repotted yearly because the constant wet really does the mix in. I have enough to repot without a yearly repot from the paphs and phrags.

All my phrags are producing tremendous new growths since the switch and probably even more helpful, higher light. My paphs are also throwing multiple new growths except for two and those are showing burnt leaf tips. I just switched those to distilled water to see if they are sensitive to my local water like the phrags are OR they just hate s/h. Time will tell if I'm a good guesser or a paph killer.

Brooke

I keep my phrags sopping wet. I have 2 in bloom, 1 in bud, and a number of seedlings w/ excellent roots.

The only 1 in s/h aliflor is a recent trade that I am about to take out of s/h into my preferred mix because I know it is not getting the moisture at the root level, and since it's a Sorcerer's Apprentice, and 1 of mine in bloom (for way too long now!) is also an SA, I think I understand this plant. I have a few expensive specialty phrag seedlings that are growing very well in these sopping conditions. Mine are always in a saucer of water. S/H is supposed to be great for phrags (as Brooke's experience), but I'm not there yet. I love s/h, but for other stuff.

That said, there are some phrags (caudatum is the famous example) that must have some drier conditions, or they will rot. So there clearly are some phrags that require drier conditions. I struggle every single day to *not* water my caudatum like I do my other phrags. LOL!

I grow under lights in a spare room, no humidity control, pretty good lights (I guess) all florescent.

My mix is med-to-fine bark, perlite, charcoal, small lava rock, tree fern and/or osmunda fiber, probably some sphag, and maybe other stuff. I had minced cork at one point recently. Probably CHC too. So I use a very airy, somewhat chunky, pretty water absorbent mix. *very* well draining. The few that I have received w/ poor roots have good new root growth.

Sym, what is your light? Clara said "Since mine have been moved to better light...growing like weeds" and Brooke said "...and probably even more helpful, higher light." They are soooo right on! Howard, where are you?! LIGHT! LIGHT! LIGHT! Phrags like more light then you might think, but I clearly don't know what light you are giving them.

I'm not sure that I have a point, but this is my experience.

Carolyn

Some of my phrags I had to improvise with their pots since they didn't have massive root systems. I put them in shorter regular pots and then put them in saucers and keep the water 1 1/2" deep.

Carolyn I have a Phrag Eric Young 4N x Sorcerer's Apprentice 4N that has been blooming for months. It has had 16 buds to date and may not be done yet. It also is branched - I did not know a phrag could branch.

Brooke

Brooke,

My SA is also a 4N. God! 16 buds?! I'm at 11 and was hoping it was nearing the end! Don't get me wrong, I love the plant, but I'm just a little tired of it. Plus I want to move it out of the bloom area and back to the grow area so that the new leads get good light to grow. But a branch would be cool...

Well, it will just have to get moved soon because my P. Calurum is in spike, and it will need the bloom area space.

Carolyn

Yup, the spike is unreal. It sits on a table and I can barely reach the top of the spike now. I am going to have to sit the plant on the floor to check for additional buds next time. I'm waiting to switch it to s/h after bloom but it just keeps going. It is also putting out several new growths and it needs to make the move while actively growing.

Symbie did we answer any of your questions or just confuse the issue?

Brooke

Hey thank all you for jumping in with information!
they are in bright light in the cart, they are right up against the bulbs, one has a lil burn spot on a leaf from being too close. Otherwise the leaves are very vivid green and growing. And they are in Aliflor, but they are not in an SA pot, with reservior.
I have heard that caudatums and their hybrids might not like conditions as wet as besseae and their hybrids, but other than sitting in about a centimeter of water for a day between waterings they don't stay wet. They didnt have a lot of roots when i first got them, and they've stayed about the same. but it sounds like their roots may be slower growers than some other genera?

Thank you all again!
sym

The slowest IMO

Clara