given a choice which one do most people choose Phrag Grande or Paul Eugene Conroy Looking for long petals Ray

Hey Fred,
I just moved this thread to this discussion forum, out of the gallery, hope that's ok - figured you might get more response here. :)


To answer your question - Grande gets the vote from me, however, I own a Penn's Creek Cascade, which is wallisii x Grande and petals, tho long, are not that long. PEC is wallisii x longifolium, so will get big also. What about just getting a wallisii? Then you get long petals, and a species to boot!

If you are looking for long petaled Phrags? I'd just go for a species...four to choose from! I'd say wallisii is a good choice, but that's just me. :)

I think it is really a personal choice. For me, I prefer the Grande but that is my choice and others may prefer PEC to Grande.

I agree with heather that if you like long petalled Phrags, then go for the species because they will have longer petals than those of the hybrids. Hope this helps!

I can't get Grande to bloom at all..even though I've had it for years and its multigrowth...and finding a phrag that refuses to bloom is not easy! I can only think of sclimii as an eaqually recalcitrant phrag. PEC did bloom for me, huge blooms, but too heavy to be supported, so the looked weird hanging down from the stalk. Take care, Eric

When in doubt get both. You can always find more room or buy a bigger house :lol: . I have both and I like grande a little better, but both are nice plants.

I agree, get both, but expect PEC to be easier to bloom. It was the first phrag I ever grew in S/H culture. Here is a photo of the first blooming seedling, about 6 months after moving it over:

http://www.firstrays.com/Pictures_orchids/Phrag%20Paul%20Eugene%20Conroy.jpg

The petals keep elongating until they hit the ground (or benchtop).

Like the pink on your PEC, Ray. PEC was easier to get to bloom for me, also. But now the my Grande has multiple growths, it seems to bloom every year, too.

I agree, the pink on that is very nice, Ray! Nice photo also!

I belief I just saw my PEC starting a spike last night :Party:. I did not have time to spend anytime in there, but I did stick my head in there for a quick look.

given a choice which one do most people choose Phrag Grande or Paul Eugene Conroy Looking for long petals Ray

petal length should be similar and will depend considerably on the species parent used. wallisii on average has shorter petals than caudatum/wars, and your average PEC probably has slightly shorter petals than your average Grande...although not every caudatum has great petals!

I'd base it on color. PEC blooms in pastel tan tones. Grande ranges from a "pale gold" to a rich mahogany, especially if made with a good warscewiczianum (although that is now renamed supergrande or something)

I belief I just saw my PEC starting a spike last night :Party:. I did not have time to spend anytime in there, but I did stick my head in there for a quick look.

Congrats! :clap2: Do post pics if you can, I would love to see it!

I'm partial to Grande. I've got 6 different awarded divisions and love them all. They grow vigorously and become too large very quickly! The colors among the different plants is very subtle and elegant.

Yes, My Grande grows like a weed and gets big very quickly. I divided mine last summer and it has already doubled in size and is now in spike. Very easy primary hybrid for beginners for sure!

Not to be too snarky, but is there anything you grow Peter that doesn't double in size in a year? :-) I've seen your pictures :=)

About time you showed up :D Welcome!!!

Not to be too snarky, but is there anything you grow Peter that doesn't double in size in a year? :-) I've seen your pictures :=)

I'll answer that. No.
If it is any consolation, my Grande division, as mentioned above, has also doubled in size already. :D

Yeah, what took you so long? :poke:
Welcome to the forum.

Hi, John! :welcome: to the Slipper Forum! :D

thats one of the prettiest pink flowers i have ever seen!

Is that welcome for me? :-) I've been hanging out on the paph side of this forum for months, but just today started checking the phrag side. I love phrags but had several go kaput on me so I've been a bit shy of them lately. I still have my Phrag Wossner Super Grande, that's doing very well (knock on wood) after 2 years, and my Phrag. Belle Houge Point (Eric Young 4n x caudatum var. sanderae) that is hanging in there and now has several fans. I got rot on a several of the others and was really bummed, they all croaked. Of course, my paphs, the other favorites of mine, caught that weird yellowing disease, or whatever, a few months ago, so hey, the orchid Gods must hate me. :-) Fortunately, that yellowing seems to be in check, mostly. Anyway, you guys are inspiring me to consider ye olde phrags again.

Is that welcome for me? :-)

Yeha, John! Geesh! (I'll say it again) What took you so long? :poke:

Listen - try the phrags again. There are a lot of folks here who could probably provide you a few for not much cash (PM me for some ideas if you want.) I truly find them the easier of the slippers, except besseaes, which hate me, which means I must possess them ALL. :twisted:

Some are easier than others for sure, but really, try them again. Beautiful, beautiful plants!!

Yes, John that welcome was for you! :D I also wonder what took you so long! Anyway, nice to have you aboard and stick around, we have many enthusiastic slipper lovers on the forum.

Thanks guys :-) Well, I was gone for a bit over a month in August, so that was part of the reason I wasn't checking in as much. And yes, Heather, I'll try the phrags again (boy, that took some arm-bending). I just didn't appreciate the 4 of them dying. I was particularly partial to a Penns Creek Cascade that was doing great for about 9 months, then bam, rot-o-rama. It's just so hard, because I travel on and off, and while friends do water for me, it's just impossible to get them to come over in the morning - thus they water after work, and I suspect that's part of the problem of what happened to the phrags. But hey, dying plants means BUY MORE PLANTS :-)

And actually, I'm heading to Chicago this weekend for a work thing and to see family, and saw that they're having the orchid festival. I'll be staying in the west burbs, so definitely gonna visit some of it. I've been to Hausermann's a jazillion times, but Ki is trying to convince me to go to Oak Hill Gardens, even though it's a bit of a trek...

Lucky you! Have fun at the Chicago Orchid Festival and hope you can get some nice pics for us to see!

John,
I do believe Paphreek and Shady are headed to Chicago - maybe you guys can meet up somewhere?

Oh that's cool, re the others heading there. They seem to have it spread out at 6 or 7 nurseries around the west burbs. I've been to Hausermann's recently, so not sure if I want to go back, though they have some guest growers and might, therefore, have new stuff. The other option is Oak Hill Gardens, but they are WAY out there - anyone who knows the chicago burbs, it appears to be way beyond Woodfield Mall. Ugh. Anyway, I'd be curoius where others are heading...

John, here is a link: http://www.slipperorchidforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2064&highlight=chicago

Oh that's cool, re the others heading there. They seem to have it spread out at 6 or 7 nurseries around the west burbs. I've been to Hausermann's recently, so not sure if I want to go back, though they have some guest growers and might, therefore, have new stuff. The other option is Oak Hill Gardens, but they are WAY out there - anyone who knows the chicago burbs, it appears to be way beyond Woodfield Mall. Ugh. Anyway, I'd be curoius where others are heading...

I'd strongly suggest Oak Hill, and yes, they are way out there. Not as far as Klehms, though, by a long shot. However, they are nice and close to the tollway, so it is easy to get there and get back. Just remember to bring a few quarters, the tolls have gone up since I used to live out there. And you really shouldn't miss it. Wonderful people, and a lot of very unusual plants.

And, as another suggestion, try to hit Natt's Orchids. Harder to get to, but again really super nice people and they have a great greenhouse. Hausermanns is OK, and an interesting place to visit (conveniently half way between Natts and Oak Hill, too). I think I'd pick Oak Hill, if I had to choose one.

I recently bought a plant from Natt's and they couldn't have been nicer. I sure would like to be near them. Not much in this neck of the woods.