222 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec.

2009
Size and Shape
Flowers can range in size from 4 (10.2 cm) to 7-7/8
(20 cm) natural spread. However, this is based on
plants that are still relatively immature and one could
expect to see even larger flowers on more mature and
stronger plants. If you use Phragmipedium besseae or a
besseae hybrid as the other parent, it can definitely help
flatten out those petals. Otherwise, in most hybrids
without the influence of besseae, you would expect less
shapely flowers, but that does not mean that they will
be any less beautiful just not as flat. However, even
with the besseae influence, it does not guarantee that
they will be flat. Although kovachii only produces one
or two flowers, with an occasional three, some of the
hybrids, on their first blooming, have produced up to
five flowers and I would expect the number to increase
as plants become more mature. Finally, kovachii seems
to add longevity to its blooms, lasting upwards of three
to four weeks per flowering on stronger first blooming
plants.
Color
Even though kovachii exhibits very strong color,
Phragmipedium besseae and schlimii as well as their
hybrids will still dominate with their own color. I con-
sider this, for the most part, a good trait since I was
worried about the color of kovachii might dominate its
hybrids. Unfortunately, the downside is that I have yet
to see any of the hybrids come through with that
intense coloration of the pouch that makes kovachii so
beautiful. In many cases, I look at the hybrids and if I
didnt know any better, I would have assumed that
they were besseae hybrids. However, the difference (this
is something you cant tell by looking at a photo) is the
larger size, giving you what looks like a besseae hybrid
on steroids.
Plant and Inflorescence
My initial impression of kovachii in its habitat was
that this is going to be a large plant. I think our excite-
ment was like talking about the fish that got away. In
retrospect, the plant is really no larger than some of the
other species we grow and, in some cases, even small-
er growing than many plants of Phragmipedium longi-
folium or P. sargentianum. The best trait of all is that
unlike besseae, kovachii has a clumping habit with a
shorter, more rigid inflorescence, which for the most
part is passed on to its hybrids from what we have seen
H
ERE WE ARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, with
technology developing faster then we can keep
up with, yet one of the most exciting orchids to
be discovered was a mere eight years ago. During my
years of growing phragmipediums, I would have never
dreamed of such a thing, nor did I ever expect to be
involved with the propagation of this species and pro-
ducing some of the first hybrids available.
Fortunately, the hybrids were definitely easier to
grow than the species itself. Even though the species
has a bad reputation for being difficult to grow this
does not seem to be an issue with the hybrids. The first
of the hybrids bloomed only 13 to 14 months from
flask, not that uncommon, since hybrids like
Phragmipedium Don Wimber were being flowered as
quickly as 12 months. The hardest, most exciting part
of breeding with a newly discovered species is that no
one knows what it will do. Will it impart only bad traits
or only good ones or a little of both; one could only
speculate what you might achieve. Usually we expect
to see a little of both, but how much bad or good will
have a lot to do with what you have bred it with.
Since this was a plant strictly under the control and
supervision of the Peruvian government, the first
round of hybrids were done in Peru. At the time, two
Peruvian orchid nurseries were given the permits to
collect, grow, hybridize and distribute kovachii and its
hybrids. The first was Alfredo Manrique of Centro de
Jardineria Manrique and the other Manolo Arias of
Peruflora. I had the distinct pleasure of being able to
work with Manrique on many of these first hybrids.
The biggest problem we faced was simply that we were
limited to what was available in Peru to breed with,
which was a handful of species and a few besseae
hybrids.
Looking at kovachii, the most important trait we
wanted to see in our hybrids was size, although we
were also interested in seeing some of the color come
through as well. I was concerned that the color could
dominate. Some of the other traits to consider were
plant and spike habit, flower shape, and longevity. The
majority of the traits are positive ones with the excep-
tion of the shape. Unfortunately, kovachii has a very
large flower which, as it matures, has a tendency to
reflex. After considering all of this, it was my belief that
the only way to help flatten out the petals of its hybrids
was the use of Phragmipedium besseae or many of the
besseae hybrids, and from what I have seen so far, that
still stands true.
PHRAGMIPEDIUM KOVACHII HYBRIDS
GLEN DECKER
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 223
so far. This is really important since this gives us the
opportunity to create hybrids that produce larger flow-
ers on shorter stems that are more proportional to the
plant.
Presently, we are looking at 16 registered hybrids
from 3/7/2007 through 2/27/2009, with plenty more
hybrids waiting to bloom and to be registered. I have
seen many examples of at least five of the following
hybrids, and will be able to offer you a good idea of
what to expect from those. The balance of the hybrids,
I can only offer an opinion on what I have either seen
in person, in a photograph or have been given informa-
tion about.
Phragmipedium Haley Decker is the
first of what Im sure will be a long list of
kovachii hybrids. Excited as I was to see
the first of our efforts, I think I was even
more excited to be able to register it after
my daughter. Phragmipedium Saint Ouen
is a second generation besseae hybrid
(Hanne Popow x besseae), giving us
besseae influence on both sides. I dont
think I could have asked for much more.
This is a relatively small, compact grower
with flowers ranging in size from 4 (10.2
cm) to 5-1/4 (13.3 cm) in natural spread
with a rosy-
pink
color. The
color is relatively con-
sistent for the hybrid although some
exhibit richer tones. What does vary quite
a bit is the shape and form. The shape of
the smaller sized flowers is reminiscent in
shape to what you would expect from P.
Hanne Popow or P. Saint Ouen, but when
we see larger flowers they seem to almost
look like a smaller version of kovachii.
Variation is good; it makes every plant
exciting to watch bloom. Unfortunately,
even though we have seen some really
nice blooms, some can have extremely re-
flexing, rolled or ruffled petals, even with
the influence of besseae in its background.
Phragmipedium
Haley Decker Pink Panther
AM/AOS
Phragmipedium
Haley Decker
Piping Rock
Phragmipedium Haley Decker (kovachii x Saint Ouen)
3/7/2007 - Piping Rock Orchids/Alfredo Manrique
Phragmipedium
Haley Decker

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

J
a
m
e
s

E
.

M
c
C
u
l
l
o
c
h
224 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009
Phragmipedium Fritz Schomburg (kovachii x besseae)
3/7/2007 - Piping Rock Orchids / Alfredo Manrique
Almost to the day that Haley flowered,
Phragmipedium Fritz Schomburg was the next hybrid to
bloom. Unfortunately, we only had one plant that
flowered and was not a very good example. However,
H.P. Norton of South Carolina, with his exceptional
skills in growing phragmipediums, was very fortunate
to have flowered several very good examples from
flasks he obtained from Peruflora and has been kind
enough to share with us. Here we see several examples
of this hybrid made with the type form of besseae as
well as the flavum form. At first glance, you would
almost think you were looking at photos of P. Hanne
Popow, however, when you see it in person, its far
from it. The size of the flowers for the type form breed-
ing ranges from 3-1/2 (8.9 cm) to 4-3/4 (12.1 cm) nat-
ural spread. The color can be very variable, ranging
from orange to red for the type, and pastel colors for
the flavum. H.P. tells me that the darker the flower, the
smaller the size. He also says that with the flavum type
breeding, the size is about the same, but not as full
shaped. The best qualities of the flower are the sub-
stance and velvet-like texture.
Phragmipedium
Fritz Schomburg
New Year
Phragmipedium
Fritz Schomburg
Peaches and Cream
(
flavum
)
Phragmipedium
Fritz Schomburg
Flamingo
(flavum)
Phragmipedium
Fritz Schomburg
Phragmipedium
Fritz Schomburg
Dark Knight

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 225
Phragmipedium Alfredo Manrique
(kovachii x Walter Schomburg)
6/7/2007 - Piping Rock Orchids / Alfredo Manrique
Primary hybrids aside, to me Phragmipedium Alfredo Manrique
is the most successful of the kovachii hybrids to date and I decided
that this should be named after my partner. The flowers have a nat-
ural spread of 4-1/2 (11.4 cm) to 5-1/2 (14 cm), with a deep, crim-
son-red color. P. Walter Schomburg is a second generation besseae
hybrid (Eric Young x Andean Fire). I think the combination of
kovachii for size, besseae to flatten and broaden the petals and lind-
leyanumfor deepening the color is a perfect combination for success
giving us flowers that exhibit good color, shape, form and sub-
stance. We also have the influence of P. longifolium in the back-
ground of this hybrid which usually adds easy and vigorous
growth to the plants. Unfortunately, not many of those traits have
come through, and of all the hybrids I have grown, this one seems
to be a bit slower grower similar to P. Jason Fischer.
Phragmipedium Memoria Mariza Rolando
(kovachii x Hanne Popow)
6/7/2007 Piping Rock Orchids / Alfredo
Manrique
Phragmipedium Memoria Mariza Rolando was
named after the late wife of Dr. Isaias Rolando of
Peru, who was responsible for giving me, Harold
Koopowitz and the rest of our group the opportu-
nity to visit the kovachiis habitat. On a personal
note, unfortunately Isaias is also no longer with
us and will be missed by all in the orchid commu-
nity. There is not much I can tell you about this
hybrid. I have only seen two plants flower to date
and both were very similar to that of P. Haley
Decker. Phragmipedium Hanne Popow is a first
generation besseae hybrid (schlimii x besseae).
Expect to see pink flowers ranging in size from 3-
1/2 (8.9 cm) to 4-3/4 (12.1 cm) in natural spread
on relatively compact growing plants.
Phragmipedium
Alfredo
Manrique
Piping Rock
AM/AOS
Phragmipedium
Alfredo Manrique
Suzanne
Phragmipedium
Alfredo Manrique
Haley Suzanne AM/AOS
Phragmipedium
Memoria Mariza Rolando

A
l
f
r
e
d
o

M
a
n
r
i
q
u
e

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

J
o
h
n

P
o
r
t
e
o
u
s
226 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009
Phragmipedium Suzanne Decker
(kovachii x Cape Sunset)
6/7/2007 Piping Rock Orchids / Alfredo Manrique
Phragmipedium Suzanne Decker is an absolute favorite of
mine, but not everyone likes pink flowers. I do and this one
is extraordinary. Considering that I had already named the
first hybrid after my daughter, it was only fair to name this
one for my wife. Using a second generation besseae hybrid P.
Cape Sunset (Eric Young x schlimii) shows you just how dom-
inate P. schlimii color is in its hybrids. When looking at this
flower, I definitely see it as P. Cape Sunset on steroids. This
hybrid has been the strongest grower of them all, with rich
pink flowers, blushed white in the center of the petals, and a
natural spread of 6 (15.2 cm) to 7 (17.8 cm). Of all the
hybrids to bloom so far, this one is the most consistent when
it comes to shape, size and color of the flowers. A few of the
plants have been so robust that they already have eight
growths in a pot.
Phragmipedium Perufloras Cirila Alca
(kovachii x dalessandroi)
6/11/2007 Peruflora
Its not uncommon to see a plant of P. dalessandroi holding
eight to ten flowers on a single, branching inflorescence,
which I would expect to see come through in this hybrid once
larger, more mature plants begin to flower. The downside to
P. dalessandroi is that it gives you less shapely flowers with
narrower petals, so its a trade off of shape versus flower
count. Manolo tells me that the average natural spread of this
hybrid is around 4-3/4 (12.1 cm), with colors ranging from
light pink to deep purples. Like many phragmipediums bloom-
ing for the first time, they can flower on relatively small
plants. Manolo named the plant in honor of Cirila Alca who
helped raise and educate him helped his parents raise and
educate him and his brother and sister while their parents
were working. Unfortunately, lost her battle to cancer in
1994.
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Cirila Alca
Phragmipedium
Suzanne Decker
Phragmipedium
Suzanne Decker
Piping Rock AM/AOS
Phragmipedium
Suzanne Decker

K
a
t
h
l
e
e
n

H
a
r
v
e
y

G
r
e
g

A
l
l
i
k
a
s

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a
Phragmipedium Perufloras Spirit
(kovachii x Eric Young)
6/7/2007 Peruflora
Phragmipedium Perufloras Spirit is the first of
many kovachii hybrids that Peruflora has pro-
duced and registered. I have not seen this hybrid
in person, but looking at the photos it appears to
be a very large P. Eric Young (longifolium x
besseae). Again, H.P. was fortunate enough to
bloom a few of these and he tells me that the
flowers can be 6-1/4 (15.9 cm) to 7 (17.8 cm) in
natural spread. However, Manolo from Peruflora
tells me that the ones flowering in Peru have
been a bit smaller, averaging around 5-1/8 (13
cm). The difference in size could strictly be cul-
tural, not saying that one grower is better then
the other, but referring to geographical differ-
ences in temperature, light and water qualities. I
would have to assume that these must be very
vigorous growers due to the influence of P. Eric
Young.
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Cirila Alca
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Spirit
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Spirit
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Spirit
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 227

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n
228 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009
Phragmipedium Perufloras Saltimbanco
(kovachii x czerwiakowianum)
6/11/2007 Peruflora
Phragmipedium Perufloras Saltimbanco is a hybrid
that just had to be made, not because it would be beau-
tiful but just because. Even though we know that some
hybrids are not going to be great hybrids, they are still
important to make as stepping stones for future second
generation hybrids, and, in my opinion, this is exactly
what we have here. Of course I have only seen a cou-
ple, but I dont think if I saw a hundred that any of
them would be fantastic. However, I do like the color
very much and still would not mind having one in my
collection. The color is not pink, but dark lavender even
approaching purple in color and may prove important
in future breeding. Manolo tells me that the flowers can
have a natural spread of 7 (17.8 cm) to 7-7/8 (20 cm),
which is sizable. The biggest problem I see with this
hybrid will be its shape, particularly the twisting
petals.
Phragmipedium Eumelia Arias (kovachii x schlimii)
7/19/2007 Peruflora
From the minute I saw these photos, I fell in love with
Phragmipedium Eumelia Arias as Im sure did Manolo
since he named it after his mother. You can definitely see
the influence of the P. schlimii, creating a larger version
of it with flowers ranging in color from light pink to
deep purple with a natural spread of 4-3/4 (12.1 cm). I
am already sitting here thinking of the possibilities of
recreating all the older P. schlimii hybrids, but replacing
it with P. Eumelia Arias, never knowing what you might
get. However, isnt that what breeding is all about
dreaming of the possibilities!
Phragmipedium
Eumelia Arias
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Saltimbanco
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Saltimbanco
Phragmipedium
Eumelia Arias

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 229
Phragmipedium Perufloras Angel (richteri x kovachii)
7/19/2007 Peruflora
This cross was a pleasant surprise. Flowers exhibiting
a culmination of colors from orange-red to lavender-pur-
ple with some green-yellow tones exhibited in the petals
have been seen in the handful of plants to date. They
have good size flowers, averaging 4-3/8 (11.1 cm) in
natural spread on a tall inflorescence. I would expect that
hybrids such as P. kovachii x P. pearcei or P. kovachii x P.
hirtzii to be very similar to this one. Even though this
group of hybrids lack form, they make up for it in charm.
We should see compact growing plants with good sized
flowers.
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Angel
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Angel
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Angel
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Angel
Phragmipedium
Perufloras Angel

A
l
l

p
h
o
t
o
s

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a
Phragmipedium La Vingtaine
(Memoria Dick Clements x kovachii)
9/27/2007 Eric Young Orchid Foundation
I have absolutely no information on this
hybrid although I have tried to get informa-
tion directly from the Eric Young Orchid
Foundation. Im sure information will be
available on this and other hybrids in the
near future. I can tell, from looking at this
photo, that there are problems with this par-
ticular bloom, including major deformities
and color breaks. Of course, different parents
will give you different results. I would defi-
nitely expect this to be a great hybrid, just not
this particular plant. If I had to guess, the P.
Mem. Dick Clements (sargentianum x besseae)
used here was probably a tetraploid.
Phragmipedium Allison Strohm
(kovachii x Living Fire)
11/16/2007 Schomburg / Alfredo Manrique
We knew this cross would be a triploid since the
P. Living Fire (Sorcerers Apprentice x besseae) used
was a tetraploid. Even though I did not register this
hybrid, its still one that I was involved in making. I
personally had higher expectations for this hybrid,
hoping for extremely large, red flowers of excep-
tional shape. We did get very large flowers ranging
in natural spread from 6 (15.2 cm) to 7 (17.8 cm),
in tones of red, from pale to vibrant. I was disap-
pointed because I expected to have flatter, broader
segments and that just didnt happen. There are still
nice flowers from this hybrid, just dont expect them
to be flat. That doesnt make them bad. Expect lots
of variation in the shape and form of the flowers. A
remake of this hybrid with the diploid form of P.
Living Fire will definitely give us different results,
which I look forward to seeing in the future.
Phragmipedium
Allison Strohm
Phragmipedium
Allison Strohm
Phragmipedium
La Vingtaine
230 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

u
n
k
n
o
w
n

H
.
P
.

N
o
r
t
o
n
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 231
Phragmipedium Andean Tears (wallisii x kovachii)
7/28/2008 Peruflora
Looking at the photo of the first bloom of this
hybrid, Phragmipedium Andean Tears, it is definitely
better than I expected. I thought it would have bigger,
flopper petals, although we may see some of that in the
future. Remember that this is a photo of the first to
bloom to date and it is very similar to what you might
expect from a P. besseae hybridlarge plants with flow-
ers averaging a vertical natural spread of 6-1/4 (15.9
cm). We might see larger flowers as more mature plants
begin to bloom. The only problem with this type of
breeding is waiting for them to bloom. Unlike most
phragmipedium breeding where we can see plants
bloom as early as 12 to 15 months, using a species like
P. wallisii can result in a waiting time that can be longer.
Phragmipedium Incan Treasure (kovachii x longifolium)
7/28/2008 Peruflora
I am not impressed with this hybrid, but I really like
the lavender-purple coloration of the flower. This hybrid
could prove to be extremely important in second genera-
tion breeding, as P. Eric Young (besseae x longifolium) was
for second generation besseae breeding. Allen Black
flowered this hybrid, telling me that the flowers on the
first blooming had a natural spread of 5 ( 12.7 cm) and
on the second blooming were even bigger with an
improvement in the shape.
Phragmipedium Les Varines (sargentianum x kovachii)
8/5/2008 Eric Young Orchid Foundation
Another Eric Young Orchid Foundation hybrid, so I
have no information to share with you. If I were given the
opportunity to make this hybrid, I would be looking for
the influence that P. sargentianumhas in strengthening the
color of its progeny. A good example of this would be the
P. besseae hybrid of P. Mem. Dick Clements (sargentianum
x besseae).
Phragmipedium
Incan Treasure
Phragmipedium
Andean Tears

P
e
r
u
f
l
o
r
a

A
l
l
e
n

B
l
a
c
k
232 Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009
Phragmipedium Frank Smith (kovachii x Grande)
2/27/2009 Krull-Smith
This is the latest of the registered hybrids, and
unfortunately, I do not have too much information to
offer you at this time. However, I am going to assume
that it should look very similar to an oversized P.
China Dragon (besseae x Grande). I briefly spoke to
Frank Smith, and the only thing he could tell me was
that this flowering was very small, but had tremendous
potential I trust Franks judgment and I think he
wouldnt have something named after him unless it
was good although he has had something ugly named
after him before. Unfortunately, no photo was taken.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is the yet to
be registered hybrid of P. Bel Royal x kovachii, giving us
an almost florescent pink color. There are many other
new hybrids with mature plants waiting to bloom that
you can look forward to seeing in the near future. P.
Sunset Glow x kovachii should be similar to P. Alfredo
Manrique. Other hybrids are P. pearcei x kovachii, P. Don
Wimber x kovachii and P. Jason Fischer x kovachii, which
is one I cant wait to see. I am not sure where the Eric
Young Orchid Foundation is with their phragmipedium
breeding program when it comes to kovachii. However,
the EYOF has always been one of the leaders in this
field and they have already registered two hybrids. We
will just have to wait and see what they have in store
for us. As for Alfredo, he tells me that he has remade P.
Alfredo Manrique using different parents and it is
presently growing in the lab. He also has made a hand-
ful of newer hybrids, crossing kovachii back onto P.
Haley Decker, P. Suzanne Decker and P. Memoria
Mariza Rolando with the first having active growth in
the lab. H.P. Norton has also been busy working on a
host of new things. He has remade many of the kovachii
hybrids presently available using different parents, as
well as many newer hybrids such as P. Tara x kovachii,
P. Bouley Bay x kovachii, P. Fritz Schomburg x Prissy
and P. Perufloras Spirit x besseae to name a few. Outside
of the EYOF and a few breeders in Germany as well as
Manrique and Arias of Peru, I would expect to see new
kovachii hybrids coming from right here in our own
backyard, from a few of our own phragmipedium
breeders such as H.P. Norton, Jerry Fischer, Bill
Goldner and Chuck Ackers. I will also be interested to
see if Terry Root might have something in the works for
us. What does the future have in store for kovachii? Who
knows, but it is sure to be exciting!
The cultural requirement for growing these new
hybrids seems to be controversial, making hobbyists
feel as if they are too difficult to grow. In reality, they
are no different from growing any other phragmipedium
hybrid presently in your collection. I think that all the
information out there on growing the species has
unnecessarily scared off many hobbyists from trying
these new and wonderful hybrids. Below is some gen-
eral cultural information on how I grow my phragmi-
pediums as well as my kovachii hybrids. Ill start with my
potting mix which is really only a basic bark mix. Keep
in mind that, at least for me, my mix usually changes
slightly every year depending on the quality of the
bark, and what I find after inspecting the roots from the
previous repotting. If I find that there are too many
dead roots in the pot, I have to ask myself why. Was it
because the plant was overdue to be repotted compro-
mising the air circulation within the pot, or was due to
not getting enough water? Since I do not sit my plants
in water, they sometimes have a tendency to dry out a
little more than I would like, so I add more fine bark to
my mix to retain more moisture for a longer period of
time.
7 parts medium grade fir bark
11 parts seedling or fine grade fir bark
3 parts horticultural charcoal
4 parts sponge rock or large perlite
1 part calcium chips or cracked oyster shells
(optional)
1/8 part pelletized limestone (optional)
1/8 part bone meal (optional)
For seedlings, I would swap out the medium grade
fir bark and replace it with fine grade fir bark. Of
course, this is a potting mix that works well for me, but
may need to be tweaked for your growing environ-
ment. Now, dont get all crazy about finding calcium
chips or cracked oyster shell. If you are fortunate
enough to live in a farming community, then its real
easy. Any store that sells animal feed will carry one or
both of these products. Its inexpensive, I think it costs
around $9.00 for a 50 pound bag yes, 50 pound bag
share it with your friends. However, I use it for all
my paphiopedilums and phragmipediums. Both of these
products are used as poultry feed supplement for egg
producing chickens to help strengthen their shells. I
would also have to assume that any large specialty bird
store or pet store would carry it as well to feed to nest-
ing birds of all types. As for pelletized limestone and
bone meal, both can be found in your local hardware
store or garden center, but none of these products are
necessary to successfully grow your phragmipediums.
Using higher quality waters, such as RO or rain
water will be an advantage when growing the species,
however are not as important when we are talking
about the hybrids. You should be able to get away with
using all types of water, just watching your salt levels.
Water softeners are a no-no, since they use salts to
accomplish their function. As with all phragmipediums,
we want to keep them moist to almost wet at all times.
Fertilizing, again as with all phragmipediums, they
tend to be heavier feeders, however young plants
should be grown with lighter dosages. I wont recom-
mend a percentage or at what rate, since this is some-
thing that is clearly defined on how you grow and your
Orchid Digest, Oct., Nov., Dec. 2009 233
own growing conditions. Along with regular feeding, I
will occasionally supplement with calcium nitrate as
well as magnesium sulfate, which is actually Epsom
salts yes, I know I said to watch your salts, but all fer-
tilizers contain salts. During the summer months, I may
also supplement with fish emulsion and/or kelp
extract as well. Both are nitrogen based foliar feeds
which I feel benefit the plants during the growing
months. As with all fertilizers, following the manufac-
tures recommending dosages is a good start, however
if they give you a once a month rate, break it down and
do it weekly. Windowsill and under light growers, I
would recommend cutting the rate in half for starters,
since your conditions can sometimes be less then opti-
mum.
Of course, the full potential of kovachii hybrids is yet
to be seen and the best, Im sure, is to come. So far most
of my expectations have been met with average size
plants, a more compact inflorescence with larger flow-
ers and good color. I feel the second generation hybrids
will truly be the test of its potential. For now, its still a
waiting game, waiting for the next wave of hybrids to
bloom and shine. Phragmipedium kovachii has probably
been the most important and exciting find in orchids in
the past 100 years, and it could very well be that for the
next 100 years to come.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Alfredo Manrique, Manolo
Arias and H.P. Norton for all their help with their infor-
mation of many of these hybrids along with the use of
their photos, which is greatly appreciated. I would also
like to thank Allen Black, Steve Helbling, Kathleen
Harvey, and all the growers and photographers who
have contributed to this article in one way or another.
About the Author
Glen Decker began growing orchids at the age of 15
and holds the degree of Associate in Applied Science in
Ornamental Horticulture. Glen is presently the owner
of Piping Rock Orchids in Galway, New York. He
presently serves as a director of the Orchid Digest
Corporation and was the previous chair of the
American Orchid Society's Publications Committee
and is still a member of the committee today. Glen has
won numerous AOS awards, including the
Butterworth Prize, Nax Trophy, WW Wilson Award
and the Carlyle A. Luer Award. He has appeared in
Martha Stewart's Better Living Magazine and in the
PBS TV special "Orchid Delirium". He rewrote the
Slipper section of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's "The
Best Orchids for Indoors" and was the technical editor
for the book, "Orchids for Dummies".
Glen F. Decker
Piping Rock Orchids
2270 Cook Road
Galway, NY 12074
E-mail: [email protected]
www.pipingrockorchids.com

G
l
e
n

F
.

D
e
c
k
e
r

A
l
f
r
e
d
o

M
a
n
r
i
q
u
e