Pleione flowers not opening fully

[Mark Griffiths]

hi, does anyone know why some hybrid's flowers have a bad habit of not opening fully? I have particular issues with Quizapu Peregrine and El Pico Goldcrest. Sometimes they open fully but often they don't. Others seem to be unaffected year after year.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Mark, I received some bulbs in the middle of winter. I decided to keep them in the house until the weather picked up. Some formed flowering shoots before I put them in the greenhouse. One, Mandalay Purple Rain, formed a flower but it shrivelled before opening. I think it may have been caused by the fluctuating temperatures, between 32F at night and 80F during the day. Others that have been in the greenhouse for many years are un-affected. I can,t remember if they are Phoenix or Vesuvius. They often have two flowers on each stem and are increasing. Maybe your affected ones are susceptible to fluctuating temperatures? Perhaps Paul C will know?

[Mark Griffiths]

Ian, you may be right. I also wondered if they might have been a bit too dry.

[ian mcdonald]

Mark, I don,t water mine until the leaves start growing. I think that water on the bulbs while they are flowering is detrimental? I don,t feed mine very often either as I think too much food makes the plants too "soft" and more open to infection.

[Mark Griffiths]

I used to keep mine more less dry too - but for me they have been alot better if I water them once a week when I see any growth.

[sjusovare]

I don't recall having ever seen a Quizapu 'Peregrine' with fully open flowers... The only picture I have on which it looks seemingly so, I did force the flower to open manually to take it, so I would be enclined to think that it is a characteristic defect of that particular cultivar.



That being said, in 5 years I haven't received one single Quizapu which was not viral, if it wasnt vvisible on the flower colours, the leaves had weird growth patterns,  were twisted or out of shape in some ways, and they tested positive to potyvirus... So the flowers failing to fully open might be a symptom.