cyp hybrids in pots

[Maren]

Hi, I grow my cyps in cages, because we are overrun by rabbits. Having tried all sorts of complicated composts, I have for the last three years opted for 'minimalism' and am now using just Seramis. The beauty of this is that the surface turns pale when dry so the compost tells me when to water. A double layer of shade netting in the pots stops the seramis from falling though the holes and deters wildlife coming in. I feed with every watering, high N in the spring and high P after flowering. They do fine and increase gently.

I agree with the concept of overpotting, it keeps temperature in the pot more even and generally cooler. This is particularly important in the spring in this area (Thames Valley south east of England), where we can get great fluctuations in temperature in winter/spring. One warm spell and the cyps think it's time to wake up only to be hit by frost later. Shading is therefore just as important in winter/spring as it is in the summer. Something to think of if plants are grown in the shade of deciduous shrubs or trees.

[monocotman]

Hi Maren and Jeff,

despite all of us growing in different media, the characteristics of the compost are all very similar - very free draining and low nutrients. You could probably grow them in pure gravel or small rocks if you could lift the pots!
I've been looking at growth rates of the hybrids by looking back at the previous four years' photos.
I knew the plethora of images produced by a digital camera would come in useful someday.
They are fairly similar for Philipp, Inge and Michael.
They all seem to need about four years growth and gentle increase after becoming flowering size before they 'take off'.
The photo shows a close up of Inge this autumn.
You can see eight of the nine new shoots for next year as well as the three old growths from 2009.
It was bought in the winter of 2005/6 and first flowered in 2007.
Michael is a similar tale. It too was bought over winter 2005/6 but flowered for the first time the following spring. It too then took three years to reach 4 stems but then this autumn has taken off to eight new shoots.
Philipp is a year older and started to flower in 2006. By 2008 it had reached three stems but then has taken off to six then ten stems in the two following seasons.
By way of contrast, parviflorum var makasin started to flower in 2007 with three stems but has only increased by a single stem in each year following,

Regards,

David