Bletilla, and how do I do it

[jes]

Now it is nearly spring, I hope, and we must turn out, I sit and plan that I want to make a bed specifically for bletilla.
 And instead of experimenting and making the big mistake so I am thinking that some of you have advice for how I should do it.
 Where is the best place - sun / shade.
 What is the best soil mix.
 What do I particularly care.
 and. . . . . ?

 Are any of you have good advice

 Smile from jes

[Maggi Young]

You live in Denmark, don't you, Jes? That will be a starting point for any advice the Forumists can give you.......

[Paul T]

Jes,

In my climate (somewhat different to yours I admit), I have seen Bletilla striata growing from full sun (some in my garden) to quite strong shade (a friend's garden) and anywhere in between.  In the shade they are taller, but seem to still flower very well.  It surprised me that they seemed to not mind either, when most plants usually clearly do better in one more than the other.  That of course is at our light levels, which may be higher than yours.  That said, our summers are fairly brutal, and they still don't seem to be affected by them in the full sun in my garden, in fact they multiplied so well that I had to remove most of one clump a couple of years ago as it was over 1.2m x 50cm and still expanding.  It was starting to crowd out other things around it.

For me, a friable soil is best, good drainage but decent water holding capacity as well, and particular care in my climate is virtually none at all.

So there's some info to start the ball rolling.  Next!! 

[jes]

Maggie - yes it's true I live in Denmark - and of course had mentioned it, thanks.

 Paul T - it sounds easy :-): _) -thank
 you're probably right in saying that we do not have so much light here and our summer is probably also wetter, equal to our winter I think.
 But the wet winter can probably manage with hedging.

 - and a friable soil - several places I read that soil should be very organic while others said that soil should not be organic - so. . . . .

[Lori S.]

This is off-topic but...
I find it wryly amusing that Bletilla striata has been sold here (bare root in little plastic bags) for as long as I have lived here.  The pretense is apparently that one should believe it will be hardy here - just like it says on the package! - when in reality, it has a snowball's chance in hell.   

[ChrisB]

Hi Jes,

If you add your location to your profile, its very helpful.  I'm sure Maggi will help you if you are not sure how to do it.  Looking forward to the responses here, I have one I've grown for many years, it sends up foliage every year but no flowers so far...

[Graham Catlow]

Hi Jes,
It is sometimes helpful to hear from someone who hasn't quite got it right, so that you don't do the same thing.
I have had Bletilla striata for many years and have had very few flowers in that time.
Initially it was in my dwarf rhododendron bed and didn't do too well and eventually was out competed by the rhodos.
I then moved it into the rock garden in full 'Scottish' sun and it did really well in that it bulked up really quickly but still flowered poorly.
I decided to dig it up, to move it again and realised that is was sitting on very heavy soil with only a few centimeters of friable top soil.
So I dug out the heavy stuff to a depth of about 30cm and replanted in what I am now hoping is what they wish to be in. It is a mix of general purpose compost, JI No.2, and added grit. They have now been in this mix for nearly 12 months so I hope that this summer will finally see some good results. They get no protection over the winter and have not suffered so far, unless of course that is the problem with the lack of flowers.

I hope that someone that does well with them replies, as I would perhaps like to know where I am going wrong.

[SteveC2]

I would not dream of telling anyone "where they are going wrong!" but having struggled to grow in the early years of the noughties when we were actually having "summers" here, my solution to flowering Bletilla well is simple; grow them in pots.  After some experimentation my chosen compost is John Innes Number three, plus extra grit and perlite.  I was told, by a man whose opinion I trust, that too much peat in the mix burns the roots. 
I have had more flowers from buying growing plants rather than the dry corms available at garden centres, these seem too dry to me and reluctant to start growing, let alone flower.  In summer their aspect is south facing but with a little midday shade, but again I'm reliably told that they can take full sun as long as they don't dry out.  I feed them with seaweed extract and tomorite, alternate weeks.  In the winter I put the pots under the staging and pretty much forget about them, just a little water every few weeks if it's mild (+10).
I have a little collection, striata, ochracea, several of the Penway hybrids, and the not so "blue" Soryu and find here that the striata flowers June, the others a little later.
 

[JohnLonsdale]

Hi,

Take a look at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Complete%20Collection/Orchidaceae/Bletilla/index.html and you'll see how they grow nicely here in zone 6b in SE Pennsylvania.  I've had them in full sun to part shade and they certainly flower much better with sun.  Growing some with protection from the worst of the cold and in full sun (close to the house) encouraged precocious spring growth and that can burn in a late freeze, otherwise they are trouble free.  They are in regular garden 'dirt', well drained but where they are is part of an old drainage ditch, so they rarely get dry either.  They flower in early May and have been left to their own devices, apart from lifting some to share with friends, for at least 10 years. 

Best,

John

[LarsB]

Hej Jes,

I think it is a slight exaggeration to say that it is soon spring, but very optimistic 

I live in Roedovre and have been growing Bletilla striata in the garden for many years. My latest experiment is to grow it with my Sarracenias in a bog bed. They survived last winter in all locations and the one in the bog bed grew very well. They usually take a few years to get in the mood for flowering and in my experience the alba form is not as vigorous as the normal form. You are welcome to visit.

Kind regards

Lars

[Darren]

Full sun and limestone works really well here. Flowering is poorer when it gets shaded or crowded. I did read some years ago that B. striata likes lime and dislikes acid soil. Our first garden (heavy neutral clay) was wet but the Bletilla was quite happy in a few inches of grit on top of the clay (in fact it grew with Epipactis palustris and candelabra primulas, which seeded about, this shows how wet it was!). In our current garden the plant (the same clone which we dug up and moved) is planted in quite poor, dryish limy (pH 7.7) silty soil and still does OK. It did stop flowering for a year when overshadowed by a rampant Geranium but is OK now it has been moved out into the sun again. Of course it rarely dries out here in NW England, even in the 'dryish' soil..

The bagged ones in garden centres establish very poorly and it is far better to buy a potted one in growth if you can, or a freshly lifted clump from a friend's plant.

[jes]

til now - thanks everyone for answers.
 There is emerging a picture of what I should provide. it looks to full sun, (although light shade at midday), and a good loose (light drained soil) without (too much) peat, - and then I'm well on track - perhaps ?

 I obviously like to hear more about the issue 

smile
jes

[Lukas H]

Dear Jes,

I grow a lot of Bletilla (striata, striata alba, formosana, ochracea, szetchuanica, sinensis, and a variegated striata).

All of them I have in large flat pots with morning sun and afternoon shade but still warm. striata I have also unprotected under a Koelreuteria paniculata and together with Penway Sunset, striata alba and ochracea in a raised Bed on the south facing wall of a house on a location with no sun protection for at least 10 hours a day even in summer!

So on the south facing wall it is important that they never dry out. In pots it is necessairy that they are kept not too wet in summer. Let them dry a bit in summer sometimes and they will flower perfectly next year.

Under the Koelreuteria it flowers the worst. It is still flowering but never that gorgeous as in pot or south facing.

In your case I would plant them not too shady, they like hot summers (striata also flowers well in a cooler climate. I think a west or south facing location is good (warm and sunny). But watch the watering, in spring they like it moist in summer moderate and in fall/winter dry.

And like other people already told you, a drainage is essential. I have dug a whole 30cm deep. 10cm stones and then 20cm of the growing mix.

About the compost I use very successful a mix of 60% Perlite, 20% organic material like balcony ground normal to buy in a garden center (mostly peat based) and 20% garden earth dug out somewhere in the garden (where I live in Switzerland there is the garden erath very limy (pH 8.2).
In this mix they are not even growing well I also use this for the spread of the seeds and the germination is well, there are always small seedlings between the adult stems. And I have to devide my pot grown plants every couple of years because the growth of the striata and their clones is that strong...

Hope this helps.

Good growing

Lukas