cyps in pots 2013

[Anthony Darby]

My 'Lucy Pinkepank' was just starting to flower when I parted with it. Those plants are absolutely amazing David.

[Stephen Vella]

Im going to second that..David your plants are amazing!! that tibeticum wow! You really have mastered cultivating Cyps. You must be tending to them daily as not miss the show.

Are you doing anything differant this year culture wise?

cheers

[monocotman]

Im going to second that..David your plants are amazing!! that tibeticum wow! You really have mastered cultivating Cyps. You must be tending to them daily as not miss the show.

Are you doing anything differant this year culture wise?

Stephen - not really - a few tweaks.
I'm fertilizing more frequently (weekly) as they start off growing and using rain water so there is plenty of room for feed.
I'm convinced that the big improvement this year is mainly due to last year's wet cool summer that didn't stress the plants at all,
Regards,
David

[monocotman]

Hi,

I was shown this link on another forum.
Interesting reading!
http://culturesheet.org/_media/users:nanoj:nanoj_16_1:martin_4-11.pdf

Regards,
David

[Peter Maguire]

I can see the sense in growing them in trays to allow the roots to spread. Unfortunately UK-sized gardens just don't have the space for us to do this, at least mine doesn't.

The effecs of a mid-continental climate are interesting; Kansas obviously gets so hot in the summer that Cyps are better indoors (air conditioning?), and as for taking them indoors when tornadoes are forecast.... I'll never complain about British weather again.

[monocotman]

Peter - I agree about the space issue.
90 boxes not pots would be way too much to look after.
I know that Peter Corkhill used to use polystyrene fish boxes for his largest plants.
Must be a similar setup.
Regards,
David

[Peter Maguire]

I don't even have room for 90 pots  . I'm having to be very selective about buying new Cyps.

Regarding polystyrene boxes - I'm currently using a fish box for growing Plieones in small pond baskets. The whole box and the baskets are filled with the same compost so they have a good root run, but different species/ clones can be kept apart. It's useful for bulking up small numbers of bulbils to flowering size bulbs (the way I usually acquire them as it's cheaper that way and I have the patience!) and I use an organic mix for Plieones so a large fish box is not too heavy and just about possible to move around.
I use a smaller polystyrene box (originally used for supplying broccoli to green grocers) for growing Cyp seedlings. They're in a mineral mix and although the box is about 1/3 the size of the fish box, it's much more than 1/3 of the weight. They're useful sized boxes and eminently portable, but I understand from my source (who lurks on this forum as 'The Butcher') that we might not be able to get any more, which is a shame as I have one with Roscoeas, one with Gentians, another with Saxifrages.......

[angie]

David thanks for the link. Really interesting.
 

I don't even have room for 90 pots  . I'm having to be very selective about buying new Cyps.

Peter I have a pony paddock that is no longer in use. You can easy buy more cyps and I can look after them here for you 

Angie 

[monocotman]

This Pixi is now the biggest plant I grow with over 40 growths and 25 flowers.
They look a bit dull in shade but come alive in sunshine,
Regards,
David

[Maren]

That is fabulous. Congratulations  .

[Anthony Darby]

I agree Maren. 

[K Andrzejewski]

...but my first filing was - what a beautiful "Axel"...

[monocotman]

Thanks for the comments.
Kris - No doubt about the parentage on this one.
The plant came as a seeding from Peter Corkhill in 2006/7.
There are plenty of web photos of Pixi with flowers like this.
Just have a google.
The photo does not show too well the fact that the flowers are quite big (about 4 inches across)
and way too big for a first generation parviflorum cross,
David

[angie]

Just one word David, Amazing 

Angie 

[monocotman]

Not many left to flower now.
These are two closely related hybrids, Philipp ( kentuckiense x macranthos)
and Cleo Pinkepank (kentuckiense x macranthos var hotei atsumorianum).
Pretty similar apart from the lip colour,
David