Orchis, Ophrys and others 2013

[fredg]

This Anacamptis morio has been opened for a little while under one of the stagings. Somewhat later than Tony's in February.

[mark smyth]

My A. morio have only opened in the last few days

At what stage can I lift plants so I can remove next years tuber? My guess is before now?

A. morio
O. mascula - nice bracts
O. mascula - plain leaf with pale flowers
O. militaris

[Neil]

Just a quick one does anyone have a pure white anacamptis  morio that is open at present and could supply me with some pollen?  I wish to cross pollinate the bi color morio that have shown on the previous page. 

[Neil]

Mark you can give it a go and see if it will produce a new tuber but as you say you have left it a bit late, if you can keep the plant green as long as possible then you will have a better chance of producing a new tuber

[Tony Willis]

This Anacamptis morio has been opened for a little while under one of the stagings. Somewhat later than Tony's in February.

Very nice Fred,mine from February is still in flower and I have another one which has only been open a few days. They seem very variable this year.

[K Andrzejewski]

- O. militaris

- looks like Anacamptis pyramidalis, I'll be really surprised if this will be Orchis  (in this nursery mistakes with orchids labels are quite common)

[Anthony Darby]

The leaves are certainly very narrow.

[K Andrzejewski]

At what stage can I lift plants so I can remove next years tuber? My guess is before now?

Mark, this all depend from a couple of factors. I have to say something before everything else - all my experience are for clay/loam soil and I don't know how it's work if you use super-drainage mix. I had a few pictures I did step by step with Orchis mascula, Anacamptis morio and I think pyramidalis, but unfortunatelly this forum does not exist anymore. I don't remember now, probably O.mascula I held in the mix on the basis of gravel, but because I'm not sure so I don't want to provide wrong information.

First thing you need to know is what you gonna do with new tuber, some people are using fridge, I'm packing in loam in small terracotta pot and this is plunged into the soil in shady places of the garden.

First technic is to cut down flower spike just when the last single flower will open. In mostly cases of Anacamptis, this is enough to produce extra tuber (they quite often produce extra tuber without any help). If you gonna cut the new tuber - you need to control the condition of the mother-plant, so if start to fade or is yellow, you can win only very small extra tuber or completely nothing. Usually I cut the new tuber when flowers start to fade. Whole plant with all roots and old tuber I plant back but allways in the shade position to encourage a bit longer grow than usually (and of course I'm still watering a bit).
Kristof

P.S. But you take a full responsibility - if something goes wrong (for example this extra tuber will dry out), please don't blame me.

[Tony Willis]

A lost label plant which I shall be grateful if somebody can put a name to.

It has heavily spotted leaves,difficult to see as they are shrivelling as the plant comes into flower.

[K Andrzejewski]

A lost label plant ...

-can I ask where do you "buy" your plants??

[Tony Willis]

-can I ask where do you "buy" your plants??

Some of my plants I have had for nearly twenty years and although I bought a few many years ago when I was starting I have obtained recent ones by swapping with fellow enthusiasts. Each year I propagate a few(taking of the tuber early method)so as to have spares to swap.

Any ideas on the lost label plant ? I thought laxiflora but that is not supposed to have spotted leaves.

[K Andrzejewski]

Some of my plants I have had for nearly twenty years

- that's interesting, yeasturday morning I saw a bit other version of your question, so I tough - I will ask the seller. Other story is - I am very interested in exactly this group of Orchids which you show in your photos. Since about ten years I never ever saw them for sell in any nursery or from individual collections.
Kristof

[mark smyth]

Kristof I will cut off flowers when there are maybe 3 or 4 left at the top. Anacamptis will be difficult because their leaves are turning yellow already. N Ireland is too warm just now. Today was 18C.

My Anacamptis x alata have spikes coming.

Some O. mascula. Its great to have variation in flower shape and colour. Unfortunately my Canon camera does not like the colour of this orchid. When I get home I will try my Nikon camera

[mark smyth]

So exciting now to see all orchids coming in to flower. One has died - Dactylorhiza romana.

My Dactylorhiza sambucina red form is yellow! I must email the seller

Do you guys with plunged grow same species orchids singly  or in groups? I see three different Orchis mascula in my pots. Small flowered ladies dress shaped flowers, pale pink and large many flowered forms the colour of Cadbury purple. Will these be the same next year?

Sadly my Nikon does not like the colour of O. mascula. No photos show the true colour

[mark smyth]

I think my Anacamptis x alata is A. morio

Can someone post a photo of A. x alata