winter greens autumn/winter 2014

[mark smyth]

Many of my winter green now have noses poking through the grit despite being dry all summer

[mark smyth]

Darn I just remembered something I meant to ask weeks ago. I was planning to put all my O. mascula, O. pyramidalis, and something else, in troughs. Are the Greek ones genetically different to the UK plants? Can they be grown outside also?

[Yann]

Mark many of my Ophrys are already in the green too (6cm of foliage), first year i've got this state.
I think i'll water the pots this week-end because bulbs gonna exhaust.
In the southern french areas the autumnal rains are now falling heavily, it's a signal for watering our plants, i guess also grown under glass.

Gonna post a photo of mine to show you they look now.

pyramidalis will not survive in the moist climate of our northern areas, u'd better bring back pots to your greenhouse.

[Yann]

Mark you can see how my Ophrys and Orchis are already sprouting

[mark smyth]

Yann sorry for the long delay in replying

A. pyramidalis grows around the coast of N Ireland

The first spikes have appeared on my plants. Last year it was assumed they, O. lacteal, flowered early due to change in climate from Greece to N Ireland but they have had a year to change to our climate. They are a week later than they were last year

[johnstephen29]

Hi Mark & Yann I grown lots of different tender orchids in the house, but I'm wanting to grow some of the hardier types like the ones you mention above, can you recommend a good nursery where I can purchase them from? Thanks John

[mark smyth]

I buy from terrestrial gems and med orchids on ebay. None are selling just now but will be in the spring

[mark smyth]

I'm wanting to grow some of the hardier types like the ones you mention above

These aren't necessarily hardier. They require frost free conditions. Others more experienced may want to comment. Last year I didn't have the warming cables on at all and never covered them with fleece. In 2012 the warming cables were set to +5 and at night when frost was due I covered mine with two layers of fleece. Someone has a 'lid' of sorts that goes over his plants when frost is due

[SteveC2]

The first spikes have appeared on my plants. Last year it was assumed they, O. lacteal, flowered early due to change in climate from Greece to N Ireland but they have had a year to change to our climate. They are a week later than they were last year

But if they are genetically programmed to start growth at a certain temperature they will always start growing far earlier in Ulster than in Greece so they will not get "used" to your climate.  And if flowering is initiated when they reach a certain size then it will always be early here compared with the med.  But what's the problem with that?

When I was in Greece a week or so back I visited sites that I knew had Ophrys populations but it was still mid twenties and so none were up.  Crocus and cyclamen galore but no sign of orchids.

Some of my terrestrials, purchased from Australia pre CITES, are still six months out of "normal" phase.  Some changed to UK time, others refused.

[mark smyth]

Interesting that some of yours changed to UK time while others didn't. Did some of the same species refuse to change?

[mark smyth]

Here's just a few of mine - nice spotty leaves

Orchis italica
a lost label - to be truthful one I left lying around after planting the rest
Orchis provincialis

[mark smyth]

After lying around during the summer with the pot on its side I'm amazed my Spiranthes spiralis have the energy to flower. Are they late or is this flowering time?

[Maggi Young]

The variation in the patterns on the spotty leaves is fascinating, isn't it?  And  looks somehow reptilian in some cases. Love 'em!

[mark smyth]

I look at these spotty leaves most days - mostly because they stand out among all the other plain leaved species

[Tony Willis]

These aren't necessarily hardier. They require frost free conditions. Others more experienced may want to comment. Last year I didn't have the warming cables on at all and never covered them with fleece. In 2012 the warming cables were set to +5 and at night when frost was due I covered mine with two layers of fleece. Someone has a 'lid' of sorts that goes over his plants when frost is due

Mark it is me that has a lid of sorts! As you can see from the picture I have a sand plunge lined with polystyrene and fitted with a soil warming cable set at 5c. The box above it is twin layer plastic . I only close the lid when frost is threatened and so far it has worked well. You can see from the picture there is some snow in the greenhouse on a couple of pots on the floor. Last winter the heating cable did not come on at all. The main problem is condensation and so I have to open the lids carefully to avoid drips going on the plants below. I have though of some improvements but have not got around to making them. I have two further ones set up like this for other tender plants and my Cyclamen graecum collection.