Pleione 2015

[TC]

Thanks Paul.
  I sow these seeds for a bit of fun to see if it works.   Some of the old compost is used with fresh stuff put at the bottom of the pots.  I actually put the old compost through a very fine sieve and searched for any bulbils that may have been present and am sure  that there were none.  So, if anything does come up, the chances are that it will be a seedling.  Time will tell.
I am amazed at how hardy some pleiones are.  Three years ago I decided to plant out 6 bulbs in the garden, including 2 Shantung.  This coincided with the coldest winter we had for at least 20 years.  By the time Spring came, in about April, I looked for the bulbs and found 2 mushy Shantungs.  The rest I could not find.
In late June, to my surprise, the other 4 had come into flower in the middle of a camellia and a dwarf rhododendron.  They had survived in ground frozen to -6°C for at least two weeks.  Not recommended for the more exotic and expensive varieties !

[Luc Gilgemyn]

My first Pleione for this season 

Pleione kohala

[erf]

A small oddity from my Pleione forrestii.
This plant is purchased as Pleione forrestii alba, as it clearly not. It is double flowering, which I have not seen before. Lastly it turns out, that one of the flowers have no lip. so it is only 1½ flowering.  It is a funny world. :-).

Am I right, that Pleione forrestii usually flowers with one flower?

Erling

[Steve Garvie]

I have a vigorous form of forrrestii from Vietnam which currently has two flower buds from one growth point and a separate single bud on the second growth. The flowers have not yet opened but they were of normal structure last year.

[karel_t]

Hi Erf,
some of my clones flower regularly with two flowers on a stem 
K.

[erf]

Hi Karel
I see, and both flowers with a lip. Nice
Erling

[Nova]

Pleione Cuxius a.k.a. Pleione x confusa and Pleione Margaret Kerr.

[erf]

Very nice Khadja, I like the creamy color of your Cuxius. I am looking forward to see my Cuxius flower for the first time this year.
Erling

[Nova]

It's lovely indeed Erling, as a bonus I scented a faint delightful fragrance!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Pleione Cuxius a.k.a. Pleione x confusa and Pleione Margaret Kerr.

Two exquisite Pleione, Khadija !

[TC]

What  I would like to know is, have these pleiones featured below, been brought into flower naturally or with the application of heat ?

I can expect my first flower in about 3 weeks - April- and the rest to flower up to May. For the few I have outdoors, June is the optimum time.

I have never had any flowers earlier.

 My bulbs are kept in an unheated greenhouse regardless of temperature and come into growth when THEY decide the time is right.

[Nova]

Tom, they flower naturally. It all depends on space, clone and parentage.
Humilis, yunnanensis and forrestii are early flowering, offsprings with their genes tend to flower early. Formosana should flower next month with me, scopulorum will be the latest to flower (end of April, early May).
I keep most of my Pleiones in a unheated room, the ones I keep outside will flower few weeks later. While the flowers last only few weeks one can enjoy Pleiones for several months by having several different species and hybrids.

[TC]

I presume mine must be  later flowering varieties.

In my local Lidls today, I came across orchid compost in a compressed form, made from coconut husks.  It makes up to 5 litres when you add the water and as it was only £1.79 I have given it a go.  I poured in the requisite 1.5 litres of water in stages and the compost looks and feels rather good,

Tomorrow I will try it on some pleione bulbs.

I have enclosed some pictures for those who may be interested

[SteveC2]

Tom, the coconut husk compost looks very similar to others on the market which need a lot of soaking before use as there are so many impurities in it.  Put some in water overnight and see if the liquid looks like tea in the morning.  If so give it a good soak before use.  Just check.  I am not sure about using it neat for Pleione as in my experience it dries out very unevenly, dry at the edge when the centre of the pot is still very wet.

As for the Pleione season it just depends on your temperatures.  I agree with Khadija about humilis, forrestii and their hybrids being early but here in Lincolnshire, which stats show is just about the coldest part of the UK, the season is kicked back.  My Eiger might open in a week or so, forestii soon afterwards.  Khadija's season seems to be over in early May but mine is at a peak in mid-may.  Every year I have flowers into June, usually chunii is the last.   In 2013 after the cold spring I had plenty left mid way through the month.

[Nova]

It was a pleasant surprise to see a lot forrestii being offered this winter.
Lhasa 'Blushes' remains one of my favourite hybrids.