Pleione 2016

[vigor]

Steve, you always have facinating pictures!

[john hodgson]

Last Hurrah...
Well it is for me anyway.
The first photo is really for any of you wondering about growing outside.This is a 6 inch raised bed of lets say 80% bark plus compost and coarse perlite. These were planted in January, but under a polythene cover, open at both ends, which was removed early April. They are in a wire cage (cats / squirrels / blackbirds.... mainly the latter).
They were planted as small pseudobulbs last year. Last year 2 or 3 flowered, so this display is one year on. The first few opened near the end of April , the 1st photo was taken the 3rd week in May - a handful are still in flower. I will lift and dry off in late October, then store in the shed until next Spring. The aspect is south facing, but partly shaded by trees and with some shade netting on the roof. I live about 200 metres from the North Sea, so get some salt. Summers are rarely hot. They dont get much horticultural care to be honest, except for some occasional weak tomato fertiliser from late summer, plenty of water when in full leaf if it's dry - and if I'm there.
They are Pln. Stromboli 'fireball' - and apologies I just can't get the right shade of magenta in the photo.



The last pleiones to open for me have been pln. Fuego, a couple of weeks ago a late chunii threw up 5 flowers from one massive 'bulb' (thanks Maren), and last of all pleionoides 'yunnan?' has opened this week - later than last year by 2 weeks.
Ah well - another year almost over....

[Maggi Young]

Oh!  My goodness me! What a super display!

[ashley]

Oh!  My goodness me! What a super display!

+1
John, I hope your coronaria and albiflora are equally enjoying life

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Super !!!!!

[erf]

Waw, fantastic display.

[LarsB]

What a display!!! Congratulations 'Fireball' is one of my favourites. Unfortunately it is not hardy in DK - have tried several times.

[john hodgson]

Thanks all for your kind words folks!
Lars B. -  I doubt if many Fireballs would survive a full winter here either - if wet.
I plant in a top layer of pure 100% potting bark, which is quite dry, I provide a roof to keep rain and frost off.
It's true however that coastal Yorkshire rarely drops below -5 degrees in winter.
And as for Fireball - it's still one of my favourites too.
The photograph doesnt show it, but no other (of the 100 or so varieites I grow) is in my opinion quite so intensely coloured.
I started with ONE pseudo bulb more years ago than I care to remember.
For years I grew in pure ordinary potting compost!!! So it's a VERY forgiving friend.

Merry 2017 all!!!

[vigor]

early praecox
This clone seems to open much earlier than normal ones
Their leaves are still green.

[erf]

Hello all

Last year I bought some bulbils of the assumed species Pleione gracilis. Are there any news about this one. I seem to remember that I have read something about it years ago here at srgc, but can not find anything. Anyone can help me.
Regards Erling

[vigor]

the name Pleione gracilis is not listed on IPNI
http://www.ipni.org/ipni/plantnamesearchpage.do
I suppose Pleione gracilis is not a scientific name

Hello all

Last year I bought some bulbils of the assumed species Pleione gracilis. Are there any news about this one. I seem to remember that I have read something about it years ago here at srgc, but can not find anything. Anyone can help me.
Regards Erling

[erf]

Thanks vigor
I think I read an article back in the past, that it should not yet be a recognized species yet, but that it might some time in the future be a separate species. I seems to remember that is should be a something close to Pleione limprictii. But can not remember from where or for who I got the story.
Any way, the autumn season has started in DK with:
Pleione x lagenaria (from a reliable source  )
Pleione Confirmation (also a reliable soruce )
Pleione Slender Loris
 Regards Erling

[erf]

Hi
A few more autumn flowering Pleione flowering.
Regards Erling

[erf]

Pleione Macaque (Pln. saxicola x Pln. forrestii - P Cumbleton - 2009)

I find this an interesting hybrid, since it is only the third hybrid having Pleione saxicola as a parent. I love Pleione saxicola but are really not very god at growing it. They have a tendency to grow smaller over the years. This hybrid has grown really well from one to three new bulbs.

Erling

[Johan K.]

Four times Pleione praecox.