Pleione Spring 2010..... to July!

[Alex]

Have we got a thread for this already? Couldn't see one, so I've started this...here's a nice form of P. humilis today, which has particularly deep red markings.

Alex

[karel_t]

Alex - fantastic lip of P. humilis. I've never seen so painted humils so far. In Czech is still deep winter. Last night was -12°C  .

[Hristo]

Very nice start to 2010 Alex, I'm currently watching Pleione 'Orinoco' and Pleione 'Eiger' to see who will flower first with me, they are very close now, no doubt due to their humilis heritage.

[luis]

My first pleione to flower was Zeus w. desert sands, two days ago  . Your pleione is fantastic!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A wonderful form of P. humilis Alex !!!
Very nice indeed ! 
Depending on the weather (still quite cold here) I guess I'm still a couple of weeks away from my first flowers... 

[Pete Clarke]

Pl. forrestii is my first to flower. This one is recently acquired but my other forrestii's are not far behind and are well ahead of Eiger.
Do others find forrestii flowers early?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looking good Pete !!
I don't grow them at the moment... not by the lack of trying 

[Eric Locke]

Pl. forrestii is my first to flower. This one is recently acquired but my other forrestii's are not far behind and are well ahead of Eiger.
Do others find forrestii flowers early?

Hi Pete

Mine are well behind yours and I guess it will be the end of Feb at the earliest before the first.
Humilis are behind with me too this year as I often have them starting around Xmas time and the first this year should be in about a week with my earliest hybrid Rakata "Rock Dove" not far behind.

Eric

[Slug Killer]

Hi Pete

Nice forrestii picture. Some of mine are a week away at least.

David

[Pete Clarke]

Hi David. This was one you sent me & I have kept it in a cold unheated greenhouse. Strange how they behave in other people's hands.

[Slug Killer]

Hi Pete

Mine were in a dark cold garage until two days ago but everything is now in the greenhouse but I've put a paraffin heater on very low overnight just in case we get some frost. Need a larger greenhouse again now as every inch of space is used

David

[Maxime_P]

Lucky you !! 

Very nice blossoms 

Only Pleione forrestii has a bud right now, even Pleione humilis is still in dormancy; it's still cold at night (-10°C a few days ago) and snowy the day here.

[Slug Killer]

Never had any sudden deaths with Forrestii and all bulk up quite well for me producing nice good sized bulbils as well. Flowering them can be a little tricky with sudden temp/humidity changes at this time of the year. Never had any late flowering ones either and find Forrestii are always amongst the first to flower just after Humilis. Nice to see the bright yellow after a dull and grey winter in the greenhouse. This year my Humilis seem to be way behind with most not showing any life at all, yet!

I have noticed a big difference between my bulbs and the new arrivals I've had from Butterfields. I think mine are kept colder and for longer as his bulbs look more advanced than mine overall.

David

[Pieter]

I had the same problem as Rob with P. forrestii. After three years of slow increase I saw my bulbs just sitting their in the pot. Healthy looking FS-bulbs that didn't show any signs of live. They just went dead. Is there any explenation for this?

So it will not be forrestii to be the first to flower with me. At this moment Shantung 'Ducat' shows the most growth but it is still to much winter to really get goiing. Last night -2°C and a bit of snow.

Greetings
 

[Hristo]

Looks like I may flower forrestii for the first time this year, it aborted its flowers in 2009. It produced good pseudobulbs last year, but I always had the sense that it was looking for any excuse to stop growing! Maybe just me anthropomorphosising?
New to me and the winner by a day or two to the first to flower here is Pleione 'Eiger'