PLEIONE 2011

[Graham Catlow]

Thanks Luc and Tony,
You are correct Tony. This is the second year they have been in this set up. Last Autumn I carefully removed them from the pots, cutting the old roots in-situ. I then over wintered them in the fridge and replanted them a few weeks ago. The pots are left out through the winter for the moss to continue to grow or reform where I have dislodged it. The compost is moist when I replant and I do not water until leaf growth starts. They are currently in a frost free temporary plastic greenhouse.
This Autumn I will dismantle the setups, redesign, replace the compost, top off with moss and leave out over the winter.

[angie]

Graham that's really nice  they look so natural set amongst the moss like that.

Angie

[Houseslippers]

Graham

You've raised the game for Pleione display ... so the set-ups are in large pans, with the pots being held in a substrate of some kind (bark?), these pots with their old compost remaining undisturbed after pseudobulb removal ready for reuse the second spring, with a total replacement every 2 years? No problems with compost breaking down in year 2?

I want to try this myself. I think it's a really attractive way to display the collection.

[ThomasB]

Graham,

I just can join the others and admire your great display of these beauties! This gives an impression how Pleiones might grow in their natural habitats with the wood and moss.  


A nice and sunny day made Pleione Ueli Wackernagel 'Pearl" opening a wonderful flower - love the yellow on the lip as this reminds on Pleione praecox somehow!

[Graham Catlow]

Thanks Angie and Thomas

Tony, the photo below is of Pleione limpritchii (last year) in it's second year. It is now entering it's third year in the same compost. There are buds coming through but it's next year that will be the most interesting to see if they bulk up well this year. These survive some frost so are easier to manage this way than the less frost tolerant species.

The pots are 30cm diameter and 15cm deep.

The compost is a mix of pine duff (composted pine needles), a handful or two of multi-purpose compost, chopped wood moss, and plenty of large pine needles to open up the mix for drainage. Total cost - next to nothing I have developed this out of necessity as I didn't want to pay the high cost of bark and sphagnum moss.

This year I have used beech leaf mold instead of multi-purpose compost for some of my new acquisitions.

Ian Butterfield and others have developed a compost mix that suits them in their situations and for their needs and of course that suits the pleione's. My intention, (in most cases), is to create mini displays looking as natural as possible that will also look good in the garden when the floweres are gone and the leaves take over. This is rather experimental but it seems to be working so far.

Photos:
P. limpritchtii 2010
P. forrestii (poor photo from 2010) showing the pot.

[Sempervivum]

Hallo Rob,
thank you for your answer. Yes, that's a pitty, that no selected clones are offered. One never knows how they will bloom, when one buys them.
Regards - Ulrich

[Houseslippers]

Graham

Great info - thanks. It'll be good to see a photo of your displays once the Pleione leaves grow. To my eyes these sure beat rows of pots (but I appreciate some may disagree - the shot of the saxifrages in Gert's alpine house posted by Jiri in the Alpine house 2011 thread recently was also very attractive - maybe it's the obvious expertise & attention to detail in both cases that so impresses, apart from the plants of course).  

Looks like you have access to plentiful supplies of live moss as well! Of course, pine duff, moss & beech leafmould are in rare supply in sarf London. I wonder if dodgy Sycamore leafmould & Soleirolia soleirolii would do instead ....

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Really great style of growing Pleiones Graham !  
Will have to try something similar next season...  

Here, a few more opened up today - in pots I'm afraid...  

1-2 : Pleione eiger 'To be'
3-4 : Pleione eiger - cream form
5-6 : Pleione leda - my clone nr 4

[Pete Clarke]

Many of my Sifaka seedlings are flowering for the first time.
I particularly like the yellows, obviously heavily forrestii coming out. They open more yellow, the petals then develop a pinker cast.
Some more nice yellows expected.
Pic 5 - Eiger.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Sifaka 4 is really nice Pete !! 

[Pieter]

I agree with you Luc, that is a very nice form, nr 1 as well, but it is still very interesting to see the variation in this hybrid.

Greetings Pieter

[Maren]

I'm with Luc, that Sifaka4 has such a warm colour and glistening petals - beautiful.

[enrico]

Here comes Pleione novarupta raven 

[ThomasB]

Pete, all of your Sifaka clones seem to present their flowers very well. Good stems and non-drooping flowers. You might put me on the waiting list for nr. 4 as well! 

Enrico, I like how you took your pic of this nice Novarupta clone in bright sunshine. 

Unfortunately I was too late home to take a pic of Burrator in the sun. I'm quite happy that I've ordered this hybrid from Ian B. last winter (it's not on his list).

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I can imagine that you're happy with it Thomas, it's a beauty !!!

Pleione eastfield "Purple Emperor" opened today !