PLEIONE 2011

[Graham Catlow]

Nice pot Graham !

Thanks Luc

[kuni99]

I'm growing Gerd Stopp's P. limprichtii clone. It is shown in the first picture. This is one of the clones that have been cultivated for a while. Recently new collections from Burma have been introduced as long stem variety. These are very different being much larger than the old P. limprichtii clones. The second picture shows left a bulb of Gerd Stopp's clone and on the right side a bulb from Jan Moors' P. limprichtii 'Long Stem' variety. The flower stem of the latter exceeds 25 cm and the leaf was 48 cm long! The flower of the long stem variety is also very pretty.

Kai

[Hans J]

Yesterday I have received some bulbils of Plei. saxicola ...so I would like to ask some questions to the specialists here :

Should I water it now ? ( so far I know is this a autumn flowering species )

Where should I store it ? ( I could place it in my greenhouse with a minimum of 5° - there are also my other Pleiones - or is it better here on a window sill - maybe 20° )

Thank you in advance for your answers
Hans

Can I ask again for a answer please

Thank you
Hans

[Sempervivum]

I would like to join in the question of Hans. I'm always unsure if I should keep the autumn flowering (and the winter flowering) ones dry during winter or not. One source says they should be kept moderately moist in order to keep the roots alive. On the other hand in an article in a german orchid magazine the authors recommend to keep them completely dry. Which advice is true?
Regards - Ulrich

[Luc Gilgemyn]

The only Winter flowering Pleione I grow is P. Wharfdale "Pine Warbler" and I keep it VERY moderately moist - just watering very sparsely every 3 to 4 weeks.

I think P. saxicola will benifit from being kept a little warmer than 5°C Hans, but as I said, I have no experience with it - a lot of other people here do !

[Hans J]

Thank you Ulrich and Luc !

OK- I think I will put the pot inside and give them a little water ....the bulbils are not very big so they shure benefit from a little water .

A general question :
Do you water your Pleiones after repotting ....or is it better to keep it totally dry until February / March ?

I have not so long expierience with growing Pleiones ...and I will not loose it !

Hans

[LarsB]

Yesterday I have received some bulbils of Plei. saxicola ...so I would like to ask some questions to the specialists here :

Should I water it now ? ( so far I know is this a autumn flowering species )

Where should I store it ? ( I could place it in my greenhouse with a minimum of 5° - there are also my other Pleiones - or is it better here on a window sill - maybe 20° )

Thank you in advance for your answers
Hans

I keep mine slightly damp and grow them with my cooldgrowing orchids down to 8°. They seems to be growwing well uder these conditions. I don't thjink you shoulod go for the windowsill. 20° will be too high a temperature.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thank you Ulrich and Luc !

OK- I think I will put the pot inside and give them a little water ....the bulbils are not very big so they shure benefit from a little water .

A general question :
Do you water your Pleiones after repotting ....or is it better to keep it totally dry until February / March ?

I have not so long expierience with growing Pleiones ...and I will not loose it !

Hans

No watering here until late february/ early March when roots are starting to grow Hans !

[Hans J]

Thank you Lars for telling me your expierience - OK- I will let it in my greenhouse !

Thank you Luc ...OK...dry for all the others !

Hans

[Maren]

Question: What is the collective noun for a nice bunch of Pleione praecox? Answer: A "Delight".
P. Tsingtau still doing its stuff.
And P. praecox v. reichenbachiana (maybe ) still good after one month in flower.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Answer: A "Delight".

Couldn't agree more Maren !  Superb !

[Graham Catlow]

Very nice Maren. A delight indeed!

[Maren]

Thank you Luc and Graham.

Sorry I didn't reply to the saxicola question. I have never grown it and would not like to offer advice based on zero experience.

Regarding the watering of autumn flowering pleiones, I agree, they should not be bone dry because new roots form in the autumn and they want a little moisture. It is sometimes difficult to see the new roots when you knock the plant out of its pot after flowering. Usually there is a thick and dense rootball, the roots are dirty/white in colour, quite stiff and curly and look as if they are still alive. If you are brave enough to pull this apart, you can often see new white roots appearing out of the bottom of the pseudobulb.

I'm in two minds about whether to cut off the old roots or not. Where I have just dropped the plants on into larger containers together with their old rootballs, they seemed to have made larger replacement bulbs. Maybe there is life left in the old roots. They shrivel and die during the summer and a new dense rootball develops. Have other people had similar experiences?

[Hans J]

Hello Maren ,

thank you for your information .

The bulbs of my P.saxicola had more or less no roots so I have thought they need a little moisture ...it seems it was the right idea.
I have just looked in my greenhouse - the temperatur is near this pot 10 ° ...so I think this is fine .

Do you have all your autumn/ winter flowering plants inside your home ( on a windowsill ) ?
They look all fantastic- my compliments !!!

I have to confess it is very danger to read all this topics about Pleiones and look this pics ....a infection can happens very quick !!!

Before some years I have received from a very nice lady from England some bulbs of Pleione 'Rakata' together with some growing informations ....they are still alive and flowers each spring.
With help of the great informatons from Paul Cumbleton understand I now a bit more of this wonderful plants

Many thanks to all
Hans

[JPB]

Hans, I keep maculata and praecox warmer than most advises in books/websites. Until flowering in my living room 15-18C and after in my sleeping room 10-15C. Maculata is very late so maybe i kept it too warm Only now they start to shed their leaves and the (flowering) busd ar visible...

Maren, your cf reichenbachiana is beautiful! Mine is quite a bit like yours and very long lasting too. Very fragrant flowers too.
I wonder if some experts (f.i. Paul C.?) could comment on the 'reichenbachiana' status of our plants? They look quite different from the regular praecox. It has only three callus ridges below and two more higher up the throat....

Hans