Pleione 2012

[monocotman]

Steve -sorry to hear about the loss - hopefully the growths will be OK and you've just lost the buds.
My computer told me that yesterday it was 7 degrees F locally at Bury St  Edmunds in the morning!
Checked my pleiones but so far no sign of any growth whatsoever apart from 'Piton' and even here they are not yet 'shooting'. They're still sat unpotted in plastic bags in an unused fridge in the garage. It's pretty good at protecting them from serious low temps. I leave the fridge door open slightly when it's mild and close it when cold.
Not yet checked the greenhouse but I had a nice white Ipheion in full flower last week, I doubt it looks well now,
David

[SteveC2]

I've found the answer to my own question.  My own outdoor max-min recoreded minus 16 but I didn't believe it.  Now the BBC tell me that Holbeach, which is just down the road had minus 15.6.  Insane! 

[Slug Killer]

I've had to bring a few indoors as they seem more advanced than last year. The mild winter must have started some in to growth just before it went freezing. Pleione humilis is doing OK on a cold windowsill and also Pleione Lucey but the problem with the extra heat is I find the flowers don't last that long with the tips browning quite fast. Pleione Riah Shan should be next.

[Slug Killer]

I thought that my first flowers, Eiger and forrestii were imminent, but last night wiped them out.  Despite my usual parafin heater working as normal, the temperature inside the greenhouse reached minus seven!  Hopefully the bulk of my bulbs which have not yet started into growth will be fine, but these early flower buds turned to mush as it warmed up this afternoon.   Lesson learned the hard way.  Just makes me wonder how cold it was outside?

Bad news mate. I gave up on the paraffin heaters a while back and bought a propane greenhouse heater with frost control. The frost control is not that accurate but I seem to keep my Pleione in the garage about +2 when it's very cold outside. Apart from the few indoors everything else is potted up and stacked up in the garage as its warmer than the greenhouse. 

Works well and seems to last a long time with a big bottle - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-1-9KW-Propane-Bottle-gas-thermostatically-controlled-Greenhouse-Heater-/260935560205?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Structures_Fencing_CV&hash=item3cc0f8ac0d

[Webster008]

Hello everyone,

I am new at growing Pleiones and have a question about my Pleione Formosana. I have kept it in a cold dark cellar during the winter and noticed that 2 flowerbuds are appearing. I know I am supposed to start watering from now, but where do I place it once I have started watering?

Should I move it to a cold bedroom or would it be ok to move it into the living room?

[Maggi Young]

More experienced pleione growers than I will comment Rick.... but I would say that just because there are flower buds appearing, there is no hurry to water your bulbs. Just a light moisture in their substrate, perhaps, but not watering as such... we always waited until we actually saw root growth before we began to water. A very skillled pleione grower, the late Jack Crosland, taught us that method, saying it was too easy to rot the bulbs if water was applied too soon.  

[Graham Catlow]

Hi Rick,
Welcome to the world of Pleione's. I suspect that if you only have P. formosana at the moment when it flowers you will be hooked and more will follow.

The best advice can be found at the two web sites below.
Maggies advice is correct, (but then it always is), the only thing I would add it to move it to your cold bedroom, there is no point in rushing it into flower.

http://www.koolplants.co.uk/Pleione-Cultivation.html

http://www.pleione.info/

Graham

[SteveC2]

I know that parafin heaters are not exactly state of the art but they coped fine with last winter when we had down to minus ten.  Friday night was just silly, minus 16, with minus five as the high on Saturday.  The frost in the garden was just spectacular.  I took all the fleece off my plants today to inspect and I think that my only casualties were the pleiones in bud.  The dormant, dry bulbs look fine which in some ways is encouraging, and confirms my thoughts that they can take the cold as long as they are not in bud or growing.  of course time may prove me wrong.  The proof will be in the flowering.
And David, your barbarae arrived at 4.30 on Friday afternoon.  What did I do?  Did I keep them inside for the night?  Of course not I potted them up and put them outside to suffer with the rest, after all they only forecast minus six!

[Maggi Young]

@ Steve: But minus 16 is crazy for England..... what else could you have done?


 @David.... that propane heater does look quite nifty.... you can hook it up to any size bottle, can you?
It's easier to get bottled gas than parafin now, isn't it? 

[Maren]

Hi Rick,

only just saw your post. I'd move the pleione into your cold bedroom and allow it to develop gradually. Re watering, Maggi's advice is perfect. A little dribble around the inside of the rim is usually enough. Your aim is to keep the compost just moist, not wet. Try to imagine what it would be like for the pleione out in nature. It would not sit in a bone dry environment, there would always be some moisture around the base of the bulbs.
 
Also consider the type of compost you have used. It's got to be very free draining and the pot must have side drainage or sit on pebbles so that any excess water can run out.

Finally, how deeply did you plant your bulb. 1/3 in and 2/3 out is ideal, that will help to protect it from rot.
Good luck and if you'd like more cultivation advice, you could take a look at my website.

[Slug Killer]

And David, your barbarae arrived at 4.30 on Friday afternoon.  What did I do?  Did I keep them inside for the night?  Of course not I potted them up and put them outside to suffer with the rest, after all they only forecast minus six!

Let me know how you get on Steve and if they are lost I'll stick some others in the post to you but they may be a bit smaller. Too be honest x barbarae are not the best at freezing temperatures.

@ Maggi.... Yes you can put any size propane bottle on but may have to swap over the valve connector as BBQ type connectors are push on but larger bottles tend to have the screw fitting. Bottle in picture is 19kg and did last winter and is still only half empty/full due to the temperature control thermostat. This obviously depends where you’re trying to heat as well as if it was -16 it would have used much more by now. Although there is the initial cost of the heater and bottle, it works out far cheaper in the long run than using paraffin.
Sorry about pic quality but taken quickly in dark garage using phone.

[Maren]

Hi,
my greenhouses are quite a long way from home, therefore I use an arrangement with two gas bottles, connected by an automatic changeover device. As you can see in the picture, there is an arrow on the changeover, pointing to the right hand bottle, and it is red. This means:
- the bottle pointed at is empty,
- supply has switched to the bottle on the left hand side,
- now is the time to order some more gas.

I order 2 bottles at a time, which saves on delivery cost. The first one is connected by the Calor delivery man and the second sits there until I need it and I connect it myself. One needs a special spanner for that, which I obtained from a chandlers' at Marlow Marina. People on boats use a lot of gas for cooking etc.

[Maggi Young]

Great info, Steve and Maren.... thanks 

[ronm]

We use this set up for our house. All of the parts required can be obtained at most camping/caravanning stores.

[Slug Killer]

Great info, Steve and Maren.... thanks  

Glad to be of help

Pleione Riah Shan, a new one for me.