Cypripedium 2012

[angie]

What a display, mine are all looking so sad, heads hanging down with all this rain and miserable weather that we are having.

I would never move from that spot if I had that display, a wonderful sight 

Angie 

[monocotman]

Jan - a fantastic sight.
 Can you tell us how you grow them so well?
Thanks,
David

[Maren]

...and can you please tell us where you grow these lovely cypripediums??

[Maren]

Angie,

staking is the answer. I'm just off with a bundle of flowersticks and a bag of lever loops. The sticks I have chosen are a lot longer than the cyps - you can always cut them short just below the flower but you cant make them longer....

One end of each stick has been cut at a slant so that it goes easily into the substrate without destroying the roots. A gentle wiggle usually does it.

Cyps usually don't need staking if the are in a mass with lots of nice companion plants to support them. But pots is another matter...

[angie]

Thanks Maren,  thats something I better do this as all we need is some wind now and then I can imagine the stem will snap. I even thought about putting them in my polytunnel but then when the sun comes out it gets really hot in their, especially if I forget to open the doors. Hopefully the cold nights will soon be gone and and I can stop fretting about my plants. My hubby keeps saying to me, I thought gardening was meant to be relaxing and you worry more about the plants that you do about me. Well he can feed and dress himself can't he  , plants need a little help 

Maren I do hope I meet up with you one day, you have been so helpful 
Angie 

[Maren]

Hi Angie,

I hope we'll meet up, too. Maybe at the next big rock event??

When I went to see my cyps today, they had grown in leaps and bounds, buds everywhere. But the rotten old snails had been about, too, so another little handful of pellets was administered. It's a job keeping up with them.

[monocotman]

Maren,
have you tried hydroleuca for top dressing?
I can honestly say that in six years I've never had any problems with them.
I do use slug pellets intermittently but would have expected some damage occasionally if it
didn't discourage them.
I have to agree about the rain - the cyps seem to have enjoyed it despite the cold temperatures,
Regards,
David

[Maren]

Hi David,

I like the idea of using hydroleca, but that would be a bit counter productive in my case. My cyps are potted in a mixture of Seramis and pumice, and I can detect from the colour, whether the plants need watering or not. If I cover the tops with hydroleca, I loose this useful indicator.

Tomorrow I'll put slug tape around the pots in one frame only to see whether that makes any difference. - But thanks for the suggestion.

[Alessandro.marinello]

Cypripedium fargesii

[Jan]

C. calceolus and C. ventricosum

[Anthony Darby]

Your calceolus is unlike any I've ever seen. The pouch is so dark.

[WimB]

Cypripedium fargesii

Superb, Allesandro!

C. calceolus and C. ventricosum

Beautiful plants, Jan! I have to agree with Anthony...I've never seen such a dark C. calceolus...it's really drool-worthy!

[Tony Willis]

My first two in flower
Cypripedium formosanum
Cypripedium plectrochilum

[Stephen Vella]

Wow Jan how do you grow your Cyps in the garden, its a mass of colourfull slippers...what have you added to your garden soil?..looks like bark and ??

[monocotman]

Jan, lovely pix. Your calceolus looks very like shanxiense,
David