cyps in pots 2012

[angie]

Thanks Maren. I shall pick some up tomorrow.

Angie 

[Peter Maguire]

David,
I've enclosed a couple of photos of where the Cyps and a few other orchids are kept for the summer (they spend the winter under the greenhouse bench). They are in a similar situation to yours, outside the greenhouse at the north end. The greenhouse is shaded in the summer (if we ever get any) and although there is direct sunlight on the south end of the greenhouse for about an hour per day (house to the east, large sycamore and 8ft high wall to west), the Cyps don't really get direct, strong light. This seems to be a fair compromise between too much shading, which draws the plants up, and too little, so they go crispy around the edges.
The watering is really a just a light misting for 15 minutes (you can see the tubing on the outside of the greenhouse in the first photo) twice per day as I mentioned earlier. The second photo shows the new growth that is most advanced - looks OK to me. I therefore think that what I need to do is to use a supplementary feed more frequently - you seem to be feeding at about 3-4 times the frequency that I do, and it certainly doesn't seem to be doing your plants any harm!

Incidentally, the Cyp about to flower in the second picture is in a pot with the label 'Epipactis royleana'! I'll just have to see which Cyp pot the Epipactis comes up in; just goes to show how easy it is to make mistakes when repotting.

[monocotman]

Peter,

good to see your photos - your set up looks very similar to mine.
The pots look big enough and the plants look great. Good colour.
It sounds like your original thought was correct and they just need a bit more feed.
I'm not sure that I feed as much as they can take - apparently the leaf edges burn when they receive too much.
But it may be a bit difficult to tell this from the more usual stress effects from summer heat!
You don't have to talk to me about incorrectly labelled cyps.
I have at least six hybrids that turned out quite different to expected, from a variety of different sources,

Regards,

David

[Peter Maguire]

This mistake was all my own effort!

[Stephen Vella]

David thanks the advice,
 I can follow your recommendations, sounds like similar cultural conditions and mix but i use seramis for the cation exchange, will need to dose up on the regular watering and feeding. I also need to over pot and look out for compaction/sour look to the mix when I repot this autumn. Looking at the roots will be a good indicator (white tips) not black.
In regards to sunlight they really benifit from broken light all day in early spring but need more shade in summer,the eucalypts here let in broken direct light all day but I think  it's too much in summer especially for macranthos and going dormant early in summer.
In regards to temperature tolerance  ive seen them go through 6 weeks at 30c and are fine more important to keep roots cool.
David what's your max, min temps?
Cheers

[monocotman]

Stephen,

I can't comment on the relative performance of seramis and perlite - it might be an interesting experiment.
I just know that when I repot cyps from the perlite compost there are usually 100% white healthy roots.
Some are several years old.
It is certainly true that the secret to good increase is a green leaf canopy that lasts as long as possible.
'Sunny' is the first to produce leaves and the last to die down - into late October.
I'm sure this is the reason it increases so well.
A pubescens that has died down prematurely(don't know why) for a couple of years has stayed at 4 stems.
My plants just receive early morning sun. They seem fine with this and don't seem to stress even when it's warm.
30-32 degrees would be a super hot summer day for us and one that we see only once or twice a year.
25 - 28 degrees is more common for hot weather.
Winter lows are usually down to  -5 degrees but we saw -13 this winter for one night.
The day didn't get above -5. It defoliated a nice daphne bholua just starting to flower but this cold is unusual.
Most winter days are above 0 degrees,

Regards,

David

[Ezeiza]

Regardless of what the seller could claim L.E.C.A. balls do not assist drainage as they are highly water absorbent. Used as a topping for mix they can be useful to maintain a humid atmosphere.

[Slug Killer]

Sorry Ezeiza but I disagree as LECA can be used to aid drainage.

If you had a pot full of LECA the medium would be very free draining with high air filled porosity (AFP) yet retaining good water holding capacity (WHC). These two properties may appear to conflict but don’t really. The aim is to create a fairly coarse medium which does not hold any free water between the particles but in which the particles themselves absorb and hold water. The spaces between particles must be full of nothing but air and that's why they are used in Aquaponics/hydroponics and also extensively on golf courses/sports and playing fields where drainage is needed below the greens to stop flooding but still promote growth above.

They are also used for adding drainage layers to landfill sites and filter drains on motorways/highways.

The reason many growers use perlite, seramis and pumice is for exactly the same reason. They all retain water (at different absorption rates) but provide air filled porosity allowing the plants roots to take water when needed but not sit in a soaking wet mix as excess water flows freely away.

[Stephen Vella]

Dave, sounds like your on a good thing with temps (but you can have your winter brrr) and the right mix and set up...sunny sounds like a good performer. Formosanum is still in green leaf and its mid autumn here had 3c 2 nights already.
Slug killer can I pick your brains on a mix you use for Asian cyps particularly macranthos??
Cheers

[Slug Killer]

Hi Stephen

I use a simple mix of coarse perlite and pumice. Probably about 30-40% pumice but it's just guess work when I'm mixing. The best results I've had are when pots with many holes drilled in to the sides are sunk in to a raised bed which contains garden soil but the pot sits on 10cm of pumice for drainage. You could of course do away with the pot and just fill a hole with the mix but I find it easier to lift out and inspect every year or so. Even then be careful as the roots obviously grow through the holes and can be snapped when lifting.

The main reason I use this method as opposed to oversize pots with perlite pumice mix is that I go away for more than three days at a time and during our hotter summer days and this mix dries out quickly. When sunken and surrounded by normal soil it can then absorb some water from it's surrounding and it also keeps them cooler. I now feed everything at half strength once every two weeks.

Overwintering they have been left in the ground or in pots which are frozen solid and as long as they are still dormant will come to no harm.

My best growth area using large planters has been behind one of my greenhouses where there is good light all day but no direct sunlight. They get covered over during the winter months to protect from the rain but still left outside.

These photos are now 3-4 years old as I no longer grow any Cyps for sale and just concentrate on Pleione.

[Stephen Vella]

Hi Slug Killer
A simple mix with great results and nice green growth. Interesting to see them planted in what looks like wine barrels. They too would absorb moisture and release it through evaporation..was that intentional or are they lined with plastic?
I have some larger Cyps planted in a large terracotta bowl that is lined but sunken in garden soil by half to keep cool and hoping the terracotta would evaporate moisture.

I'm going to try your method of a pot of holes sunken into a raised bed ...makes sense where theres movement of moisture from the sides. I have a few to experiment with and see what works best
cheers

[Slug Killer]

No they are not lined with plastic and as they don't get direct sunlight at any time of the day, absorption is minimal once they have been soaked a few times.

One thing I missed out when sinking pots in to the ground is that I make the diamater 4-5cm bigger than the pot and fill the surround with the same pumice/perlite mix. The new roots that make it through the holes in the pots then tend to stay there rather than try and dig in to the soil which makes lifting out to check and re-pot easier.

[monocotman]

Hi,
Following Stephen Vella's comments on issues with macranthos culture in another thread, here is a photo of six macranthos clones from various sources. Some grow better than others.
The six clones are the front 2 rows of pots.
Front row.
Left - two macranthos 'red russian' (probably the same as 'Baikal') seedlings from Crustacare.
Third year of growth and maybe just flowering size. One seedling has two shoots. Doing quite well.
Middle  - originally a seedling from phytesia. Leaves are way too yellow but recovering. Two FS growths this year from one last.
Right - 'pink x semi alba' from floralpin. New growth about the same size as last year. Flowered last year. Marking time.
Back row.
Left - another phytesia seedling. This one lost its growth mid season last year on a windy day. I'm relieved that a new smallish shoot has appeared.
Middle - 'pink' strain from Floralpin. Probably has some ventricosum blood in it.Third year of growth and yet to flower despite good growth. 2 stems last year up to four this year with two big enough to flower. Probably has a bit of hybrid vigour.
Right  - 'semi alba' from Floralpin. Nice white flower with a few streaks of pink in the middle. One stem and flower last year and the same this year. However this growth is much thicker than last year's.
So overall growth is slow and steady in perlite - about what I'd expect of species generally,
Regards,
David

[angie]

Hi Angie,

like others on this forum I use Epsom salts to 'green' up the leaves of not only cypripediums but other plants too including pleiones, usually two application per year, a couple of months apart. It can be obtained easily in most garden centres.

Maren I picked up the epson salts today, do you just apply as directions. It said to sprinkle on the soil and fork in, then it says do not touch plant leaves or stems. Now thats the bit I don't like, maybe it melts once you water it in. Would I be better just spraying the leaves. See what like I am I worry about everything  .

See all those lovely pictures of pots of Cypripediums 

Angie 

[Stephen Vella]

Hi David,
Good thing you mentioned clones of macranthos, not something i thiught of when considered...mine are the red russions from crusticare. I found them to be very easy at first as I had 100% success in the first year from flask to sand\perlite,10% bark compared to other species and cvs, they really stood out. So many variables to consider but forms with vigor would make for a better plant but I don't know what the other forms you have to compare. Keep us posted how these go and be nice to see some flowers

Also worth considering I tend to write the potting mix reciepe on the back of the tag and date it so I know when it's due for repotting and if I want to change the mix etc.
Cheers