cyps in pots 2012

[mark smyth]

Today I'll be repotting my Cyps. Can I grow them in a clay pot in a sand plunge until they start to grow and then move them outside?

As you can tell I never got round to planting them outside

[Peter Maguire]

Can I grow them in a clay pot in a sand plunge until they start to grow and then move them outside?

They should be ok Mark. You need to keep them frost-free, so either keep the plunge fairly dry and plunge fully, or if the plunge is kept watered at infrequent intervals over the winter, then plunge to 1/2 to 2/3 depth and make sure the tops of the pots are kept frost free - cover with something (fleece, bubble wrap. or similar). They need a little moisture over the winter, so the second option would be the one I would go for myself.

[mark smyth]

half plunged it is. Thanks.

Planting only in perlite is so unnatural to me

[angie]

Planting only in perlite is so unnatural to me

Haven't had the nerve to do this Mark so I will be interested to hear what your thoughts are. I plunge my pots in my coldframe and have a polycarbonate over them. Last year I took them into the greenhouse as they had started to grow really early on and I was a bit concerned about the frosts.

Mine are all potted up and ready for the big show next year 

Angie 

[Anthony Darby]

I didn't tell my cyps about being frost free. Mine seem to cope down to -18^oC in glazed or plastic pots standing on the slabbed patio. Here are three from 2010. I moved the X Ventricosum Album for photographing but you can see where it was next to 'Sabine', both of which had not been moved for three years. The 'Emil' was in the garden.

[Hans A.]

Hope it is not a stupid question: Is it necessary to repot them every year? Anthony mentioned: "both of which had not been moved for three years"
I grow them in a mineralic mix with no organic components. Most are still very green with new shots  already visible at the surface.

[Maren]

Hello Hans,

I grow mine in a similar mix and was astonished to find that after even one year, there was some organic content in the pot. I scratched my head for a long time wondering where that had come from. And then it occurred to me: it must have been old roots that rotted away to make room for new roots.  I may be wrong but I can't think of anything else. So I re-pot mine every year now, just to be on the safe side, and it seems to have better results. 

Of course, your culture may be so excellent that you never get any dead roots in the pot.

[Botanica]

Very nice Cyps Anthony Darby !

Good grow for the latest picture 

[monocotman]

Hans,

Here is some conflicting advice!
I only repot my plants when absolutely necessary.
Some of my plants stay in the same mainly inorganic mix for 5 years.
If I could keep worms out of the pots then I would very rarely repot.
You can be succesful whether you repot frequently or not - your choice!

Regards,

David

[Maren]

Hello David,

I keep worms out of my pots by lining the bottom with shade netting. Also keeps out slugs and other wildlife, keeps in the gritty compost and does not impede drainage.

[monocotman]

Hi Maren,

thanks for the tip. It is some thing that I've been meaning to do.
A bit worried about anything that could possibly impede drainage long term.
This autumn I discovered that one of the cyps I repotted had a problem because some of the drainage holes weren't punched through properly when I bought them and still had thin bits of plastic covering the holes.
Only half the holes were fully functional. My fault for not checking.
I use the robust 8 inch black pots from Stewart for most plants.
The pots are quite expensive but last for ages.
I should have checked them internally before use.

Regards,

David

[Hans A.]

Thanks a lot David and Maren - now I know they can kept for several years without repotting.
Sorry Maren, doubt my culture is excellent, but as I grow them in the mediterranean I hope that the mineralization of organic material is so fast, that there should be no harm...

[Stephen Vella]

Theres was talk about Cyps in clay pots...I use clay pots and I line them with a plastic bag to help keep the moisture in. I have Cyp formosanum flowering in a clay bowl. I like these bowls as Cyp roots like to spread out and you get bigger clumps. This one had 15 flowers in an organic mix and was divided 2 yrs ago.I find that the hybrids prefer an organic mix and it hold the moisture better and some perlite to give better drainage. I keep the more "minerial" mixes for the species.

cheers

[Stephen Vella]

I finally did manage to divide up my seedling pots to find healthy white roots that spread out, the brown ones are the older roots and some have decayed. This one was potted in an oversize pot with perlite, gritty sand and some bark fines, seramis. It didnt flower but hopefully next year.

cheers

[Botanica]

Hello Stephen Vella

Extra good Cyp formosanum ! 15 flower for one plant ..so good!
How many year for this plant ?
You have other species or hybrids in your garden ?Some picture to present to you ?