Multiplying terrestrial orchids

[Maren]

Hi Mark,
that's great news. I look forward to it.

Would you like a pleione in exchange? I don't have any fancy Dactylorhizas.

[SteveC2]

Just had a very nice surpirse!  One of the last dacts to go over was a D. praetermissa.  When I removed it from the pot I found three nice tubers for next year, but then I noticed two tiny shoots in amongst the root ball.  Baby dacts thinks I!  Then as I started to inspect the compost I realised that they were everywhere.  Now I have had dact seedlings before, but usually in pots where I have not noticed them until they were a lot bigger than these.  In a perfect world I suppose that I woud have left well alone, but it was too late for that, so they've gone back into the same pot, same compost and now the wait begins.  Will they survive?  I'll keep you posted.

Photo 1 two of the full grown tubers.
Photo 2 spot the babies.
Photo 3 babies galore.

Just a thought, they look like orchids but are they?

[Botanica]

What a nice suprise...great !

I have some germination last year but it's difficult to have.

[Maren]

Steve,
that was lucky. Congratulations.

[Maggi Young]

Photo 3 babies galore.

 Aww, shucks! Babies are so cute - and that's a whole bunch of cute babies - Congrats Steve 

[SteveC2]

I'm a little puzzled by all these congratulations!  It's not as if I've had a baby, (now that would be something).  These are self sown seedlings, found by accident.
I just thought that people might be interested in seeing these critters at such a small stage.  Certainly I will be more careful in collecting and spreading my dact seed in future, and more careful when I repot.
But thanks anyway, a proud father.

[mark smyth]

very exciting! Makes me wonder how many are destroyed while repotting and weeding.

Two well know N Irish gardeners, MG and BG, never have seedling Dactylorhizas despite gardening for a very long time. One is a prolific mulcher and the other is a prolific weeder

[mark smyth]

In July I removed the two new tubers from my variegated Dactylorhiza fuchsii and replanted the mother plant.

Tony posting about his success with Eskimo Nell prompted me to have a look and see what my plant had done. Two new tubers! Because the tuber is still healthy I've potted the plant and put the pot in my sand plunge

Tuber 1 is growing beside the scar caused by removing the tuber in July. Makes me wonder who many dormant tubers are available. I think I'll experiment next year and remove a tuber in early May and see how big the new tuber is in July or August and remove it again.

Tuber 2 is growing upside down

[Maren]

That's very interesting, Mark. I may try to do the same. 

[mark smyth]

Yesterday I was going through some pots with Dactylorhiza I repotted after removing the new tubers. One had produced three small new tubers

[Anthony Darby]

Aww, shucks! Babies are so cute - and that's a whole bunch of cute babies - Congrats Steve 

Are these seedlings or offsets?

[Torsten Junker]

I've been lifting and dividing some of my Dactys today... they seem to have mutiplied reasonably well!
To give an idea of scale, the label is 15cm/6", some tubers after division and a couple of tubers before division:

I am (and have been for a couple years) desperately searching for D. 'Eskimo Nell', can anyone point me in the direction of somewhere that offers it? Does anyone have it?

[Michael J Campbell]

I may have a spare Eskimo Nell next summer. Have given quite a few away so will have to wait and seed what comes in the spring.