Cyp. acaule

[abax]

If I may ask, have any of you lovely Cyp. growers ever managed to bloom
acaule either in your garden or in pots? I've tried a couple of times to
transplant a stand on our property that is dying out due to pine bark
beetles killing the trees they grow under with no success beyond a year to
two. I duplicate soil, temps., sunlight as closely as possible. I'm heartbroken about losing this wonderful group of plants.

 

[Rick]

You might check out the Vermont Lady Slipper site.

And also get a copy of Growing Hardy Orchids by John Tullock

John is from East TN and seemed to grow them pretty easily. I think he also references the work done by the Durkee's at VLS.

Having a VERY acid soil seems to be key for this species.

 

[NYEric]

Vinegar in water .

 

[likespaphs]

i thought i had seen a culture sheet somewhere about Cyp acaule, but if so, i can't find it anymore

 

[Rick]

Vinegar in water .

That was part of the Durkee pot protocol.

I can't recall the link address, but as Likepaphs mention there is a culture article on the web. Maybe its still on the VLS site.

 

[naoki]

Here is a great info from Tom (botanyboy):

http://botanyboy.org/the-moccasin-flower-cypripedium-acaule/

I have to use 2 TBS/gallon of white vinegar (which says "5% acidity") to get the pH down to 4.25 from pH 6.80 of Rain water. With 1TBS, it only goes down to pH 4.5.

This page contains some info from Eric:
http://culturesheet.org/orchidaceae:cypripedium:acaule

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I have luck with them out at my LI place in Cutchogue. However, C. acaule is native there, and there are some wild plants within a few blocks of my house. My soil is nearly pure sand, forest is dry oak. Soil pH is 3.9, virtually no nutrients. I've bought plants from various sources, and just put them directly in the soil with no amendments. My biggest problem is with squirrels digging them up.

 

[abax]

Very acid soil I've got. The original stand grew under a very thick layer of pine needles that is now gone. When I transplanted, I also used pine needle mulch and the soil read as quite acid. Cyp. acaule is native here, but
apparently transplanting is a deadly shock to them. Perhaps I should bring
in some "foreigners" and try again. Uh oh, I have lots of squirrels too!

Just as an aside, I had squirrels digging in my hayrack baskets of annuals for a long time.
This year I planted lemon thyme in the baskets with annuals and the squirrels haven't
gotten near my baskets. There's something about lemon thyme...

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

When are you planting them? Timing is crucial. I think fall is best...I've even planted rescue acaules, still in full leaf, in September without a problem. Early spring is OK too, but very early...there should be no growth beyond swelling of the bud. For me, that's late March-early April. If at all possible, try fall planting. Also, FWIW, since NY has very hot, sometimes dry summers, I have had better luck with acaule's from southern sources rather than northern sources, which may be acclimated to cooler, wetter summers. Some of my best were rescue plants from the Atlanta area.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Another thing....while acaule always requires low pH and low nutrients, different populations deal with different amounts of water. The native acaules near me are used to very dry summers...I've seen them go 8 weeks in the woods during the summer with no rain at all. But I've also seen acaule growing streamside in very wet circumstances. So the water requirements of your source plants may be different from the requirements you can provide.

 

[abax]

I'll have to try fall planting. We tried in the spring both times. The area
where they originally grew was wet most of the time and I tried to duplicate
the conditions. Perhaps I over-did it. Thank you, Eric. You've encouraged me to try again.

 

[NYEric]

When Charles took me to an acaule site in upstate NY, they were growing (blooming) very dry.

 

[chris20]

Years ago I visited Walden Pond near Concord, MA in early May and every six feet or so was a blooming Cyp. acaule. There were hundreds of them. They were growing under mature pine trees and I suspect the soil was very acidic and also sandy. Also probably dry conditions.

 

[abax]

Apparently, the species is adaptable, except when I transplant. The addition of coarse sand to the planting area just might be a goooood idea.
Hmmmmmm.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

The sandier the better.

 

[NYEric]

I got some acaules from eBay. Unfortunately the vendor did not wait to let them go dormant before shipping; so I have erc'd them on the hottest week of the year so far. I am going to the pet store tomorrow to get some litmus paper then will try to pot them in various media.

 

[abax]

Good luck, NYEric...or at least better luck than I've had.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

There is no way to get dormant acaule at this time of year. I wouldn't order acaule's after April or before October.

 

[Dido]

I grow some in pots and bloomed 3 of them this year.
2 I cutted after starting spike 1 I let flower and pollinated it the smell was really great will put pic in later. As I had no time the last weeks to post

 

[NYEric]

168 hours in a week and no time to post! oke: