cyps in pots 2014

[monocotman]

a few big un's

Hi,

these three plants are now pretty big, the Sunny is in about a 12 inch pot which used a hold a shrub.
The two Lucy Pinkepank (kentuckiense x tibeticum) clones have huge flowers with the lips about 4 inches across.

Regards,

David

 

[SlipperFan]

Wow!

 

[Spaph]

Awesome, what a display!

 

[Dido]

really great once for sure

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Wow, Lucy P is just out of this world.

 

[NYEric]

I would love to have pots like that down in the garden. thanks for sharing.

 

[monocotman]

a couple of successes

Hi,

a couple that have done well this year.
First up is Pixi with about 55 growths and 30 flowers.
It continues to increase quickly each year!
The buds on the edge flower better than the ones in the middle.
Next is a large flowered tibeticum with 22 growths and 18 flowers.
About my favourite species. It increases well for a species,

Regards,

David

 

[Leo Schordje]

Wonder, truly spectacular specimens. You really have your culture down to an art. I am venturing back into cyps this year and am giving your mostly perlite media a try. Its great that an 8 or 10 inch pot of perlite, doesn't weigh much. My biggest issue seems to be wintering the plants. Wintered outside, I always have rot issues, wintered in an unheated well house, the temps are too warm, they break dormancy too early, and spring growth is weak. I will have to rethink what I will do this coming autumn.

 

[eggshells]

Amazing specimen! This will be my goal Someday.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Wonder, truly spectacular specimens. You really have your culture down to an art. I am venturing back into cyps this year and am giving your mostly perlite media a try. Its great that an 8 or 10 inch pot of perlite, doesn't weigh much. My biggest issue seems to be wintering the plants. Wintered outside, I always have rot issues, wintered in an unheated well house, the temps are too warm, they break dormancy too early, and spring growth is weak. I will have to rethink what I will do this coming autumn.

What do you do in the winter outside? What about wrapping the pot in a freezer bag or trash bag (or two) and burying the pot in leaves?

 

[monocotman]

Overwintering cyps

Linus,
mine are left and pretty much forgotten in an unheated garage from late october until late february.
Normally it gets down to minus 5 at the lowest the pots do not freeze through.
With your much harsher winters I would have thought burying them outside would be a good idea,
David

 

[eggshells]

David, Do you think it would be a good idea to leave it in the unheated garage. But put the pot in a cooler lined with insulation? Our winter can get to -40. Im just thinking of cultivating native cyps in pots like pubescens, and reginae for now.

 

[monocotman]

I don't know. It depends on how good the insulation is.
Maybe a chest freezer that is beyond its useful life would also work to keep out the worst of the frost,
David

 

[Erythrone]

David, Do you think it would be a good idea to leave it in the unheated garage. But put the pot in a cooler lined with insulation? Our winter can get to -40. Im just thinking of cultivating native cyps in pots like pubescens, and reginae for now.

It reminds me someone who tried to keep its grafted roses in pot in a shed, thinking they will be protected. The plants all died...

For hardy plants like the yellow Cyp, I suggest just to put the pots on the groud under white fabric (texcel) and a sheet of plastic. Or if you are like me, you will cover with 3 layers and add a plastic sheet...And remember snow cover is a must... This is how many nursery protect their plants in our region.

I have many hundreds of perennials to protect each fall. Amongs them are some orchids. But remember mouses can be a disaster... They ate my Goodyera last winter.... And I did not see my Spiranthes yet

 

[Linus_Cello]

So again, putting each pot in a freezer bag or trash bag would help protect against mice?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Wow David, that tibeticum is fantastic. :clap:

Linus, I wouldn't recommend using bags outside since they could trap water and cause rot problems. I knew someone who used to plant all his cyps in beds with underground hardware cloth cages and covers. Ron Burch told me once that soil perfector keeps voles and mice from digging into outdoor beds - I guess it is just too hard to dig through for them.

 

[labskaus]

David, your plants are outstanding, I've never seen such an excellent culture in pots before.

You're lucking, though, since you can provide good conditions in winter (cold) and your summers don't get too hot.
In winters here my Cyps would die outside (they did in my first year here) in pots, and in summer they suffer from heat. Temperatures in my cold GH are still too high, with 4-8°C in winter. I need to find another solution for the winters.

 

[Erythrone]

So again, putting each pot in a freezer bag or trash bag would help protect against mice?

For me, keeping hardy perennials in pot is much easier outdoors than in the frigde. For mice control outdoors, under "blankets", rodenticide is ann absolute necessity! And you can use "chicken wire fence" to protect valuable perennials. But I must say all my Cyps are now on the ground...

 

[eggshells]

It reminds me someone who tried to keep its grafted roses in pot in a shed, thinking they will be protected. The plants all died...

For hardy plants like the yellow Cyp, I suggest just to put the pots on the groud under white fabric (texcel) and a sheet of plastic. Or if you are like me, you will cover with 3 layers and add a plastic sheet...And remember snow cover is a must... This is how many nursery protect their plants in our region.

I have many hundreds of perennials to protect each fall. Amongs them are some orchids. But remember mouses can be a disaster... They ate my Goodyera last winter.... And I did not see my Spiranthes yet

OKay. I will cover in plastic and burlap in the fall. Is mulch still a must if I do this?

 

[monocotman]

a few more

Hi,

thanks for the comments.
A couple more as we get towards the end of the season.
First up is Philipp.
This one was one of the first plants I bought in 2006 and when it
flowers well there is a good red picotee edge to the lip and staminode.
Next is Dietrich which has a good scent to go with the growths that usually have two flowers each.
The last photo shows the two with Pixi sitting next to the tomatoes in the greenhouse.
They are in there as we have heavy rain forecast overnight and I don't want them battered!

Regards,

David