Hello folks,

[andre]

Quick question... Have a Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens, audit is starting to poke up from its container with 4 2cm green shoots. It blooms once a year and we try not to disturb it. Question do we fertilize and if so how often? Any other tips?
Andre

 

[Stone]

andre, I do not have any Cyps but I do have a few other terrestrials. I think you should be careful about too much feed too early. Most of these plants rely on last season tuber/bulb for their new growth and even flowering. Only much later when the growth is maturing do you need to feed well as they are storing food reserves for the winter. I think this is one of the most important points. Maybe just sprinkle some blood and bone on the pot and incresae your feed slowly over summer.

 

[Dido]

I feed my cyps when they started to open the leaves, you see on the colour if it is ok or not. Mr Frosch recommend to start if the color is not as it should be. I use long time fertilizers in the spring and then I pot from time to time a small amount of fetilizer with micro nutrient in my water, if you look at old thread here you will find the recommendation. I get told not to use organic fertilizer, but I use kelp and liquid amino acids and vitamins from time to time.
As vitamins are benefitial in flask too, here mostly the B forms. I use Vitamin/amino acids for spraying once a month on all my plants together with kelp, but in the winter not too much kelp as my wife is not happy for 4 days with me......