My Pleione trail for 2012

[Dido]

Blaukorn is one of the oldest fetilizer

In Old days, where a lot of farmers could not reall read they made the fertilizer in different colour,
Blaukorn was one of the fertilizer with all ingredients.

Now there are new generation with micronutrients.

I am using this kind for all my orchids and my Cyps really like it.

It is not so salty like the granulated ones.

http://www.compo-hobby.de/blaukorn_novatec_fluessig_(blefl)_produktinfo_11-12_adl_3_5775.file

 

[Hakone]

Germane Fertilizer

red : 13-13-21 , N/P/K
yellow : 15-15-15 , N/P/K
blue ( Blaukorn ): 12-12-17 , N/P/K



Source :

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehrnährstoffdünger

 

[Marc]

Well my order from Albiflora is delayed because of the freezing tempartures but for some reason my Pleione collection is allready growing. This is how it looks currently:

The small ceramic pot in the front holds a different clone of formosana, not quite sure yet if they will stay in the pot or I'll repot them in a somewhat bigger and deeper plastic pot.

Two pots with big and medium sized pseudobulbs, these were labelled as Pleione white, I expect them to be a white form of formosana.

Bulbils + small bulbs of both the previous shown white form and some coloured form that I found in the same pot, due to the color difference of the bulbs it's easy to keep them apart so I have no problem with putting them in the same pot.

 

[Lanmark]

New growth! How exciting! I look forward to your continued updates. :clap:

 

[John M]

Looking good! Please post pics when they're blooming.

 

[SlipperFan]

Almost like watching a birth...

 

[NYEric]

MMmmmm. placenta stew!

 

[Marc]

Thanks all.

Today I was contacted by Albiflora to ask if it was ok to have the order shipped. I checked the weather sites and send a mail back confirming that it's ok to ship the plants.

So expect an update by the end of the week!

 

[Marc]

Yeeeha my goodies from Albiflora arived, unfortunately no big fat bulbs with more then one new growth but that's no surprise as they will probably be used for vegetative reproduction.

The bulbs themselves were wrapped with lightly moist spagnum moss and then wrapped with kitchen foil. Each package was clearly labelled with it's contents.

Front left: limprichtii
Front right: pleionoides incl. 2 bulbils that I didn't pay for. Weeee free gifts!!!
Center: formosana Alba Clara
Back left: voltolinii
Back right: speciosa Red Leaf

 

[Dido]

Great purchase, we want to see the flowers
wish you luck with them

 

[W. Beetus]

Exciting! I've always wanted to try Pleiones.

 

[quaker]

I have difficulty with Pleiones . I took this pic at our local show which was entered by a very old lady. She said that she keeps them in rockwool and uses a toothpick to test if they need watering and keeps them cool. I'm sure you will agree that these are fantastic.

Ed

 

[Lanmark]

I'm sure you will agree that these are fantastic.

Ed

Wowser! :drool:

 

[SlipperFan]

Fantastic -- yes -- the right word!

 

[NYEric]

I have difficulty with Pleiones .Ed

I thought you were going to say, this was your collection!

 

[quaker]

I thought you were going to say, this was your collection!

If only!! if only NYEric

Ed

 

[Roth]

I have difficulty with Pleiones . I took this pic at our local show which was entered by a very old lady. She said that she keeps them in rockwool and uses a toothpick to test if they need watering and keeps them cool. I'm sure you will agree that these are fantastic.

Ed

Very well grown...

For my pleione, I used to grow some thousands of many species, as it was a popular good market a couple years ago.

The main point, never do anything that can kill the roots, or it is a mess to restart the plants.

Second, there are limestone loving species, and acid loving species. The former perform better in bark and coir with lime, latter in bark and sphagnum. I usually liquid feed them like all the orchids here, but they get nutricote 13-13-13 when the new leaves are about 3-5 cm. Roughly 20-30 granules for a 12 cm pot. This way it is possible to get 2 mature bulbs at least from one big one. If they are not fed properly, they dig up the reserves in the old bulb mostly, and the new bulbs are too small.

The bulbs that are green can be potted leaving the top 1/3 out roughly. The bulbs that are pink, or whitish must be buried close to the top. In fact some pleione species grow quite deep in the ground, unlike the legend. The only reason many growers advise never to pot them too deep is when you water too early in the season. If the bulb is too deep, the leaf starts at the junction of the potting mix, and it can rot because of the water. If you let them quite dry until the leaf emerges a bit, you are safe and fine.

 

[Faan]

I would not mind having the variety as displayed in the photo. I only have formosana. It is quite difficult to get more plants in South Africa.

What I do is once the leaves are dry I remove the leaves, take the bulbs out of the growing medium (coconut chips), clean the bulbs a bit and put in a dry container into the fridge for the winter. They will come out of there towards the end of spring and put back in the medium in a shallow pot/container. Water at this stage is sparingly. Once they start growing and making flowers they get the same treatment as all my other plants(Paphs).

I started a few years ago with about 5/7 bulbs and I think there are at least 30 - 40 now. I have even been able to keep the small bulbs to survive.

At present I am waiting for the leaves to die off so that they may go for their winter sleep!

If there is someone around who could tell me how to obtain a few more I would appreciate it.

 

[Marc]

Here's the Pleione aurita bulb I picked up at the Bad Salzuflen event this weekend.

My Pleione's seem to respond very well to the coming of spring.

Pleione formosana

Pleione voltolinii

 

[Lanmark]

Oooh sweet! ^ :drool:

Great advice from both Roth and Faan above. :clap: