Carol wrote:
Am I correct in assuming that the ones that grow outside in your area all require a cold, dry winter dormant period ?
Depending on their specific habitat here in the North East - the ones I know all receive plenty of water even when they are dormant. I can't think of any local terrestrial requiring a DRY dormant period. Some of them like Spiranthes surely like a LOT of moisture, but need to drain well. Some grow in true bog conditions, Calopogons like swamps. Cypripedium reginae likes almost swamp conditions/wetlands.
Now do they ALL require a cold spell to bloom? I always thought so!!
…. until I brought a small plant which had come up in our small bog outside, over the Winter inside. I kept it under the Vandas ( warm) flooded it daily ( it was potted up in Peatmoss), and wouldn't you know it bloomed beautiful last Fall around the same time my much stunted looking Spiranthes odorata outside were in bloom. You might remember that one
http://garden.org/thread/view_...
In the meanwhile I had to switch to a larger pot and there are now a bunch of good looking plants growing . So, last Fall I moved the miserable looking leftover Spiranthes also to a pot in Canadian Peatmoss and they look now much better than they ever did growing outside year around. It will be interesting if those bloom too after being treated like a tropical terrestrial.
Regarding the Calanthe Kozu growing in the cage - it was well mulched in the Fall, and - after this exceptionally cold Winter, the plant did come back, but for the first time since I planted it, it did not bloom.
We need to ask someone who took as an example Cyp acaules inside and attempted to grow them potted up, as they do show up like that at some orchid shows. How low does the temperature need to go in the Winter for them to bloom? Is 35 degr F sufficient, or does it have to be frost. I don't know.
Floridians, how well do Bletillas for you outside?
