Terrestrial orchids 2011 to 2014

[SteveC2]

But Neil, I suspect that it's not just the mild autumn / winter which has made Tony's plants flower so early, but the cool summer evenings which possibly prompted them to start growing early.  As per last year I'm a few weeks behind Tony, but in general my collection is way ahead of last year.  However as some Ophrys were up in August this is to be expected.  I suspect that in the warmer climate "down sarf" your plants started much later.

[Darren]

I agree. I also think that the very warm spring made my summer-dormant plants (bulbs as well as orchids) go dormant earlier so by the time that cool august arrived they had already had a long enough rest and all evidence suggested autumn had arrived so up they popped. My collection, like yours Steve, is several weeks ahead of 'normal' timing. Oddly just a few plants (e.g. Corybas) have been totally unaffected and will flower in feb as they usually do.

[Maren]

My Corybas diemenicus, which used to be your Corybas, Darren, started flowering a week ago. I am dead chuffed.

[Darren]

Delighted it is flowering for you Maren - I can see buds on mine but they a week or so off flowering yet.

[Jan Methorst]

I have never grown these before but i think this Changnienia is also early in my cool greenhouse.
The bulb was planted aug 2011 and the leaves where there from september.
The lowest temp this winter sofar was 4C.
jan

[Maggi Young]

I thought I remembered this tiny orchid being on display once at the SRGC Early Bulb display but I cannot find the link right now..... I did however, find this, from the late Hans Hoeller:

Changnienia amoena

http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4999.msg144787#msg144787  pix
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4999.msg145178#msg145178  notes

[Graham Catlow]

That's really nice Jan.
Something I would like to grow if I had the right situation.

Graham

[Tony Willis]

Jan  beautiful plant,I have the dark leaved form but have not managed to flower it yet. I do not find it goes completely dormant but new leaves form as the old ones wither.

[Jan Methorst]

Graham
I have very little experience with this plant,but it seems a frostfree greenhouse is enough.

Toni,
I  heard from a relation in China that these plants are found with Camellia's, so i planted my (pseudo)bulbs in limefree McInnes loam and grit and indeed i had a result, i have some more bulbs which also have made leaves, a bit smaller but hopefully they flower next year,they will stay in the same pot in case there is any mycorrhizal fungi activity.
jan

[Neil]

Also a bit more info here

http://web.archive.org/web/20080117172404/http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/27143.html?

[Maren]

Jan,
congratulations, that's a really lovely flower. I have been looking for Changnienia amoeba for a long time, but cannot trace anybody who will sell them. That's such a pity because I have exactly the right conditions for it.

[monocotman]

 Jan,
that is a real beauty, I'd love to try it.
Maren  if you ever find a source let me know!
On a different tack, I've just repotted two ponerorchis graminifolia that  I bought from T&M maybe three years ago.
There were originally three but one didn't make it through the first season.
They seem surprisingly easy to grow and they receive the same treatment as my pleiones.
Grown in a perlite/bark/moss compost and dried off in the winter.
They sailed through last years freezing December without a problem in a cold greenhouse and this year there must be around 10 small rhizome- type furry things to repot.
How has anyone else got on with them?
Anyone know a source of named/coloured forms?
I remember Rareplants offering some a few years ago,
Regards,
David

[Neil]

The only person I have seen who had them for sale was Christian Lueg at www.ground-orchids.de , may be worth asking him, even though he has listed them as sold out, he may have some available.



edited to fix broken link

[winwen]

Hello,
I think that currently no one offers Changnienia for sale due to its growth-cycle (it is active now with a green leaf). In summer or early autumn it is usually available at eBay when it is dormant. It starts making a leaf in October.

[Darren]

Jan,
that is a real beauty, I'd love to try it.
Maren  if you ever find a source let me know!
On a different tack, I've just repotted two ponerorchis graminifolia that  I bought from T&M maybe three years ago.
There were originally three but one didn't make it through the first season.
They seem surprisingly easy to grow and they receive the same treatment as my pleiones.
Grown in a perlite/bark/moss compost and dried off in the winter.
They sailed through last years freezing December without a problem in a cold greenhouse and this year there must be around 10 small rhizome- type furry things to repot.
How has anyone else got on with them?
Anyone know a source of named/coloured forms?


I remember Rareplants offering some a few years ago,
Regards,
David

I find them pretty trouble free too David. I have once been very late watering them in spring and they dried out too much and I lost some as a result. I'm very tempted to give some water very soon now for fear of it happening again! Otherwise I grow them as you do.

I have no source of named varieties though. I know Laneside had 'mixed' ones which I selected some nice ones from when I saw their display at a show one year.