Newbie Pleione Questions

[cristoff]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum. I've been reading for awhile, and have finally decided to join.
I need to pick the brains of the amazing Pleione growers here.

Background story:
Bought my first Pleione formosana with bud just starting in early 2008. Flowered well, and then it grew well over the summer. I thought really well, as both new bulbs it produced were bigger then the original bulb I bought. Lost it's leaves in October fine, and I placed it in the fridge for the winter.

Problem #1
In early February took a peek and noticed two nice eyes on both bulbs. Planted them up, and waited.
Now that some time has passed, and the eyes have started growing, the growths are mature enough to see that they will not flower this year.
I've clearly assumed wrong in thinking that since the plant I bought last year flowered on a smaller bulb, the two new bigger ones would also flower.
What have I done wrong? Does the plant maybe require higher light then I've given it after it's winter rest to trigger flowers instead of leaves(the window they are in now doesn't get the brightest light)? Longer rest period? Warmer temperature after rest?

Problem #2
Since I thought I grew the plants decent enough(ha ha), I ordered some more Pleione formosana (some are flowering, some are not), and I also ordered a Pleione speciosa/pleionoides. Looked fine, with a nice new growth just starting on the side. Potted it up when I received it in late February. It grew maybe 3 millimeters and has just sat there since. No growth. Nothing. Growth is still green, but nothing.

Sorry for the long post.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Look forward to participating in this great forum!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Welcome to the Forum Cristoff !
As far as I can tell from your message, I do not see any grave mistakes that might be at the origin of your 'problems'...

I think you've been discovering the sometimes mysterious behaviour of Pleione...  we all do our best to please them and to grow them well but sometimes they just won't do what we'd like them to do...    All of us that grow them have been wondering why : temperature shocks ?  Too warm Too dry ??  To wet

If you have not discovered it yet, you will learn a lot from Paul Cumbleton's website : http://www.pleione.info/
As to the problems you mention :

1) I have also had the sadning experience that a bulb having flowered nicely and devided itself into two apparantly sound looking new bulbs just won't flower the next year ?  Why that's another matter.  Maybe, just maybe, you didn't feed them enough last growing season - half strength tomato fertilizer every other watering is what I normally apply...
They might flower for you next year without any apparant reason though !

2) Newly acquired bulbs do sometimes 'skip' flowering for a year, probably having to adjust to new growing circumstances.
A bulb that's starting to make a bud that then suddenly stops developping for a number of weeks is another matter.. my experience is that it might turn brown in a matter of a few more weeks...    After that, you have to hope that another shoot is developped... if that doesn't happen, I'm afraid the bulb may be lost, unless some bulbils are formed on top of the old bulb.  If that happens, these may do well but will take 2 or 3 years to get to flowering size...
Did you water the newly planted bulb ?  If you did, that also might be the reason, as this might cause the newly forming roots to rot off...

Welcome to Pleione world Cristoff !
I'm sure some other Forum members will add to this !

Happy growing anyway ! 

[cristoff]

Thank you so much for your very informative reply. One of the many reasons I've decided to join, people here share their experiences and knowledge. Not like many other places where growers go to show off, and not share their methods of growing.
I only hope that I can gather as much information as I can, apply it, and one day share my experience with someone starting out also.

Yes, I've just discovered Paul Cumbleton's website this year. A great resource. Thank you for the reminder.

#1) I do remember barely feeding my Pleione last year, and I also just used regular plant fertilizer. Maybe that could be the problem. This year I will try what Paul recommends on his site.

#2) My fingers are crossed, but that may be the fate of my speciosa/pleionoides. I have not been watering. Maybe it just didn't like me and decided to off itself. LOL 

Once again thank you for your welcome and reply.

Anyone else have an ideas/suggestions?

[Eric Locke]

I too add my welcome Cristoff.

Further to Luc"s comments I could add a few more - 
Firstly I believe it is not neccesary to put bulbs in the fridge over winter ! I have tried this and I find these often refuse to flower and grow badly afterwards,which I think is due to the shock of being removed to a more variable enviroment afterwards. I just leave them in the pots in the greenhouse (which is kept frost-free) untill re-potting .Others just store them in a shed or garage in paper bags.

Go very easy on the early watering and gradually increase this during the season.

Regular feeding during the season makes a huge difference to how your bulbs will grow and I feed a minimum of once a week during the season. I start with a high nitrogen feed followed by a balanced one mid season and a high potash fertiliser from August to ripen the new pseudobulbs. Try also to water with rain water where possible

I would also try some of the many hybrids ,as I find many are much easier to grow than Formosana.
Formosana generally seems to like a much wetter mix than most and will struggle if grown in a very free-draining mix.

Best of Luck

Eric

[Danshi]

Hi Eric, I think the fridge method is just a makeshift for people who don't have a more ideal place like a cool greenhouse to overwinter their pleiones.