Bletilla striata

[Véronique Macrelle]

Hello,
I start in the garden video, I want to make a 'handcrafted' style, but precise, if possible where we feel the lived.
please, what do you think of this Bletilla striata video?

it's the Bletilla from my garden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSA4jr2k1WY&feature=youtu.be

[Steve Garvie]

Very interesting!
I have only grown Bletilla (badly) in pots.

Your video makes me want to try them in the garden. Thank you! 

[ruweiss]

Excellent, thank you for this good work.

[Jan Jeddeloh]

That's a nice little video.  Can you also divide bletilla in the spring?

[Véronique Macrelle]

thank you all three
let's say rather at the end of winter than in spring, that is, in February in the northern hemisphere, because it restarts very early.

[ChrisB]

I’ve had this more than 15 years now and only got a flower once.  It has spread about some, but all I get is foliage ...

[Véronique Macrelle]

astonishing, would it lack light?
 the white form that I have had for 2 years looks less vigorous (3 stems), and has not yet flowered.

the more ordinary Bletilla, I have had it for 15 years, and it widens over 1m: it makes many floral stems. I do not give fertilizers, because I think it is harmful for mycorrhizal fungi and and associated soil microorganisms of rhizosphere.

[brianw]

There is a large patch of this in a neighbour's garden, maybe a square yard or so. Lots of flowers, 2 feet or so tall; mixed up a bit with Iris unguicularis? Against a low wall facing SE, but gets little winter sun, because of trees. Heavy chalky soil.
(I have a smaller patch of the iris in a sand bed outside our SW window. ~12 flowers at present)
I am trying to decide if I should put some Bletilla against the NW wall of our house. Will get tree filtered late afternoon sun in summer but quite sheltered. Maybe I will try some of my garden centre Calanthe there too.

[Véronique Macrelle]

I have not yet dared to plant a Calanthe in my garden. for now I try Cypripedium (1 formosanum + 1 hybrid), but completely changing the nature of the soil otherwise they die (3rd try for c. formosanum)

[SteveC2]

For the past few years, on my walk into town, I have passed an ever increasing clump of Bletilla striata, flowering every year, growing in heavy clay and full sun, here in Lincolnshire.  This means it survived last year’s drought, the Beast from the East, and hopefully this year’s ridiculously wet autumn and winter.
My friend Richard, who bred the Penway hybrids, also has large clumps in similar conditions, and swears by plenty of sun and a soil which doesn'’t dry out, which makes my light sandy soil unsuitable.
I don’t know your conditions but it must be worth a try.

[SteveC2]

A few pictures of Richard's bletillas.  Three shots of plants in beds, and one winter shot of the soil in the bed.

[SteveC2]

And a little off topic I know, but here are the cold frames, south facing, containing a few potted Bletilla.  You could say that he knows his onions.

[SteveC2]

A little out of practice at this lark, forgot to add the picture.

[Véronique Macrelle]

Steve, mine is oriented southeast, in front of the wall of the house. sunny in spring and partial shade in summer. the climate here is horribly humid during winter, and the place is dry in summer this year Bletilla has endured 2 months without any rain and its foliage remained very beautiful until the end of October.
At the same time, there is such a mass of tubers that it has reserves ...
 when on the ground: a thin layer of heavy clay on construction gravel residues.
one year I installed a foot in an area in full sun with potting soil mixed with peat, which dries out a lot in summer, and it worked very well with strong growth. For me, the dryness in summer does not scare him, but here, autumn, winter and early spring are very rainy.

the mass of foliage and flowers in your photos shows how vigorous it can be. the pale pink hue is pretty.