Pleione autumn 2009

[Eric Locke]

Hi all

As we move into a new season, I thought starting a new thread would be welcome.
What better way to start ,than with Pleione Maculata .
This I hope is the first of many.

Eric

[Ragged Robin]

If this is the starting point, Eric, where will it lead with such loveliness 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very nice Eric !! 
I guess I should try it sometime... sigh...

[Eric Locke]

Very nice Eric !! 
I guess I should try it sometime... sigh...

Luc

There are many Pleione more difficult than Maculata, so give it a try.
Only difference with Maculata is that it needs much more heat than any of the others and can be grown indoors all year round .
 I keep mine above 15 deg c all year round as it really does not have a rest period.

Eric

[JPB]

Nice maculata, Eric! Apparently it still has leaves... Are you're still watering the plants? And at what temperature do you keep them now?

Hans

[Eric Locke]

 Hans ,this one is early compared to rest in the pot and has lost it"s leaves.
Another one in the same pot is already producing next years leaves instead of flowering.
Yes I am still watering and never completely stop . Temperature is around 20 deg C .
I find these do not rest at all, which can be a problem when re-potting as the new roots start to grow before the old ones die off and this often leads to some unavoidable root damage.
I will re-pot them as soon as the last flower has finished.

Eric

[LarsB]

I've only grown maculata for a year but despite all good advise i grow it in the unheated greenhouse from July until last weekend where it came into the 'conservatry'. The temperature in the greenhouse was down to around 8 degrees celsius at night and as low as 13 during the day. It will spend the time until new growth has started at temperatures between 10 and 202 degrees, then down in the livingroom. Judding from the size of the bulbs and general condition it like the treament.

Kind regards

Lars

[Eric Locke]

I have grown Maculata in a similar way too Lars, but found that they did well in some years and others all were lost  
I find them more reliable if grown indoors all year where they get more attention.
Possible causes of loss - This could be either the temperature or the summer drownings they get by living near the others.
Indoors I water mainly from below but sometimes dribble water down the pot edge. Also mist the leaves.

Eric

[LarsB]

Practically all my plants go outside or to the greenhouse in the summer, which means that plants left indoors tend to be neglegted. Maybe i'll split the pot in two times two bulbs and try one indoors next year.

[Eric Locke]

Practically all my plants go outside or to the greenhouse in the summer, which means that plants left indoors tend to be neglegted. Maybe i'll split the pot in two times two bulbs and try one indoors next year.

A good place for these is on the bathroom windowsill where they are sure to be seen often.
Also it gets very humid at times too, which they seem to like.

Eric

[Maxime_P]

Pleione saxicola (september)

Pleione maculata

Pleione Confirmation

[Eric Locke]

Nice Maxime.
Your Confirmation is very different to any clones I have with it"s very "spidery" flowers.

Another photo of my pale Praecox clone.

Eric

[Maxime_P]

Your pale clone of praecox is very pretty ! (and so is your maculata anyway)

I got mine this year so i'm going to discover its flower in a few weeks !

[Eric Locke]

My first clones of Confirmation to open this autumn.
Some of these will darken as the flower ages.

Eric

[Paul T]

Wow, the maculatas (in fact all of those shown here) are just beautiful.  Still seems so strange that Pleiones can flower in autumn.  Until this forum I never realised there were autumn species.