Recent Posts

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by Vinny 123 on Today at 09:28:41 AM »

I have been using a similar idea - floating gardens - to try to grow aquatic crinums, which people normally grow in aquaria, usually with fish. So far, it works well but flowers are a LONG way off I fear. - the bulbs are in 10cm clay pots in 1 litre plastic beakers with a few large stones in the bottom of the beaker to raise the bottom of the clay pot off the bottom of the beaker.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: December 2021 in the Southern Hemisphere

« Last post by fermi de Sousa on Today at 01:59:34 AM »

What a good colour combo!

Thanks, Maggi,
A serendipitous combo as they have both "self-seeded" into this area.

Hi Lesley,
glad that your health is okay.
We have the same requirement here - fortunately a very helpful receptionist at Community Health was able to help me and then I was able to help Will download it into his phone. Being born before the Digital age can be a disadvantage but there are usually people who can help.
I hope you were able to get your Seedex Request in without a hassle.
I'm about to start a new job and its amazing how much has to be done on-line prior to starting (and prior to being paid!).
I think my first overseas trip will probably be to NZ (unless the next Czech RG Conference is announced soon??) though that can't be for at least 12 months when I'll have Holiday Leave! At the moment even Tassie is a difficult proposition!
cheers
fermi

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by partisangardener on Today at 01:41:34 AM »

Thank you for your apprehensive and good advice.
The friend I have the plants from, approved of my setup, before he gave me the plants. He is one of the few here in Germany to keep them alive for some years and flowering too. But the way I invented, it might take a lot less maintenance if it works.

My goal is to seed-grow it there. In order to achieve this I put some mycorrhiza plants in there. Maple, willow,some Erica tetralix and some others too.
I have another island too with needle trees as an alternative for another seeding experiment. These plants will grow slow and I will prune .them regular, to keep them small. Still I have no seeds. The only seed pot he has got this year, is now in artificial culture.
Maybe next year, then I will know a lot more about the growing in my raft planter for acaule.

I used sulfuric acid to bring down the Ph to 3.
The whole setup is covered with live Sphagnum. After a rain period  Ph in the water, it is floating on, went up to 3,9. A week later Sphagnum pushed it down to 3,2. Substrate is from a acidic soil on granite. At the bottom as first layer is granite sand and gravel.
I wait for the spring
Floating gardens
https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18726.0

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: December 2021 in the Southern Hemisphere

« Last post by Lesley Cox on December 02, 2021, 09:55:33 PM »

Good to hear from you Fermi. I hope all is well with you and Will. My life has been discombobulated for most of the year and looks to be even more so in 2022! My health is pretty much ok though so that's a plus. Currently trying to sort out our Health Dept's website in order to provide a vaccination "passport" so that life can go on but like most Govt. things they have made it unduly complicated for those of us who are not fully tech savvy. Thank God for a garden into which one can retire and hide from time to time.

Our weather forecasters are saying summer will be a scorcher but others are saying it will be very wet. Wet and warm sounds tropical and it's true that Dave T now has a flowering banana on the country's south coast. I daily expect an invitation to go south for fruit salad and ice-cream as Central Otago's cherry crop is looking particularly bounteous this year. All  my Christmas presents will consist of 2 kg. boxes of cherries sent direct from grower.. a favourite vendor at the market.

Not much alpine in bloom at present but Rosa moyesii 'Geranium is fabulous and reaching for the sky and the whole garden is fragrant with Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile.' It has a scent which I sometimes dream and wake with the scent in my nose. Arisaema candidissimum is also out but others have suffered from a few years of very dry summers and have gone back or even disappeared. A. ciliatum still flourishes.

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General Forum / Re: Floating gardens to grow difficult plants the easy way

« Last post by partisangardener on December 02, 2021, 08:50:29 PM »

There is no substrate below the waterline, so it is always aerated. It simulates  the conditions of a natural seep, or a rock constantly washed by water.
Even plants which grow usually under quite dry conditions grow quite well. Especially alpines and mosses do well.
The water tank and evaporation on the moss cools this environment (could be interesting for city climate, if used a lot)

The soil conditions vary of course with the thickness of the substrate. Through seeds I try out what works best. for a desired species.
To get different mycorrhiza I took small pieces from interesting habitats to to inoculate different floating pieces.
The thickness of substrate is only one method to vary moisture. Another one I use, is flat pieces of styrofoam, stones or even plastic onto the soaked fleece.
So in result I get different moisture levels without much substrate.

This system is maybe adabtable for a lot of problematic eco-systems
https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18727.msg424682#msg424682

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by Vinny 123 on December 02, 2021, 08:26:16 PM »

Take a look on Wiki - pH is absolutely critical, and needs to be VERY low.

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by partisangardener on December 02, 2021, 08:17:49 PM »

A friend gave me this October some Cypripedium  acaule. They are thought to be very difficult.
To stay in the right Ph I made a special floating garden. The substrate filling is 20 cm high.
Here is the plant.

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by Vinny 123 on December 02, 2021, 06:00:32 PM »

Wikipedia has an extremely good, detailed, page for C. a. if needed.
Beautiful, and with a most unusual natural history.

9

Seed Exchange / Re: SRGC Seed Exchange 2021 - 22

« Last post by Maggi Young on December 02, 2021, 05:09:24 PM »

Advice from the Seed Exchange if there is any problem :

https://www.srgc.net/loginform.asp

 Please note that the Seed Ex. is open until 13th January, not 17th  or 15th as advised earlier. ... it may be an idea to check with the Seed Team  seed@srgc.org.uk to see which is actually correct!

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Plant Identification Questions and Answers / Re: Cypripedium?

« Last post by Nik on December 02, 2021, 04:32:40 PM »

Yes, I remember the leaf pubescence. Thank you for the confirmation, GordonT!
Next year I will try even harder to find some with flowers. I have no intention of transplanting in our yard, but will be very interested in collecting some seeds and spreading them in different areas of our property. I think we have the right conditions, but I expect the chance of success will be quite low..