Hi all,

First point: I have grown this Cypripedium tibeticum for three years:

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3281/ct1zr1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9758/ct2yb6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The first year, it made 3 flowers, the second only one, this year no flower. Moreover, the growths are going smaller and smaller. :confused:

I grow this cyp like my other cyps and all the other grow well. The only difference is that i keep this one in a dry place during winter.

I don't know what I am doing wrong. Usually, I put it during winter in a non heated house and I think that maybe it is too hot for it. So I have decided to put it in the fridge this winter like this (with a cover of course):

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2232/ctboiteoit3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Could you tell me what I am doing wrong? I wouldn't like to loose it... :(


Second point: I have grown this Cypripedium guttatum for four years. When I received it, it had only few blackish roots and it is the same thing today. Ans even if its last roots are whiter (except their tip!?), there are still few:

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/8821/cgsy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

However, this is the first year that I can obtain two buds! So I have decided to put it in the fridge this winter for the first year too. I don't know if it will help it next year but I hope so. :fcrossed:

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/3271/cgboiteovq1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What do you think about its roots? Is it normal that it has so few?

Thank you in advance for your help! :thumbsup:

Best regards.

The tibeticum looks like a healthy one, and I can't imagine why it won't flower for you.

hello Mafate

Do you fertilise your tibeticum? and how much light does this one get? Its all I can think of to get this one to flower. The roots and buds look ok so your potting mix should be right. What potting mix do you use?

Cant comment on the guttatum as i dont grow this one. Although the blacken roots indicate something wrong from the start and its looks to be recovering slowly with an extra bud so that has to be a good sign.
cheers
Stephen

The first one looks great...:cool:

The tibeticum looks pretty good, but the guttatum looks very unhealthy. Healthy Cyp rhizomes are light brown/amber color and the roots should be yellow to white including (and most importantly) the tips. I would say that your tibeticum is missing something in it culture - perhaps not enough light, or perhaps temperatures are bit too high for it. I've had similar problems with C. x ventricosum - it increases the number of eyes, but none flower. If the night temperatures aren't cool enough in particular (below 20 C is ideal) you can run into these kinds of problems.

Putting them in the fridge for the winter will help vernalize them adequately, but overall vigor probably won't be enhanced. Also, be careful of the substrate being too moist during dormancy or they may rot - it looks a bit too wet in your photos. Be also mindful of them sprouting in the spring. They can do this even in cold conditions if their dormancy period has been met.

That Cypripedium tibeticum of yours looks very healthy. I have to agree that it may be lacking adequate lighting.

That Cypripedium tibeticum of yours looks very healthy. I have to agree that it may be lacking adequate lighting.

:iagree:That one looks great!

Hello all,

thank you very much all you guys for your answers! Here are mine following your questions:

@Stephen: Stephen, my substrate is mainly made of pumice and of a very small part of normal potting soil for potplants. To fertilize my tibeticum, I only use osmocote, like for all my other Cyps and they all seem to go well. But maybe isn't it the good method? They are placed behind a high and north facing wall, so they only receive direct sun in the very begining of the morning. After that, until the night, they are in full shadow. Maybe isn't it enough?

@Tom: Tom, my C. guttatum is grown under the same conditions as tibeticum. About the temperatures, I am not sure but I think that night temperatures during summer are not often above 20°C. It can happen but not a lot. About the substrate, I was asking me the same question, I think it is a bit too wet. So I will repot the plant in pumice like for all my other Cyps. Hope it will help it retrieving nice white roots next year!

What do you think of those conditions?

Best regards.

Sylvain, it is always difficult to assess growing conditions from afar. From what you have said it sounds like you are growing the plants well enough, but it is so difficult to say without seeing exactly what you are doing. The lighting sounds fine and the temperatures. I have issue with the growing medium however and the fertilizer.

I think you will have greater success if you skip the potting mix altogether and substitute just about anything else (for example gravel or Sermis). Potting mix is full of rapidly decomposing organic material and that is not good for many Cyps and most especially the western Chinese species. Also, I think it would be better to use a very dilute soluble fertilizer rather than any slow release pellets. The reason is that you can control the amount of nutrients being released with accuracy while the pellets are too variable. Chose any soluble complete fertilizer and dilute it to 1/4 strength or so and fertilize on a weekly basis during the growth cycle. Pots should be flushed with pure water between fertilizing however.

The tibeticum seems a bit underfed, not diseased. The guttatum is severely diseased and stunted. Personally I would either quarantine it from your other Cyps or throw it out and start with a fresh, new specimen. Realize that any temperatures above 25 C are detrimental to this far north species. Anything above 30 C is likely to kill it quick.

I highly recommend you visit Ron Burch's (http://www.gardensatposthill.com/website/Cypripedium%20overview.htm) site for other cultivation ideas. He is a pro at growing them.

Good luck.

Hello Tom,

thank you for your advices.

About the the tibeticum, I will only use pumice to repot it next spring, like for my other Cyps. Would a 20/20/20 soluble fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength be ok?

About the guttatum, I have had lots of problem to find it in the past (it comes from KJ Orchids) so could you tell me where I may find a good specimen for sale?

In advance, thank you very much.

Best regards.

Hi,

Your tibeticum looks nice and healthy. I suspect that it does not get enough light or that some fertilizer is in order. I find that tibeticum likes 2 hours of sun in the morning and bright shade the remainder of the day. I dont know if DynaGro fertilizer is available where you live. I use DynaGro Grow. All hydroponics fertilizers are similar in composition with trace elements included. With DynaGro I use 1/2 teaspoon per gallon with every watering.

I agree with Tom that keeping organics in your growing medium is dangerous, especially to many Asian species. I would recommend 50% seramis and 50% perlite or pumice.

Good luck!

Ron

Thank you Ron for your help, I will correct its growth conditions next season! ;)

Best regards.