Pleione sp.

[stonedragonfarms]

Anyone else here growing Pleione? Mine are just starting to put out new growth--just curious as to where everyone else's are in the growth cycle...
Adam

[bellini girl]

,

I literally forgot mine outside...all winter. Now has leaves on clumps. should see flowers in a few weeks

Lecent

[HPS Chris]

hello! My pleione formosana have about 8 flower spikes coming out now. I live in Kirkland Washington. I bought these two years ago and last year I only got one flower. A whole lot of leaves last year and fertilized heavily, with a lot of light. I put them in a closet outdoors where they kept dry while dormant. They are now about two or three inches tall, with the flowers stiking right up. Let me know how yours are doing with the flowering aspect! I'd love to hear more!

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by stonedragonfarms

Anyone else here growing Pleione? Mine are just starting to put out new growth--just curious as to where everyone else's are in the growth cycle...
Adam

Now that it's cooled down and the days are shorter most of my pleione have begun to lose thier leaves. A few species are still going strong, but most are semi-dormant. Here's a few pics; the mottled ones are P. maculata, which are preparing to bloom I believe. Anyway, enjoy...
Adam

[calvin_orchidL]

Hey Adam,

Great pics...I had a question: I have a pleione formosana that isn't really going dormant - should I be reducing water, or will it go dormant by itself and I should just keep things moist until then (I've stopped fertilizing already).

[HPS Chris]

I love in zone 8b in Kirkland Washington and mine are still fully green! They should stay that way outside wet or dry until the leaves dry and completly fall or wither. I have about fourty or so and I keep mine outdoors until then...it's not cold enough here to keep outside year-roundso I put mine in my crisper of the fridge when they're dormant until the crocuses come up here. Leave them...they'll be great! 6a might even be cold enough to avoid a crisper. Have fun!! They multiply like crazy!

[HPS Chris]

I meant I live in zone 8b not love zone 8b even though I do!!

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by calvin_orchidL

Hey Adam,

Great pics...I had a question: I have a pleione formosana that isn't really going dormant - should I be reducing water, or will it go dormant by itself and I should just keep things moist until then (I've stopped fertilizing already).

Calvin:
I had mine outside with the cymbidiums all summer; when it was getting frosty outside I moved the cymbidiums back into the greenhouse, and moved the pleione as well. I have not been giving them any water, aside from an occasional stray misting... I do not have any P. formosana, but my P. chunii and P. bulbicoides are both still green and plugging away...I believe that when they are ready to lose leaves, they will...what conditions are you growing yours under? I have grown P. limpritchii under intermediate temps and did not have any leaf fall, until new bulbs were forming...and then I had newly developing foliage and the old foliage on the plants at the same time...I think that with most of these, cool/cold nights are the trigger for leaf fall.
Hope this helps... I'll post more pics as things progress,
Adam

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[calvin_orchidL]

Thanks for the replies! I recently just acquired mine, so I don't know whether I'm growing it correctly or not. It had three bulbs, (two with leaves and one without). The one without leaves actually shrivelled quite a bit, which prompted me to keep watering. It's indoors by a cool window, but definitely not as cool as outside (5-10C these days). I'm now thinking I should be putting it outside for the fall chill, but I'm not sure.

I've moved the cymbs in already because we had a bit of frost a few days ago. I don't have great success with cymbidiums (thinking of getting rid of them soon) so now I'm concerned. I'm generally nervous about these winter dormancy orchids I just really love this one so I had to try it.

[Francesco]

Pleiones are like coelogynae...but the grow tipis are a little bit different.They tollerate cool temperature(Especially with bark),every new grow means a flower(often), when the leaves fall, stop to water until a new grow compares at the base of the last bulb.