Bletilla striata in zone 3b? - Orchid Board

icedtea2008 · #1 07-28-2008, 12:32 PM

I got this orchid as a freebe from the greenouse where I work. I had asked our horticulturist about this plant after a customer asked me about it, but left before I could get an answer. Dave (the hort.) told me it was a Bletilla orchid, found nativly outside in China and Japan. He said it is hardy for our area, produces purple hyacinth like blooms, and had been at the greenhouse scince they first got orchids their in like 1982, and told me to take it.

I have no idea how to care for outdoor, perennial orchids (i.e. what kind of soil, sunlight, winter protection, ect.) and from what i've seen on the internet it looks like Bletilla striata. Does anyone know if it really is hardy for my zone, 3b? Our winter nights can get down to -40 F. under several feet of snow... how do i care for this little guy?

Leisurely · #2 07-28-2008, 12:58 PM

I grow one in a container and it has been in the same 3 gallon container for at least seven years and has not been re-potted. It blooms beautifully for me here in Florida every Mar. or Apr. After blooming, I give it a good handful of osmocote fertilizer. It dies completely back in the fall and all that you have left is the bulbs which are about the size of gladiola bulbs. If you are reluctant to put your plant in the ground you can grow it in a container and put the container in the garage or basement in the winter or you can take the bulbs up and dry them off and store them in sawdust or similar material.

icedtea2008 · #3 07-29-2008, 10:54 AM

Potting it in a larger pot and taking it into the garage during winter was what i planed on doing. Around here, even the hardiest of plants get frozen by a hard winter. Do you know what type of soil I should be using when I repot it?

Royal · #4 07-29-2008, 12:19 PM

Bletilla really is hardy. I'm not positive about zone 3, but there are wild terrestrial orchids native to your area, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. I'll go check it out.

Royal · #5 07-29-2008, 12:22 PM

OK, Brent and Becky's website says "zones 6 - 10 with reports of colder zones" Bummer, but you can still keep it in a pot.

Brent And Becky's Bulbs: Flower Bulbs

Leisurely · #6 07-29-2008, 02:31 PM

Icedtea, they should do great in a peat based potting soil mix with the addition of some perilite and a little mini orchid bark if you have some.

Ross · #7 07-29-2008, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icedtea2008

Potting it in a larger pot and taking it into the garage during winter was what i planed on doing. Around here, even the hardiest of plants get frozen by a hard winter. Do you know what type of soil I should be using when I repot it?

I tried it here in Cadillac a few years back and it froze. The basement might work though as that gets down to ground water temperature.

icedtea2008 · #8 07-30-2008, 12:22 AM

Leisurly - Good that looks like what its potted in now, and i've got the perlite and peat moss, but as for more small peice bark mix... we're pretty limited as to what i can get around here and i hate to go off the internet if i can help it.. do you think i could just chop up my regualr bark mix?
Ross and Royal - thanks for the feedback, its looking like i'll definatly be potting and wintering it over either in my garage or storage room. would either of you reccomend digging up the bulbs and drying them as apposed to just leaving them be in the pot?

Royal · #9 07-30-2008, 09:39 AM

Since I live in Texas, you would be better served taking bulb storage advice from someone who lives farther north.

As for the potting mix, these aren't too picky. Their root systems like to spread out so go with a slightly bigger pot (than you normally would for an epiphytic orchid). No need to chop up your regular mix - it'll do fine as is. I like Leisurly's mix. I use it at ratio of about 1:1:0.5 (potting soil-pearlite-bark mix). I've also used potting soil-pearlite-peat moss at 1:1:1, but most commercial potting soils are mostly peat moss these days.

In my flower beds, they live in sandy soil amended with a little composted cow manure. They get slow release fert and a lot of neglect. This seems to be their favorite spot.

Leisurely · #10 07-30-2008, 02:43 PM

My preference would be to leave them in the pot and give them a very small amount of water about once a month. By leaving them in the pot, you are not destroying the root system necessary for good blooming in the spring. By the way, in case you didn't already know, they bloom on in-mature growth. You will see a flower spike beginning to form in the spring as soon as new leaves start to be made.