Calanthe and Pleione - Orchid Board

empiref · #1 03-14-2012, 05:26 AM

Hello all,

Last week, i posted a thread about a new fertilizer, the package arrived yesterday, with some free stuff in it, and to my surprise i found 3 bulbs in the package.
I emailed the vendor and he said that he sent me 3 bulbs as a gift.
1 Calanthe bulb and 2 Pleione bulbs.
The Pleione bulbs have some new growth on them already.

Has anyone tried these with semi-hydro? and what is your advice about light? fert? temp?
I already have phals and an oncidium.

Thank you.

Tsuchibuta · #2 03-14-2012, 12:12 PM

I saw a Calanthe grown in Semi-hydro at a show in Tennessee. It was in a large container (at least 16in in diameter and about 8 inches tall) and if I recall it did get an award that weekend. In terms of pleione, I have never seen it done but did hear a speaker on S/H say that they grew them once S/H and they did well, but would always climb to the top of the media no matter how far he would bury the bulbs new growth would always be on top.

empiref · #3 03-15-2012, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsuchibuta

I saw a Calanthe grown in Semi-hydro at a show in Tennessee. It was in a large container (at least 16in in diameter and about 8 inches tall) and if I recall it did get an award that weekend. In terms of pleione, I have never seen it done but did hear a speaker on S/H say that they grew them once S/H and they did well, but would always climb to the top of the media no matter how far he would bury the bulbs new growth would always be on top.

Thank you for your encouraging post Tsuchibuta.
I went ahead and did it. What's life without risk?

I will post results later!

Cheers!

empiref · #4 03-16-2012, 07:03 AM

A little update on the matter, the guy who sent me the bulbs and who also happens to be the orchid curator and the Shanghai Botanical Garden told me that when it comes to Pleione Orchids in S/H, the trick is not to leave a lot of water in the reservoir at the bottom, because they don't love too much humidity.

escualida · #5 10-26-2012, 01:39 AM

I know this is an old thread but I'm curious, how are these plants doing now?

empiref · #6 10-26-2012, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by escualida

I know this is an old thread but I'm curious, how are these plants doing now?

They are doing pretty well, the pleiones flowered and now are losing the leaves, new bulbs have emerged.

The calanthe is also doing pretty well, new bulb and leaves, leaves are starting to fade, waiting for the flower spike.

Both are in Semi-Hydro.

Rivka · #7 11-01-2012, 11:43 AM

i have struggled with a Calanthe in S/H like no other plants i have, it just hates me i think, never killed it in 3 years, but its growth is super whimpy and it never spikes, i get lucky to have one sad growth a year, only once bigger than the back bulb. i think i may give it away to a home it might like better. i do pretty well in s/h in general, so i think it is jus this particular species plant wants something i dont know about