A question to experienced grower of Pleione and Bletilla

[rbarata]

Can they grow together under the same conditions?

[Roberta]

I find Bletilla very easy to grow, it actually does better in the ground than in pots. It goes dormant in the winter, and should be able to do fine with moderate frost but doesn't require it. Pleiones on the other hand, I have had little success with - different species vary in the amount of cold that they need in the winter (I think P. formosanum is one of the more forgiving ones for mild winters) but some need more serious cold. Someone else will have to advise on Pleione - and the needs of the various species.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

As Roberta said, Bletilla has one set of cultural requirements, but depending on the species of Pleione, they may have slightly different care requirements.

I know that the warmest growing Pleione species is Pleione maculata. Everything else grows cooler. If you've ever been to parts of Japan, China, or Taiwan, where the majority of the species of Pleione available in the hobby come from, the mountainous regions where they are found to naturally grow get pretty chilly.