winter care advice for dens.

[bluestones]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

I use this one: The Plant List. It's a collaboration between Kew and MOBOT and may have superseded/replaced the standalone Kew site since it's more inclusive.

I've got a few seedlings of Den. cucullatum that are getting close to blooming size, I might try some (poorly controlled) experiments to see how they respond to different temperature and moisture regimens throughout the winter. There's a bit of contradictory information out there, though I have found that this species (as with most but not all I've grown in this section) is more likely to keep its leaves if kept moister in the winter. I've gotten blooms and usual (same or less as on drier/leafless ones) amounts of keikis from plants that have kept their leaves through the winter. Den. loddigesii seems to bloom a little better if I water thoroughly (mounted plants) about once a week through the winter, though Den. unicum and related species definitely seem to like being on the dry side.

Sorry Connie, I can't lend much advice on kingianum. I froze my big alba one to death last winter leaving it outside on a 26 F night; it survived the 3 28 F nights prior to that...

--Nat

where has this been all my life! seriously! thanks, on the heads up about The Plant List. it is awesome

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Connie Star

I have a den kingianum in spike- I've put all my dens on a cool to cold porch that gets a lot of light. Should I move the spiking one in?

While mine was in spike last winter, I protected it from frost and freeze, putting it in the garage only on nights that might have gone down to freezing, after buds appeared - not sure how cold you are yet ...
How big are the spikes? Last year, mine started spikes around this time (nubs), but didn't bloom til early spring. It again has some tiny nubs now.

[pedidiva]

thanks for the thread. I get so confused about the "winter rest" thing & which dens need what.