Pleione formosana in flower - Orchid Board

RosieC · #1 03-28-2015, 11:26 AM

This is always the earliest of my two Pleiones. Bought as one bulb in 2011, I now have loads of bulbs both large and small (small from previous year's bulbils), and masses of bulbils from last year. It's faded now, the flowers don't last long in the warmth of the house but I like to see it inside. It will go out to the greenhouse mid April. These photos were just taken from one of three trays I now grow them in. Last year just one very packed tray, this year they really wouldn't fit in that.

Interestingly the colour is very different (to the naked eye) in daylight or artificial light. Lilac in daylight, pink in artificial light. These pictures capture the daylight colour, except the last, which is the same as the one before it but shot without the flash, capturing the colour in artificial light.

Leafmite · #2 03-28-2015, 02:03 PM

They are absolutely gorgeous!
I look forward to the day when mine have multiplied that much! They really look great in a group!

WhiteRabbit · #3 03-28-2015, 06:03 PM

Fabulous!

RosieC · #4 03-29-2015, 06:57 AM

Thanks Sonya and Leafmite

The bulb I bought was pretty big compared to my previous Pleiones (I've since heard the supplier is known to supply good quality large bulbs) and this one has doubled the large bulbs every year, then the small bulbs I have are from previous year's bulbils. 19 flowering leads in all this year and lots more too small to flower.

abhijit · #5 03-31-2015, 02:16 AM

Awesome.

camille1585 · #6 03-31-2015, 03:25 AM

They're so gorgeous Rosie!! I remember when you just got your Pleiones, and even with a few bulbs the flowers are still quite a show. So do you keep them in the greenhouse through the winter, and just bring them in when they're ready to bloom?

RosieC · #7 03-31-2015, 04:06 AM

Thanks abhijit & Camille

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

They're so gorgeous Rosie!! I remember when you just got your Pleiones, and even with a few bulbs the flowers are still quite a show. So do you keep them in the greenhouse through the winter, and just bring them in when they're ready to bloom?

I stored them dried off an in a box or empty covered pot over the winter. In the greenhouse so cool but not freezing. Basically remove all the media, dry off or completely remove the roots, then in the box.

I keep an eye on them in the spring and pot them up when new roots start showing and the leads start showing growth.

However I usually (this year included) don't spot until a bit late that they need potting up, and sometimes the new growths are distorted as they are pushing against the edge of the box. Managed to avoid that on all but one growth this year.

camille1585 · #8 03-31-2015, 04:14 AM

Thanks for the growing tips! I may try some this year. The basement/storage room of my new apartment is quite cool in the winter so that might be a good place to overwinter them.
I suppose that you pull them up once the leaves have died off in the summer/fall?

RosieC · #9 03-31-2015, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

I suppose that you pull them up once the leaves have died off in the summer/fall?

Yes the leaves die off and then I pull then up and dry them off, usually them remove the previous years bulbs as well which have wrinkled to almost nothing. One year they didn't look so wrinkled so I tried leaving them. I think it was a mistake as when I came back to them mid-winter they didn't seem as dry as I would have liked, there was moisture on the outside of all the good bulbs. I removed the previous year's ones at that point and they looked a lot better when I came back to them in the spring. I don't like moisture showing on the bulbs over the winter as I'm worried about rot, maybe I was worried about nothing, but it's always worked for me to keep them dry so I will keep doing that.

camille1585 · #10 03-31-2015, 04:22 AM

Thanks for the info! And one last question... You grow them in trays, is there a reason for that, or can they do just as well in pots?