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#1
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A hitch-hiking orchid
I thought some of you might be interested in this although I did post
a bit about it elsewhere, so apologies to those who have already seen it. There’s a very long pre-amble to this – in fact it is likely to be a very, very long post, so be warned. This may turn out to be more efficacious than prozac: Many of us who grow a few to many ‘exotics’ in their gardens probably have the now almost obligatory tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) tucked into a sheltered corner or taking pride of place. Some may also have noticed seedling hitch-hikers that appear growing out of the trunks several to many months after purchase. If the trunks have been stacked on the ground after import into the UK most will be common, familiar native ‘weeds’. The commonest Australian vagrants are usually Acacia melanoxylon, a species often associated with Dicksonia growing in its natural habitat. More rarely, you may discover Australian native ferns that are and tolerant of our climate. In time these can develop into pleasing garden plants if carefully removed, but there not all Australian native ferns have garden value and some are decidedly unremarkable so you have to risk a bit of time and effort. I’ve done this a few times and out of several species of fern native to S. Australia, only one turned out to be worth its space. However, once in a blue moon something special can turn up. Back in 2005 one of the major DIY sheds were selling tree ferns at ridiculously cheap prices and although at the time I had a rooted disdain for such places, I simply could not ignore the offer. I went along and chose one that had thick, 6ft trunk and a mass of fat healthy ‘knuckles’ tucked deep in the central crown of leaves. I paid £57.50, which worked out at under £10 per foot of trunk. The existing leaves were damaged, but I was more interested in its potential rather than the immediate effect. It was planted deeply leaving less than 5ft of trunk above ground in order to establish a good root mat, which is vital if these plants are to perform really well. With plenty of watering it thrived and over the ensuing year, numerous Acacia seedlings popped out from between the old frond bases. I don’t want Acacias here, so they were pulled out before they became troublesome and discarded. Little ‘fern-lets’ also appeared on the moister, shadier side of the trunk and these were also removed. Over the next 2 years, the Dicksonia grew away quickly and beautifully, developing a huge crown of 8ft+ long fronds, producing flushes of up to 20 at a time. In May 2008 I noticed a very unusual, small, oval, fleshy leaf lying flat against the trunk about 1ft. below the crown. It was obviously a monocot with a deep central vein and reticulate secondary veining and I couldn’t think what it might be at first. It gradually dawned upon me that it might be an orchid of some sort, as improbably as that seemed at the time. A slug or snail would quickly remove traces of this tiny plantlet, so it had to be removed for growing on in a pot. Try as I might, I could not dig deep enough into the trunk and all that came away was a section of flesh, white rhizome with the leaf, which was subtended by a few pale bracts. Cursing, I took the 2” long piece indoors and carefully inserted it in small pot of chopped sphagnum moss. It was enclosed in a plastic bag and stood in a shallow dish of water and placed in light shade. I was almost sure it would die, but soon another leaf started to appear and after about 3 months, rather thick, hairless roots were poking out of the base of the pot. By winter 2008/9 it had produced a rosette of 5, leaves about 1” long and just over half and inch across, but these started to yellow and die down. A poke about in the pot of moss revealed a couple of pea- like tubers attached to comparatively thick, fleshy white rhizomes plus a few white, hairless roots. If it was to be an orchid, it was probably one of the many species of Australian ground orchids that have a decided rest period. Watering was reduced to just enough to prevent the moss becoming bone dry and the pot remained apparently lifeless for a couple of months. In spring, I upended the pot and carefully teased out the rhizomes, roots and tubers. They were very much alive and healthy, so were potted using a fresh compost of chopped moss, peat, sand, charcoal and leaf mould. Watering was gradually resumed and after a few weeks a shoot appeared, quickly producing several leaves. Another grew alongside and growth continued into winter with no hint of the plant dying down as before. By now I was in little doubt that it must be one of the ground orchids and since the trunk of the tree fern originated from Victoria, I started looking up native species for that state. For a while, I thought it might be one of the ‘bird orchids’ (Chiloglottis), which if fascinating flowers rather like the open, begging beaks of young birds. Realising my plant had too many leaves per growth for this, I started to look at the alternatives and settled upon the ‘green- hoods’ (Pterostylis). These are quaint, quite remarkable, but unglamorous orchids that are quite common throughout Australia with a very strong foothold in the south east and along the eastern seaboard. There are over 100 species from which to choose, so I could get no further until flowers appeared. I didn’t have too long to wait. By December, a pair of new shoots appeared adjacent to the existing rosettes and the largest rosette of leaves produced a fat rounded bract that looked as though it might enclose a flower spike. Over the next 6 weeks, this grew into a scape not much more than 4” high carrying a single flower bud. By then I knew it was a definitely a Pterostylis, but I couldn’t work out what species it might be because most have quite tall flower scapes – often 12-18” high or more and it didn’t fit the description of dwarf species. The flower bud gained some colour; the base being greenish white with green veins, while the tips deepened to deep reddish pink. Within days the flower opened and I was able to nail it as probably being a dwarf form of Pterostylis pedunculata – a ‘maroon-hood’ found in Victoria and New South Wales. The species proper grows to about 12” tall when in full flower with leaves twice the size of those on my plant, so I’m still not 100% certain of its exact identity. By no stretch of the imagination is it a thing of beauty; with its rather closed, upturned flower barely an inch long and a pair of filamentous sepals, which when viewed from some angles remind me of earwig pincers. However, its journey here and subsequent survival until discovery have endeared me to this small orchid and believe me, I’m by no means an admirer of small plants. A second flower has since opened with 2 more on the way so it’s a plucky thing able to develop remarkably quickly, which is stark contrast to most orchids. I’ll grow it on in a pan and when there’s enough, a small piece will be planted back onto the tree fern trunk where it first hitched a ride several years ago and 10,000 miles away. |
#2
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A hitch-hiking orchid
Hi Dave
Lovely story - hope there weren't any venemous spiders in there as well ! g Any chance of a photo ? Adrian Dave Poole wrote: I thought some of you might be interested in this although I did post a bit about it elsewhere, so apologies to those who have already seen it. There’s a very long pre-amble to this – in fact it is likely to be a very, very long post, so be warned. This may turn out to be more efficacious than prozac: Many of us who grow a few to many ‘exotics’ in their gardens probably have the now almost obligatory tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) tucked into a sheltered corner or taking pride of place. Some may also have noticed seedling hitch-hikers that appear growing out of the trunks several to many months after purchase. If the trunks have been stacked on the ground after import into the UK most will be common, familiar native ‘weeds’. The commonest Australian vagrants are usually Acacia melanoxylon, a species often associated with Dicksonia growing in its natural habitat. More rarely, you may discover Australian native ferns that are and tolerant of our climate. In time these can develop into pleasing garden plants if carefully removed, but there not all Australian native ferns have garden value and some are decidedly unremarkable so you have to risk a bit of time and effort. I’ve done this a few times and out of several species of fern native to S. Australia, only one turned out to be worth its space. However, once in a blue moon something special can turn up. Back in 2005 one of the major DIY sheds were selling tree ferns at ridiculously cheap prices and although at the time I had a rooted disdain for such places, I simply could not ignore the offer. I went along and chose one that had thick, 6ft trunk and a mass of fat healthy ‘knuckles’ tucked deep in the central crown of leaves. I paid £57.50, which worked out at under £10 per foot of trunk. The existing leaves were damaged, but I was more interested in its potential rather than the immediate effect. It was planted deeply leaving less than 5ft of trunk above ground in order to establish a good root mat, which is vital if these plants are to perform really well. With plenty of watering it thrived and over the ensuing year, numerous Acacia seedlings popped out from between the old frond bases. I don’t want Acacias here, so they were pulled out before they became troublesome and discarded. Little ‘fern-lets’ also appeared on the moister, shadier side of the trunk and these were also removed. Over the next 2 years, the Dicksonia grew away quickly and beautifully, developing a huge crown of 8ft+ long fronds, producing flushes of up to 20 at a time. In May 2008 I noticed a very unusual, small, oval, fleshy leaf lying flat against the trunk about 1ft. below the crown. It was obviously a monocot with a deep central vein and reticulate secondary veining and I couldn’t think what it might be at first. It gradually dawned upon me that it might be an orchid of some sort, as improbably as that seemed at the time. A slug or snail would quickly remove traces of this tiny plantlet, so it had to be removed for growing on in a pot. Try as I might, I could not dig deep enough into the trunk and all that came away was a section of flesh, white rhizome with the leaf, which was subtended by a few pale bracts. Cursing, I took the 2” long piece indoors and carefully inserted it in small pot of chopped sphagnum moss. It was enclosed in a plastic bag and stood in a shallow dish of water and placed in light shade. I was almost sure it would die, but soon another leaf started to appear and after about 3 months, rather thick, hairless roots were poking out of the base of the pot. By winter 2008/9 it had produced a rosette of 5, leaves about 1” long and just over half and inch across, but these started to yellow and die down. A poke about in the pot of moss revealed a couple of pea- like tubers attached to comparatively thick, fleshy white rhizomes plus a few white, hairless roots. If it was to be an orchid, it was probably one of the many species of Australian ground orchids that have a decided rest period. Watering was reduced to just enough to prevent the moss becoming bone dry and the pot remained apparently lifeless for a couple of months. In spring, I upended the pot and carefully teased out the rhizomes, roots and tubers. They were very much alive and healthy, so were potted using a fresh compost of chopped moss, peat, sand, charcoal and leaf mould. Watering was gradually resumed and after a few weeks a shoot appeared, quickly producing several leaves. Another grew alongside and growth continued into winter with no hint of the plant dying down as before. By now I was in little doubt that it must be one of the ground orchids and since the trunk of the tree fern originated from Victoria, I started looking up native species for that state. For a while, I thought it might be one of the ‘bird orchids’ (Chiloglottis), which if fascinating flowers rather like the open, begging beaks of young birds. Realising my plant had too many leaves per growth for this, I started to look at the alternatives and settled upon the ‘green- hoods’ (Pterostylis). These are quaint, quite remarkable, but unglamorous orchids that are quite common throughout Australia with a very strong foothold in the south east and along the eastern seaboard. There are over 100 species from which to choose, so I could get no further until flowers appeared. I didn’t have too long to wait. By December, a pair of new shoots appeared adjacent to the existing rosettes and the largest rosette of leaves produced a fat rounded bract that looked as though it might enclose a flower spike. Over the next 6 weeks, this grew into a scape not much more than 4” high carrying a single flower bud. By then I knew it was a definitely a Pterostylis, but I couldn’t work out what species it might be because most have quite tall flower scapes – often 12-18” high or more and it didn’t fit the description of dwarf species. The flower bud gained some colour; the base being greenish white with green veins, while the tips deepened to deep reddish pink. Within days the flower opened and I was able to nail it as probably being a dwarf form of Pterostylis pedunculata – a ‘maroon-hood’ found in Victoria and New South Wales. The species proper grows to about 12” tall when in full flower with leaves twice the size of those on my plant, so I’m still not 100% certain of its exact identity. By no stretch of the imagination is it a thing of beauty; with its rather closed, upturned flower barely an inch long and a pair of filamentous sepals, which when viewed from some angles remind me of earwig pincers. However, its journey here and subsequent survival until discovery have endeared me to this small orchid and believe me, I’m by no means an admirer of small plants. A second flower has since opened with 2 more on the way so it’s a plucky thing able to develop remarkably quickly, which is stark contrast to most orchids. I’ll grow it on in a pan and when there’s enough, a small piece will be planted back onto the tree fern trunk where it first hitched a ride several years ago and 10,000 miles away. |
#3
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A hitch-hiking orchid
Adrian, a wonderful example of where top posting is at its best :-))
I won't 'prune' the posting as some people seem to like long threads. -- Mike The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rneba.org.uk Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight? www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk "Adrian Brentnall" wrote in message ... Hi Dave Lovely story - hope there weren't any venemous spiders in there as well ! g Any chance of a photo ? Adrian Dave Poole wrote: I thought some of you might be interested in this although I did post a bit about it elsewhere, so apologies to those who have already seen it. There’s a very long pre-amble to this – in fact it is likely to be a very, very long post, so be warned. This may turn out to be more efficacious than prozac: Many of us who grow a few to many ‘exotics’ in their gardens probably have the now almost obligatory tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) tucked into a sheltered corner or taking pride of place. Some may also have noticed seedling hitch-hikers that appear growing out of the trunks several to many months after purchase. If the trunks have been stacked on the ground after import into the UK most will be common, familiar native ‘weeds’. The commonest Australian vagrants are usually Acacia melanoxylon, a species often associated with Dicksonia growing in its natural habitat. More rarely, you may discover Australian native ferns that are and tolerant of our climate. In time these can develop into pleasing garden plants if carefully removed, but there not all Australian native ferns have garden value and some are decidedly unremarkable so you have to risk a bit of time and effort. I’ve done this a few times and out of several species of fern native to S. Australia, only one turned out to be worth its space. However, once in a blue moon something special can turn up. Back in 2005 one of the major DIY sheds were selling tree ferns at ridiculously cheap prices and although at the time I had a rooted disdain for such places, I simply could not ignore the offer. I went along and chose one that had thick, 6ft trunk and a mass of fat healthy ‘knuckles’ tucked deep in the central crown of leaves. I paid £57.50, which worked out at under £10 per foot of trunk. The existing leaves were damaged, but I was more interested in its potential rather than the immediate effect. It was planted deeply leaving less than 5ft of trunk above ground in order to establish a good root mat, which is vital if these plants are to perform really well. With plenty of watering it thrived and over the ensuing year, numerous Acacia seedlings popped out from between the old frond bases. I don’t want Acacias here, so they were pulled out before they became troublesome and discarded. Little ‘fern-lets’ also appeared on the moister, shadier side of the trunk and these were also removed. Over the next 2 years, the Dicksonia grew away quickly and beautifully, developing a huge crown of 8ft+ long fronds, producing flushes of up to 20 at a time. In May 2008 I noticed a very unusual, small, oval, fleshy leaf lying flat against the trunk about 1ft. below the crown. It was obviously a monocot with a deep central vein and reticulate secondary veining and I couldn’t think what it might be at first. It gradually dawned upon me that it might be an orchid of some sort, as improbably as that seemed at the time. A slug or snail would quickly remove traces of this tiny plantlet, so it had to be removed for growing on in a pot. Try as I might, I could not dig deep enough into the trunk and all that came away was a section of flesh, white rhizome with the leaf, which was subtended by a few pale bracts. Cursing, I took the 2” long piece indoors and carefully inserted it in small pot of chopped sphagnum moss. It was enclosed in a plastic bag and stood in a shallow dish of water and placed in light shade. I was almost sure it would die, but soon another leaf started to appear and after about 3 months, rather thick, hairless roots were poking out of the base of the pot. By winter 2008/9 it had produced a rosette of 5, leaves about 1” long and just over half and inch across, but these started to yellow and die down. A poke about in the pot of moss revealed a couple of pea- like tubers attached to comparatively thick, fleshy white rhizomes plus a few white, hairless roots. If it was to be an orchid, it was probably one of the many species of Australian ground orchids that have a decided rest period. Watering was reduced to just enough to prevent the moss becoming bone dry and the pot remained apparently lifeless for a couple of months. In spring, I upended the pot and carefully teased out the rhizomes, roots and tubers. They were very much alive and healthy, so were potted using a fresh compost of chopped moss, peat, sand, charcoal and leaf mould. Watering was gradually resumed and after a few weeks a shoot appeared, quickly producing several leaves. Another grew alongside and growth continued into winter with no hint of the plant dying down as before. By now I was in little doubt that it must be one of the ground orchids and since the trunk of the tree fern originated from Victoria, I started looking up native species for that state. For a while, I thought it might be one of the ‘bird orchids’ (Chiloglottis), which if fascinating flowers rather like the open, begging beaks of young birds. Realising my plant had too many leaves per growth for this, I started to look at the alternatives and settled upon the ‘green- hoods’ (Pterostylis). These are quaint, quite remarkable, but unglamorous orchids that are quite common throughout Australia with a very strong foothold in the south east and along the eastern seaboard. There are over 100 species from which to choose, so I could get no further until flowers appeared. I didn’t have too long to wait. By December, a pair of new shoots appeared adjacent to the existing rosettes and the largest rosette of leaves produced a fat rounded bract that looked as though it might enclose a flower spike. Over the next 6 weeks, this grew into a scape not much more than 4” high carrying a single flower bud. By then I knew it was a definitely a Pterostylis, but I couldn’t work out what species it might be because most have quite tall flower scapes – often 12-18” high or more and it didn’t fit the description of dwarf species. The flower bud gained some colour; the base being greenish white with green veins, while the tips deepened to deep reddish pink. Within days the flower opened and I was able to nail it as probably being a dwarf form of Pterostylis pedunculata – a ‘maroon-hood’ found in Victoria and New South Wales. The species proper grows to about 12” tall when in full flower with leaves twice the size of those on my plant, so I’m still not 100% certain of its exact identity. By no stretch of the imagination is it a thing of beauty; with its rather closed, upturned flower barely an inch long and a pair of filamentous sepals, which when viewed from some angles remind me of earwig pincers. However, its journey here and subsequent survival until discovery have endeared me to this small orchid and believe me, I’m by no means an admirer of small plants. A second flower has since opened with 2 more on the way so it’s a plucky thing able to develop remarkably quickly, which is stark contrast to most orchids. I’ll grow it on in a pan and when there’s enough, a small piece will be planted back onto the tree fern trunk where it first hitched a ride several years ago and 10,000 miles away. |
#4
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote in message ... I thought some of you might be interested in this although I did post a bit about it elsewhere, so apologies to those who have already seen it. Within days the flower opened and I was able to nail it as probably being a dwarf form of Pterostylis pedunculata – a ‘maroon-hood’ found in Victoria and New South Wales. The species proper grows to about 12” tall when in full flower with leaves twice the size of those on my plant, so I’m still not 100% certain of its exact identity. By no stretch of the imagination is it a thing of beauty; with its rather closed, upturned flower barely an inch long and a pair of filamentous sepals, which when viewed from some angles remind me of earwig pincers. However, its journey here and subsequent survival until discovery have endeared me to this small orchid and believe me, I’m by no means an admirer of small plants. A second flower has since opened with 2 more on the way so it’s a plucky thing able to develop remarkably quickly, which is stark contrast to most orchids. I’ll grow it on in a pan and when there’s enough, a small piece will be planted back onto the tree fern trunk where it first hitched a ride several years ago and 10,000 miles away. Dave, Fascinating. Great observation, too, leading to a well-deserved reward. Makes you wonder if these tree ferns might be a good source of native mycorrhiza. Would you allow me to offer your post for reprinting in the Australasian Plant Society newsletter (no promises - I'm not the editor)? We have a number of members who would find it not only of interest, but very encouraging. -- Jeff |
#5
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote ((SNIP)) Many of us who grow a few to many ‘exotics’ in their gardens probably have the now almost obligatory tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) tucked into a sheltered corner or taking pride of place. Some may also have noticed seedling hitch-hikers that appear growing out of the trunks several to many months after purchase. If the trunks have been stacked on the ground after import into the UK most will be common, familiar native ‘weeds’. Nothing like that on our one but it was pre-owned by a neighbour who emigrated to Oz. I've actually pushed some first year Pleione pseudobulbs into the stem to try to create a bit more interest so await their appearance (or not) in a couple of months. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#6
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A hitch-hiking orchid
Adrian wrote:
Any chance of a photo ? I have taken some pics although the macro on my ancient camera is decidedly dodgy. Unfortunately there is no way pics can be posted here, but if you click the following url, it should take you to a pic of my plant at the bottom of the thread: http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/foru...php?f=1&t=4816 Sacha, there was something rather exciting about the whole thing. Even though the flower is a bit of let down, I can't help marvelling at how this tiny scrap survived and thrived. The overall size of the plant maintains a slight mystery because the normal 'maroon-hoods' are much taller with larger leaves. I can't find any references to a wide variability in size and on a technical note, I see that the lip should exceed the cleft between the two lateral sepals making it just visible. In my plant it is very much shorter and only visible when the flower is dissected. Whether this is a a natural hybrid or a variety of the species remains to be seen. I need the help of an Aus. botanist. Jeff Layman wrote: Makes you wonder if these tree ferns might be a good source of native mycorrhiza. I suppose that's a possibility Jeff, but I'm not aware of mycorrhizal activity within the root masses on the tree fern trunks. The only way that the Pterostylis could have got there in the first place would have been by seed - not sure that it needs much help in terms of mycorrhizal association because I've read that they are readily raised from seed in a variety of composts and substrates. Would you allow me to offer your post for reprinting in the Australasian Plant Society newsletter (no promises - I'm not the editor)? *We have a number of members who would find it not only of interest, but very encouraging. I've no problem with that, but the above is full of typos and gaffes as a result of writing on-the-hoof, so I'd like to edit it properly beforehand. If you send me your email addy to my hotmail account as shown, I'll forward a cleaned up version plus a pic of the plant. |
#7
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A hitch-hiking orchid
Bob Hobden wrote:
I've actually pushed some first year Pleione pseudobulbs into the stem to try to create a bit more interest so await their appearance (or not) in a couple of months. I've got Billbergia nutans and distachya growing just below the crown now and they seem to enjoy the 'perch'. Davallia fejeensis clambers about the trunk, but does not produce quite as thick a mass of leaves as I'd originally hoped. |
#8
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote Bob Hobden wrote: I've actually pushed some first year Pleione pseudobulbs into the stem to try to create a bit more interest so await their appearance (or not) in a couple of months. I've got Billbergia nutans and distachya growing just below the crown now and they seem to enjoy the 'perch'. Davallia fejeensis clambers about the trunk, but does not produce quite as thick a mass of leaves as I'd originally hoped. I have been thinking about those for our large Cordylines but I'm not sure about their hardiness if we keep getting frosty winters like this and last years. Where did you get yours from? -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#9
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote in message ... Jeff Layman wrote: Makes you wonder if these tree ferns might be a good source of native mycorrhiza. I suppose that's a possibility Jeff, but I'm not aware of mycorrhizal activity within the root masses on the tree fern trunks. The only way that the Pterostylis could have got there in the first place would have been by seed - not sure that it needs much help in terms of mycorrhizal association because I've read that they are readily raised from seed in a variety of composts and substrates. I can't think of another source of Oz plant material which wouldn't be washed and/or sterilised to remove fungi. Be interesting to see if anyone has ever cultured anything from tree fern trunks. Would you allow me to offer your post for reprinting in the Australasian Plant Society newsletter (no promises - I'm not the editor)? We have a number of members who would find it not only of interest, but very encouraging. I've no problem with that, but the above is full of typos and gaffes as a result of writing on-the-hoof, so I'd like to edit it properly beforehand. If you send me your email addy to my hotmail account as shown, I'll forward a cleaned up version plus a pic of the plant. Email should be there now. Thanks. -- Jeff |
#10
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A hitch-hiking orchid
Bob Hobden wrote:
I have been thinking about those for our large Cordylines but I'm not sure about their hardiness if we keep getting frosty winters like this and last years. Where did you get yours from? I think I've always had B. nutans knocking about - certainly for the past 35 years. If you want some of that, I'm sure I can find a few bits to get you started. Sometimes I'm reduced to just a small pot- full and then when I need more, I split it into single growths and away it goes. When I moved here, I pushed a few bits into shallow soil on top of a low wall and it has now spread to cover it. If I want a fast, cheap tropical effect, I simply grab a few bits, wrap the roots in some sphagnum moss with a bit of compost and tie them up. If kept wet they soon start sending out new growths and in no time there's a ball of the stuff that can be hung on trees etc. Tillandsia bergeri does the same, but is slower and doesn't need any moss or compost since it rarely develops many if any roots. That one just absorbs moisture from the air and if we get a dry spell, I simply drench it with the hose. As to B. distachya is a slightly different story. It was sent to me as something completely different about 5-6 years ago and has built up far more slowly. I think Fir Tree Farm nurseries are still knocking it out as Billbergia modreana, which it isn't. They have a few species, but their labelling used to need being taken with a small pinch of salt. They've reduce the range now, so there are fewer opportunities for incorrect ids. Distachya is one of the 'tank' species and holds a fair amount of water within the grey leaf funnel. More exposed bits have been clobbered this winter, but there's enough of the clump left to carry on. I would prefer to wait until summer before deiding whether there's enough to pull it apart. |
#11
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote Bob Hobden wrote: I have been thinking about those for our large Cordylines but I'm not sure about their hardiness if we keep getting frosty winters like this and last years. Where did you get yours from? I think I've always had B. nutans knocking about - certainly for the past 35 years. If you want some of that, I'm sure I can find a few bits to get you started. Love some, thanks, real e-mail is plural of my surname snailything btinternet spot com. Will refund postage etc. Sometimes I'm reduced to just a small pot- full and then when I need more, I split it into single growths and away it goes. When I moved here, I pushed a few bits into shallow soil on top of a low wall and it has now spread to cover it. If I want a fast, cheap tropical effect, I simply grab a few bits, wrap the roots in some sphagnum moss with a bit of compost and tie them up. If kept wet they soon start sending out new growths and in no time there's a ball of the stuff that can be hung on trees etc. Tillandsia bergeri does the same, but is slower and doesn't need any moss or compost since it rarely develops many if any roots. That one just absorbs moisture from the air and if we get a dry spell, I simply drench it with the hose. As to B. distachya is a slightly different story. It was sent to me as something completely different about 5-6 years ago and has built up far more slowly. I think Fir Tree Farm nurseries are still knocking it out as Billbergia modreana, which it isn't. They have a few species, but their labelling used to need being taken with a small pinch of salt. They've reduce the range now, so there are fewer opportunities for incorrect ids. Distachya is one of the 'tank' species and holds a fair amount of water within the grey leaf funnel. More exposed bits have been clobbered this winter, but there's enough of the clump left to carry on. I would prefer to wait until summer before deiding whether there's enough to pull it apart. Think I'll try an easier one first and see how it goes but I've added these to my "Plants to try" list. :-) -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#12
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A hitch-hiking orchid
"Dave Poole" wrote in message ... I thought some of you might be interested in this although I did post a bit about it elsewhere, so apologies to those who have already seen it. There’s a very long pre-amble to this – in fact it is likely to be a very, very long post, so be warned. This may turn out to be more efficacious than prozac: snippetty-snip What a marvellous tale! We have had a D. antarctica for a few years now, but the little stump we got was so small there was almost nothing on it. However, over the past several years we have had about 18 leaves off it, so it's not too unhappy. Living where we are in N. Wilts, and it being outside, our chances of finding an orchid are NIL. So you are a very lucky/skilful person! someone |
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