Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France wants
some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and delight I
found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now repotted in the
existing old compost in their own pot. Will be interesting to see what the
flowers are like as they are again probably a cross between the two species
we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The ones I found years ago seeded in an
old lily pot are superb, bigger than both species.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:10:56 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France
wants some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and
delight I found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now
repotted in the existing old compost in their own pot. Will be
interesting to see what the flowers are like as they are again probably
a cross between the two species we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The
ones I found years ago seeded in an old lily pot are superb, bigger than
both species.


It really is a marvelous feeling when you discover something like that.
We were lucky to find D fuchsii and Anacamptis pyramidalis in neglected
parts of our garden a few years ago which encouraged us to turn an area
(part lawn, part old shrub bed) into a wildflower bed. Both have thrived
in their new locations and this year we discovered D fuchsii growing in
the centre of a clump of carex growing in the pond margin.
--
rbel

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message ...

Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France wants
some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and delight I
found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now repotted in the
existing old compost in their own pot. Will be interesting to see what the
flowers are like as they are again probably a cross between the two species
we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The ones I found years ago seeded in an
old lily pot are superb, bigger than both species.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Do you grow any of these in the open garden as opposed to pots Bob? I'd love
to see if I could get them naturalised in my garden. They're very scarce
around here, verge 'management' has seen off the few roadside populations I
knew, but I see them frequently in Snowdonia. I would guess that some
populations are hybrid swarms.
Any pointers for naturalisation? Presumably the old compost conserves the
mycorrhizae which raises the question of introducing the mycorrhizae to a
garden situation.

Rod

"Rod" wrote ..
"Bob Hobden" wrote

Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France wants
some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and delight I
found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now repotted in the
existing old compost in their own pot. Will be interesting to see what the
flowers are like as they are again probably a cross between the two species
we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The ones I found years ago seeded in an
old lily pot are superb, bigger than both species.


Do you grow any of these in the open garden as opposed to pots Bob? I'd love
to see if I could get them naturalised in my garden. They're very scarce
around here, verge 'management' has seen off the few roadside populations I
knew, but I see them frequently in Snowdonia. I would guess that some
populations are hybrid swarms.
Any pointers for naturalisation? Presumably the old compost conserves the
mycorrhizae which raises the question of introducing the mycorrhizae to a
garden situation.

The D fuchsii and D maculata are planted as bog plants in our pond, been
there for 25+ years I would think and in all that time I've never found a
young plant in the actual garden soil but then it can get dry round here in
summer and they don't like that.
I have planted some of those I found this time in the open garden but again
I have surrounded them with the old compost for the reason you mention. I
will have to see what happens next spring, it didn't work when I tried it
years ago.
I believe mycorrhizae is now available to buy and often used for tree
planting.

What I do is to shake the seeds out of the flower spikes into likely spots
in our small garden but as they blow about they always seem to come up in
pots of old compost which have a moss covering probably because of the build
up of mycorrhizae there, for example there are also a couple sharing a pot
with a Chinese Elm Bonsai which I have no intention of doing anything about.
Perhaps next year I should send you some old flower spikes with seed pods
for you to sprinkle over a damp mossy area if you have such (and if I
remember!).
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"rbel" wrote ...

Bob Hobden wrote:

Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France
wants some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and
delight I found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now
repotted in the existing old compost in their own pot. Will be
interesting to see what the flowers are like as they are again probably a
cross between the two species we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The ones
I found years ago seeded in an old lily pot are superb, bigger than both
species.


It really is a marvelous feeling when you discover something like that.
We were lucky to find D fuchsii and Anacamptis pyramidalis in neglected
parts of our garden a few years ago which encouraged us to turn an area
(part lawn, part old shrub bed) into a wildflower bed. Both have thrived
in their new locations and this year we discovered D fuchsii growing in
the centre of a clump of carex growing in the pond margin.

As I have replied to Rod, ours are grown as bog plants, pond marginals, so
your D fuchsii is now growing in it's preferred damp spot. If you have some
flower spikes with seed try shaking them around the pond margins.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Nov 18, 11:07*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Rod" *wrote ..
"Bob Hobden" *wrote

Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early but a friend in France wants
some and he's on his way back on Saturday, and to my surprise and delight I
found some self seeded Dactylorhiza in one large pan. Now repotted in the
existing old compost in their own pot. Will be interesting to see what the
flowers are like as they are again probably a cross between the two species
we have, D fuchsii and D maculata. The ones I found years ago seeded in an
old lily pot are superb, bigger than both species.

Do you grow any of these in the open garden as opposed to pots Bob? I'd love
to see if I could get them naturalised in my garden. They're very scarce
around here, verge 'management' has seen off the few roadside populations I
knew, but I see them frequently in Snowdonia. I would guess that some
populations are hybrid swarms.
Any pointers for naturalisation? Presumably the old compost conserves the
mycorrhizae which raises the question of introducing the mycorrhizae to a
garden situation.

The D fuchsii and D maculata are planted as bog plants in our pond, been
there for 25+ years I would think and in all that time I've never found a
young plant in the actual garden soil but then it can get dry round here in
summer and they don't like that.
I have planted some of those I found this time in the open garden but again
I have surrounded them with the old compost for the reason you mention. I
will have to see what happens next spring, it didn't work when I tried it
years ago.
I believe mycorrhizae is now available to buy and often used for tree
planting.

What I do is to shake the seeds out of the flower spikes into likely spots
in our small garden but as they blow about they always seem to come up in
pots of old compost which have a moss covering probably because of the build
up of mycorrhizae there, for example there are also a couple sharing a pot
with a Chinese Elm Bonsai which I have no intention of doing anything about.
Perhaps next year I should send you some old flower spikes with seed pods
for you to sprinkle over a damp mossy area if you have such (and if I
remember!).
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Thanks for that Bob, this is a very new garden but I'm sure I could
arrange a damp mossy spot for next year, not sure about mycorrhizae
though, and they're critical for orchid seeds, probably less so for
plants. I need to do a bit more research.
Mycorrhizae are unlikely to be a magic bullet for everbody's
cultivation problems any time soon because the relationships between
fungi and plants are extremely complex and very little understood. I
doubt if there's any 'multi purpose' assembly of them that would have
a beneficial effect on a range of plants. Though you say you have your
orchids self sowing in pots containing other plants in old compost so
my previous statement is already looking a bit dodgy.
Probably getting hold of some good pot grown orchid plants may be a
possible way of getting some appropriate fungi.
BTW on another aspect of orchids being funny plants. In the old work
garden where I worked for 33 yrs, Broad leaved Helleborines are
cropping up is several parts of the place but I worked there for over
30yrs before I saw any.

Rod

"Rod" wrote

Thanks for that Bob, this is a very new garden but I'm sure I could
arrange a damp mossy spot for next year, not sure about mycorrhizae
though, and they're critical for orchid seeds, probably less so for
plants. I need to do a bit more research.
Mycorrhizae are unlikely to be a magic bullet for everbody's
cultivation problems any time soon because the relationships between
fungi and plants are extremely complex and very little understood. I
doubt if there's any 'multi purpose' assembly of them that would have
a beneficial effect on a range of plants. Though you say you have your
orchids self sowing in pots containing other plants in old compost so
my previous statement is already looking a bit dodgy.
Probably getting hold of some good pot grown orchid plants may be a
possible way of getting some appropriate fungi.
BTW on another aspect of orchids being funny plants. In the old work
garden where I worked for 33 yrs, Broad leaved Helleborines are
cropping up is several parts of the place but I worked there for over
30yrs before I saw any.

Because the pots they have grown in have not been touched for more years
than they should be I am convinced there has been a build-up of mycorrhizae
in the soil probably because it had become poor and the old plants were
utilising mycorrhizae themselves. The Dactylorhiza that grew in my Pleione
pots would have had an easier time as, although it's only two years since
they were repotted, the Pleiones would have kept their own "orchid"
mycorrhizae with them.
Would you like to try some Pleione formosana Rod?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Nov 22, 11:05*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Rod" *wrote

Thanks for that Bob, this is a very new garden but I'm sure I could
arrange a damp mossy spot for next year, not sure about mycorrhizae
though, and they're critical for orchid seeds, probably less so for
plants. I need to do a bit more research.
Mycorrhizae are unlikely to be a magic bullet for everbody's
cultivation problems any time soon because the relationships between
fungi and plants are extremely complex and very little understood. I
doubt if there's any 'multi purpose' assembly of them that would have
a beneficial effect on a range of plants. Though you say you have your
orchids self sowing in pots containing other plants in old compost so
my previous statement is already looking a bit dodgy.
Probably getting hold of some good pot grown orchid plants may be a
possible way of getting some appropriate fungi.
BTW on another aspect of orchids being funny plants. In the old work
garden where I worked for 33 yrs, Broad leaved Helleborines are
cropping up is several parts of the place but I worked there for over
30yrs before I saw any.

Because the pots they have grown in have not been touched for more years
than they should be I am convinced there has been a build-up of mycorrhizae
in the soil probably because it had become poor and the old plants were
utilising mycorrhizae themselves. The Dactylorhiza that grew in my Pleione
pots would have had an easier time as, although it's only two years since
they were repotted, the Pleiones would have kept their own "orchid"
mycorrhizae with them.
Would you like to try some Pleione formosana Rod?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Thanks Bob, yes I'd like to try that - I'd have to protect them in
winter but that's not a problem, I guess a small coldframe would
probably be OK. If I'm reading you right it looks as though 'orchid'
mycorrhizae are not especially species specific so that just might
start me along the way to creating an environment for the native ones.

Rod

(the email address I usually use is roddotannette the isp bit is as
you see in this post) Scratching my head to think of something to make
it a swap - watch this space.

I was just cleaning off the old leaves on mine before putting them away in a frost free, but cold Summer house for winter and for the first time ever there was a seed pod with lots of seed in it on one of them. Never seen that before. I sprinkled the seed in the pot round the pseudobulbs and it will be interesting to see what happens. Must remember not to repot that one in Spring.

"Owdboggy" wrote

Bob HobdenWrote:
Repotting my Pleione orchids today, bit early

I was just cleaning off the old leaves on mine before putting them away
in a frost free, but cold Summer house for winter and for the first time
ever there was a seed pod with lots of seed in it on one of them. Never
seen that before. I sprinkled the seed in the pot round the pseudobulbs
and it will be interesting to see what happens. Must remember not to
repot that one in Spring.

Funny enough I had one on mine this year but I forgot to keep a note of
which variety it was on. The pod is still in the garage so I'll have to do
something with it soon.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK