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Pleione aurita

Discussion in 'Orchid Species' started by naoki, Mar 31, 2015.

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  1. Mar 31, 2015 #1
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Finally a bit of time to post this here.

    My first Pleione! I just got the bulbs last fall, so I still don't know how to grow this thing. But I thought of sharing the photos of a pretty flower. The grow of the bud is amazingly quick. Pleione could be addictive... I hope I can keep this alive.

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    Pleione aurita     on Flickr

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    Pleione aurita     on Flickr

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    Pleione aurita lip     on Flickr

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    Pleione aurita column     on Flickr

    [​IMG]
    Pleione aurita     on Flickr
     
    Mary Pientka, xmpraedicta, Alfonso Doucette and 1 other person like this.
  2. Mar 31, 2015 #2
    wpinnix

    wpinnix William Pinnix

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    Very nice. Pleiones are fairly easy. They like a fine mix, even a potting mix can work. Keep lightly shaded. A friend swears the best thing to do is unpot them in the fall after leaves drop, and put the bulbs in the refrigerator; pot them up in early February. I leave mine in the pots outside year-round unless there is a hard freeze.
     
  3. Mar 31, 2015 #3
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I think P aurita is one of the best of the genus.
     
  4. Mar 31, 2015 #4
    sam1147

    sam1147 sam1147

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    Beautiful.
     
  5. Mar 31, 2015 #5
    Alfonso Doucette

    Alfonso Doucette Active Member

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    Beautiful! Great photos too!!! :)
     
  6. Mar 31, 2015 #6
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Beautiful flower and your photos are fantastic!
     
  7. Apr 1, 2015 #7
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Thank you, all. I saw Marni's P. auriata, which had even more intense color!

    Bill, I was also reading about the culture, and people say that it is better to repot every year (maybe more conventional method?), but fair number of people think that unpotting is not required. I'll play safe with unpotting this winter. But I'll try your method, once I know better about Pleione!
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2015
  8. Apr 3, 2015 #8
    annabanana1987

    annabanana1987 Active Member

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    I have been looking for some of these ! I love that they go dormant great pictures !
     
  9. Apr 21, 2015 #9
    Dave The Scientist

    Dave The Scientist Active Member

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    Very nice. How are you growing it? What media is it in?
     
  10. Apr 21, 2015 #10
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Dave, I'm not experienced enough with Pleione, so I'm somewhat following The Pleione Website - The Pleione Website Homepage

    After 1 months of flowering, it is finally fading.

    My potting media is Fine mulch bark:moss from backyard:Coarse Perlite (sponge rock)=2:3:1. I shifted bark mulch and sifted into different sizes with hardware clothes (those things you get from Home Depot to make chicken fence etc), and I'm using the size between 1/2"-1/4". moss is not sphagnum moss, it is feather moss type. I'm trying to introduce a bit of fungi/microbes. Then I put about 4 pieces of 1"x2" corrugated cardboard (cut out from boxes) along the pot wall (popular among some Japanese growers).

    From what I read, the potting media doesn't seem to matter too much.

    I received the bulbs last Fall, and had the bulbs in plastic bags (not closed) in the heated garage (40F) all winter (completely dry). Around Feb, I potted it up, but kept them completely dry until the shoot grows to 1" or more (and until the root started to grow; indicated by little wiggling of the bulbs). They are growing next to south facing window (3-5 hours of direct sun) with 70/60F, RH of >50% in open top aquarium. Now I'm watering every 2-3 days before the media completely dry out with 30-50ppmN fertilizer every time.

    In the summer, I'll probably grow them outside next to Cyps.

    That's what I'm doing at this moment, but I don't know if my culture is good or not until this winter. All of the plants are expanding the leaves rapidly.
     
    annabanana1987 likes this.
  11. Apr 22, 2015 #11
    Mary Pientka

    Mary Pientka New Member

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    Truly beautiful!