# Cyp. reginae



## NYEric (Jul 19, 2017)

I lost interest in reginae because I didn't think I could keep them cool enough in NYC summer weather. It turns out that one of my containers is water-tight. Since the Cyp. reginae I've seen in situ were blooming on plants fully submerged. Since I have an inorganic mix in the pot, I was wondering what I need to ammend the mix to be suitable for Cyp reginae. Any help?


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## John M (Jul 19, 2017)

I've grown reginae outside in the ground, in regular garden soil and in pots in regular garden soil. I also grow them outside in slightly raised beds filled with ProMix HP and which are underlaid with regular garden soil. While they do like to be in very damp to wet soil, I doubt "submerged" plants will last long. Being submerged was probably something that happened after the plants got established in that location. I bet they eventually drowned if they stayed submerged for long. That being said, seasonally being under water for only a few weeks probably works out okay. However, they are not aquatic like water lilies or even marginals like cattails. Yes, they like very damp to wet soil; but, I doubt if the roots are literally under water for long that they'd survive from year to year.


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## Steve G (Jul 20, 2017)

Any Cyp. sitting with roots/rhizome in stagnant water will succumb to rot. Cypripedium roots are metabolically active and require access to oxygen. Anaerobic conditions are anathema. Even most of the true Bog orchids are sitting in airy damp moss or exposed to a continuing flow of oxygenated water through seepage.


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## cnycharles (Jul 20, 2017)

Usually they aren't sitting in wet mud but water is slowly flowing through the whole root zone. A zeer pot outside the normal pot would keep the roots cool

In ny most places the roots are submerged in rich black muck but always oxygenated. Also a pot full of held water or one with media would get just as hot without a mechanism to cool the roots. Further north where the soil doesn't get as hot a number of orchids can grow more in the open and not as wet as further south where there needs to be more active cooling


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## NYEric (Jul 20, 2017)

Hmmmm, so maybe not. I could possibly run a pump and air stone set-up but that might upset the garden committee. Or, I could pour the water out until it was necessary for cooling. Still what about admixtures for the pH?


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