# P. armeniacum basket case!



## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 23, 2020)

Here is my plant FINALLY growing well. I think the trick was to add scallop shells to the mix, and adding dolomitic lime twice a year (spring and fall). It has 5 new growths, 3 of which are growing out the sides of the basket, in addition to the 5 main growths. Maybe, just maybe it will flower this year or next!


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## Stone (Mar 23, 2020)

Outstanding. I have one in a bowl also with five new growths and 2 in bud. This species loves water! Do you keep it cold in winter?
Interesting wire work by the way


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## Linus_Cello (Mar 23, 2020)

Do you grow this outdoors year round generally?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 24, 2020)

Stone said:


> Outstanding. I have one in a bowl also with five new growths and 2 in bud. This species loves water! Do you keep it cold in winter?
> Interesting wire work by the way



Ha, ha. Yeah, I won't be getting any awards for presentation. 



Linus_Cello said:


> Do you grow this outdoors year round generally?



Yes, it remains outside year round unless we are forecast to get below -2 C, then I'll take it inside. I also keep it on my covered back porch so that it remains dry. Every once in awhile I'll spray a little water on it from December-early March. In mid March I take it out into the open so it gets rain. I'd say winter temperatures run between 2 - 10 C on average.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 14, 2020)

Mike, well you shamed me into repotting it - all that horrible wire. Good news, it is really doing well now with multiple stolons coming and at least 5 new growths on top of that. Wow, it is going to be a monster by next year. I'm thrilled! Now I just wish it would flower...


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## Don I (Apr 14, 2020)

Good job.
Don


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## TyroneGenade (Apr 14, 2020)

Thanks for the inspiration!


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## Ozpaph (Apr 14, 2020)

that is fabulous


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## xiphius (Apr 15, 2020)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> I think the trick was to add scallop shells to the mix, and adding dolomitic lime twice a year (spring and fall)



Gorgeous plant! How do you keep the dolomitic lime from washing out? Or do you just sprinkle it on and hope for the best? How much?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 15, 2020)

xiphius said:


> Gorgeous plant! How do you keep the dolomitic lime from washing out? Or do you just sprinkle it on and hope for the best? How much?



I add it a couple times a year and that seems to do the trick. I put a good dusting over the entire surface of the moss. The moss breaks down by fall, so I remove the remaining bits to avoid issues. The question for the future is how to replace the old medium if the plant begins to grow growths out the sides of the basket. I guess I'll just have to shake as much of it out as possible and add new medium as the roots/growths will allow. Ha - now I'm getting way ahead of reality!


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## xiphius (Apr 16, 2020)

Thanks for the tips! Mine has been limping along for a couple years now, so I may give the lime treatment a try to see if that perks it up a bit (I already have shells in the mix, but I would imagine the lime gives it a more immediate boost of Ca/Mg).



KyushuCalanthe said:


> Ha - now I'm getting way ahead of reality!



Lol. It's never too early to start planning for the future . Good luck! It looks like your basket is mostly homemade out of twisted wire, so you could always just cut it away with wire snips and remake it. Not super practical, but if you only have to do it every 3 years or so, it wouldn't be that bad...


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## spujr (Apr 16, 2020)

You got great looking plants there! I'm growing mine similarly but not looking as nice as yours. Good job!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 16, 2020)

I have to stress this is just one plant bought back in 2014. Here it is in 2016, just starting to grow new shoots after flowering two years earlier (if memory serves).


spujr said:


> You got great looking plants there! I'm growing mine similarly but not looking as nice as yours. Good job!


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## richgarrison (Apr 17, 2020)

would you please elaborate on your mix recipe....


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 17, 2020)

richgarrison said:


> would you please elaborate on your mix recipe....



Sure. The mix that has been working well is orchidata (medium grade), smashed scallop shells, roughly broken charcoal pieces and course perlite, all in about equal measure. I put a new layer of New Zealand sphagnum moss (AA grade) over the surface of the medium each spring. It breaks down by fall and I remove most of it then. I also add a generous dusting of dolomitic lime over the entire surface of the medium twice a year, in spring and again in early fall. Of course I fertilize as well, but I'm not that consistent. Water ranges from rainwater (nature provides!) to simple hose water in the dry periods. Municipal water here is subterranean, so is pretty hard I guess and chlorinated. Not the best, but its better than a dead plant!

In my next video I will show you exactly how I replanted it this go around, so stay tuned.


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## richgarrison (Apr 19, 2020)

Thanx for that description.. 

in the photo above, i can see what looks like pebbles/small rocks, and some orange-brown looking stone ... is that a different mix recipe?


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