# cyps in pots



## monocotman (Apr 8, 2012)

Hi,

all the pots now out of the garage from their winter rest and starting to grow. The fasciolatum hybrid are the early group the the middle ( Sunny, Inge, Ursel) with well developed shoots.
I've taken the benching out of the greenhouse and placed the plants on these for the flowering period. I don't like bending over to look at the plants!
They are growing on the north side of the greenhouse and some shade netting will be used to protect them from sun and wind.
After the extreme cold of the previous winter I'm glad that this one has been easier on these plants. No losses. Several plants have increased very well.
Sunny has increased from 13 to 23 shoots and Bill and Maria from 1 to 4 shoots.
The plants were fed rather haphazardly last summer and I think that plant development is overwhelmingly affected by summer temperatures. We had a cool summer after a warm dry spring and this really helped the plants. No real heat stress for all of the growing season,

Regards,

David


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## tocarmar (Apr 8, 2012)

Very Nice!! Can't wait for the bloom pics!


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## NYEric (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to order some Cyps and put them into pots to sit outside.


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## W. Beetus (Apr 8, 2012)

Looking good!


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## monocotman (Apr 9, 2012)

*a couple more photos*

Hi,

eric - make sure you try the more warm tolerant species or hybrids.
I seem to remember that Tom has been trialling some over in the land of the rising sun.
I know that we see rather alot of photos of new cyp shoots at this time of year but here are just a couple following on from the first post.
The first photo shows some 'early' hybrids, mostly fasciolatum crosses - Sunny, Inge, Sabine, plus Michael, Michael alba and Hank Small.
Next up is super vigorous Sunny - this plant was split in winter 2009 and is now back up to a potful.
As I now have a small division of this as insurance, it will not be split again for some time and we'll see just how big it can get,

Regards,

David


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## Dido (Apr 9, 2012)

Nice pcis as every year, impresive developing. 
At me it looks the same for some kinds, have more then doubled. 
Some Michaels will have 4+ spikes. 
Have a cyp with 2 prowth coming out of one nose,never happend before for me. 
So beside the winter last year was a goo growing seasn, still waiting on some to come out.


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## NYEric (Apr 9, 2012)

Thanks for the advice!


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## tocarmar (Apr 9, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to order some Cyps and put them into pots to sit outside.



You might have to give them more shade & keep them cooler (Air Condition) in the city during the hot days of summer..


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## NYEric (Apr 9, 2012)

It might be hard since I plan on putting them outside!


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## cnycharles (Apr 9, 2012)

make yourself some 'cyp pots' that were talked about here somewhere a few months ago; pot in a pot, outside pot is clay, in between is moisture loving material so the evaporation keeps the insides cool. i'm tempted to try this with some cool masdies that never like my summer conditions (though my summer conditions may be cooler here on the first floor instead of the second)


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 9, 2012)

NYEric said:


> It might be hard since I plan on putting them outside!



What!? Not on the stove? :rollhappy:

David, I look forward to photos of them in flower. You are growing them to perfection. Honestly, my feeling now is that Cyps will not do well in the ground overtime, but need to be pot grown or in special beds (I would use raised ones) where you can manipulate conditions easily. In the ground they seem to be very problematic - growing well for a time only to go into decline quickly. If you live in a truly cool summer climate in-ground growing seems more possible - say northern Europe or the northern tier states in the USA and adjacent Canada.

I've all but given up on growing Cyps in this hot climate. I wish for a climate more like NYC to grow them! Summers here are brutal and fall is long and warm...not good for Cyps. Then again, C. japonicum and C. formosanum both do well - those are the true heat tolerant species.


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## Ray (Apr 10, 2012)

So I'm on a NC speaking tour, and was at the Triangle OS (Doris Duke Gardens, Durham) last night, and was approached by a guy telling me he grow C. pubescens in S/H culture!!!


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## NYEric (Apr 10, 2012)

Anything is possible! 

"Cyp pots" - thanks for the reminder.


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## Marc (Apr 10, 2012)

cnycharles said:


> make yourself some 'cyp pots' that were talked about here somewhere a few months ago; pot in a pot, outside pot is clay, in between is moisture loving material so the evaporation keeps the insides cool. i'm tempted to try this with some cool masdies that never like my summer conditions (though my summer conditions may be cooler here on the first floor instead of the second)



If you search for "zeer pot" or "pop in pot cooler" you get the results that your looking for.


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi Dave (and others),
I noticed for your pots you use "clay balls" (Hydroton or Hydroleca, or terra-lite) for your cyps. I've been using a mixture of Soil Perfector, Turface, and coarse perlite. I use clay balls for my dendrobiums (semi-hydroponic). Anyone have advice on using "clay balls" vs other inert media? Last summer in Washington DC, it got really hot (over 90 F for weeks); I'm hoping the "clay balls" retain moisture better and help with evaporative cooling.




monocotman said:


> Hi,
> 
> eric - make sure you try the more warm tolerant species or hybrids.
> I seem to remember that Tom has been trialling some over in the land of the rising sun.
> ...


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 17, 2012)

Marc said:


> If you search for "zeer pot" or "pop in pot cooler" you get the results that your looking for.



Here's a link to my question on zeer pots for cyp growing:
http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22183


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## monocotman (Apr 18, 2012)

*clay balls*

Hi Linus,

I used to add clay balls to the cyp mix but now use the same compost for all cyps - 90% super coarse perlite plus a bit of orchid compost.
The clay balls you see are a 'top dressing' to help mulch the pots. It looks better than perlite, seems to stop slugs, reduces water loss and stops the perlite blowing away or sloshing out of the pots when I water.
I was also told that they release a bit of nitrogen into any water you use,
Regards,
David


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## monocotman (Apr 26, 2012)

*first flower of the season - tibeticum 'light'*

Hi,

In common with the rest of the UK we've been battered with winds and rain for a few days so I took this plant into the greenhouse and staked it to get a decent photo.
Nice vigorous plant with a good sized flower though not as big as some tibeticums can get.
But it is early and much taller than others of the species - this flower is a foot off the ground.
This form has been sold in the UK for a few years and I don't know whether it is the true species or something else like froschii or franchetti.
Maybe Tom can comment?

Regards,

David


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## cyprimaniac (Apr 26, 2012)

nice pics David.

this for sure is NOT what is called C. froschii.
look here http://www.w-frosch.de/Cypris/Arten/frosc.htm

but am not sure what it really is


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## Hakone (Apr 26, 2012)

Cypripedium froschii ?


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## Dido (Apr 26, 2012)

Nice flowering plant. 

I know that soem guys sell such plants as froschii, if you loo in the new book of Eccarius he calls the tibeticum var. froschii. 

I had one liek it was shown on frosch side, but it was kiklled in the pot by a cat over the winter, she used it as a toilet and i did not get notice, when I saw it, the plant was nearly full rotten, and it was gone.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 26, 2012)

monocotman said:


> This form has been sold in the UK for a few years and I don't know whether it is the true species or something else like froschii or franchetti.
> Maybe Tom can comment?



Hey David,

Wow, that is a beauty whatever you want to call it  and grown again to perfection. You really are good at growing Cyps.

As to the name, I think Dieter is correct, this one wouldn't fall into the type known as C. froschii. As you know, C. tibeticum is a highly variable species and you could split it into many varieties based on flower type and vegetative characteristics. Dr. Holger Perner told me some years ago that he no longer thought that C. froschii deserved species status, but rather was a variety of C. tibeticum.

In nature C. froschii is found in woodland areas while the more common C. tibeticum varieties typically grow in scrubby areas or open grassland. He felt therefore that C. froschii is either an ecotype of C. tibeticum or perhaps deserved varietal status. At the time he was writing a series of papers on the entire section Macrantha and he commented something like, "actually, it may be that all members of Macrantha are really just all one species, C. macranthos, or perhaps two - C. macranthos and C. tibeticum." 

Ah, lumping and splitting :sob:


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## monocotman (Apr 27, 2012)

*tibeticum variation*

Hi guys, 

thanks for all the comments.
So maybe the pot label is correct and it is a form of tibeticum.
This plant was received over winter and is still establishing, so should do
better next year,

Regards,

David


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## NYEric (Apr 27, 2012)

Dido said:


> I had one liek it was shown on frosch side, but it was kiklled in the pot by a cat over the winter, she used it as a toilet and i did not get notice, when I saw it, the plant was nearly full rotten, and it was gone.



Bad Kat!!


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## Dido (Apr 27, 2012)

Hate this thing too, 
my wife said she was not seen for a long time so who knows where she did go.....


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## Clark (Apr 27, 2012)




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## monocotman (Apr 28, 2012)

*cyp set up*

Hi guys,
a couple of photos to show the current 'home made' set up.
The plants are housed on benching on the north side of the greenhouse.
This helps to keep the plants shaded and also saves my back when I inspect them whilst they flower.
After this they'll spend the summer under a sycamore tree.
They are surrounded on three sides by greenhouse shading mesh. This keeps off the worst of the wind as well as sun.
April in the UK has been extremely wet and windy - we are making up for the previous 18 months which were the driest ever, so this mesh has really helped save the plants from a battering.
Apparently it is quite likely that this April will have a lower average temperature than March, which was relatively dry and sunny.
So far no problems with rot of any kind despite the plants being wet for most of the month.
Regards,
David


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 1, 2012)

Looking great David. Boy, you are going to have a bunch of flowers this year :clap:


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## monocotman (May 3, 2012)

*Sabine 'alba'*

Hi,

after an awful wet and cold April we're hoping for better May weather.
No weather station registered 20 degrees anywhere in the UK in the whole of the month. It was also the wettest April since 1910.
I was worried that there would be some rot in the cyps but they're fine, just very slow. Last year at this time was the peak flowering for the collection.
A fine grex from Michael Wienert and about my favourite of the newer crosses, Sabine alba ( fasciolatum x macranthos alba) seems to be a good doer with large flowers that open cream and fade to white like paph. Amarni white. Just at touch of colour at the base of the petals.
Only the third time its flowered and already seven blooms.
It should make a nice potful over the next couple of years. The flowers are just opening after yet another windy and wet night.
Because of this I've had to stake some of the weaker stemmed plants - all parviflorum crosses - Michael, Ingrid and Hank Small,

Regards,

David


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## Dido (May 3, 2012)

Nice and great plant and great color congrats on that one. 

Some kinds are really strange here this year.


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 4, 2012)

Please keep updating what is in flower David.

C. Sabine is a great hybrid and the pale plant is perhaps even nicer than the standard form. Then again, I like just about any hybrid with C. fasciolatum blood in it.


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## monocotman (May 5, 2012)

*a conundrum - not Florence*

Tom - for me Sabine pastel has much more impact than the normal form.
A real winner.
I have a puzzle for you.
Next up is a plant I bought as an unflowered seedling from the grex 'Florence' - Gisela x fasciolatum.
When it first flowered in 2010 it was obviously wrong.
It may have fasciolatum as one parent but what about the other?
The flowers are becoming darker every year as the plant matures.
They were so pale to begin with that I thought at first it was Ursel - fasciolatum x henryi, but now I'm beginning to think that it is Gabriela( fasciolatum x kentuckiense)
It could be Sunny (fasciolatum x calceolus) but the flowers are larger with much longer,paler petals than my other plants of Sunny.
Take a look at the side view of the individual flower - it has the outline of kentuckiense to me.
Anyway, whatever it is, the plant is super vigorous and approaching maturity - this is only the third year of flowering and already 15 growths with 12 flowers. For scale, the pot it is currently growing in is substantial - about 10 inches across,
Regards,
David


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## Dido (May 5, 2012)

A nice one look like Gabriela too me. 
if you look on the pics. 
Mine are to small, will need 2 or 3 years to flower


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 5, 2012)

Too my eyes there is no doubt that one parent is fasciolatum and another kentuckiense (the dorsal is a give away), which would indeed be Gabriela. I guess there is an outside shot it is a complex hybrid, but I doubt it. Lovely, lovely flower and an awesome plant.

Man, that plant is growing so well - you make me jealous :rollhappy:


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## monocotman (May 5, 2012)

Thanks for the comments - I'll relabel the plant!
David


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## monocotman (May 7, 2012)

*sunny*

Hi,

a few photos of Sunny( fasciolatum x calceolus).
A really vigorous grower with lovely foliage - deep green.


Regards,

David


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## Dido (May 7, 2012)

Nice one congrats on them, mine will come later


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 7, 2012)

Wow, another beauty David. Question - how big do you allow a clump to get before dividing it?


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## NYEric (May 7, 2012)

Wow! Lots of nice cyps in pots.


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## monocotman (May 8, 2012)

*dividing cyps*

Tom - that is the question.
This plant has been divided once already.
I have 2 other divisions.
I plan to let it get big and see what happens.
The breeder of this grex let the plants get so big they needed to be grown in polystyrene fish boxes.
I know Michael Wienert tells you to split them when they go past 10 growths but does that hold when they're grown in perlite and pots?
Regards,
David


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## monocotman (May 8, 2012)

*Philipp alba*

Tom,

have you ever seen this grex for sale?
I know you like big white flowers and this seems to be a bit of a no brainer cross to make.
Big white(ish) flowers on tall stems - very nice.
With Michael alba, Sabine alba already for sale, I would have expected this one to be next, but so far nothing anywhere as far as I can see.
I was planning on making a couple of species crosses with the macranthos semi albas I grow but despite growing well they've both aborted their flower buds this year.
A Sabine or Philipp semi alba would cause a stir!

Regards,

David


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## cyprimaniac (May 8, 2012)

hey,
that would make sense to me,
when using "kentuckiense alba". (pur yellow flower)

unfortunately I only have some 2year old seedlings,
not yet flowering size 

so I must wait to "serve" you 

cheers


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## monocotman (May 10, 2012)

*general view and some wrong-un's.*

Hi,

the temperatures have perked up a bit in the UK this week and the plants have really grown quickly.
Large plants across the back are Gabriela, Inge, Sunny and Michael.
The yellow flower is supposed to be aki light but I have my doubts. Too yellow.
It may be a x ventricosum. 
Next up is a proper mistake. Supposed to be two seedlings from macranthos 'red russian' - a deep coloured form.
So far no trace of colour so they could be macranthos alba or ventricosum alba.
Luckily I like them both,

Regards,

David


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 10, 2012)

monocotman said:


> Tom,
> 
> have you ever seen this grex for sale?
> I know you like big white flowers and this seems to be a bit of a no brainer cross to make.
> ...



Hey David, I've not seen Sunny in person. It was first touted as looking like an oversized C. calceolus, but the paler ones seem to be fairly common as well.

I do like white flowers, but there is a limit to that as well. As for all the pale flowered forms coming out, it is interesting to me that they seem to be mostly C. macranthos hybrids. I've wondered about this - what is going on genetically to produce "alba" (white) flowers? Think about C. x ventricosum and its variation - pure whites, near whites, yellows, pinks, bicolored, and the whole gambit of purple. One wonders where the white came from? It seems unlikely that C. calceolus had anything to do with it. You see the same pattern with artificially produced C. macranthos hybrids - Aki, Brigit, Sabine, Michael, x ventricosum, and even C. macranthos 'alba' (is it really a pure species or just the result of a hybrid swam).

By comparison you don't hear much about alba flowers in other section Macrantha species, tibeticum, franchetii, calcicolum, etc. I wonder, have you heard of any C. tibeticum hybrids coming out pale? All the ones I can think of are very dark, for example Pixi and recently I saw a pic of C. candidum x C. tibeticum -again, very dark.


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## cyprimaniac (May 11, 2012)

thats correct Tom,
most are very deep color, but there is an exception.

just look at the picture of Cyp. Xwenqingiae.

if the analysis is correct with the parents, THIS is a fairly pale plant, 
but up to now I only know this single picture:

http://www.w-frosch.de/Cypris/Hybriden/wenqi.htm 

I posted a picture of a new yet unregistered hybrid 
of montanum X tibeticum in my thread,
and indeed this too is fairly dark color.

cheers


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 11, 2012)

That's right Dieter - I had forgotten about C. x wenqingiae. I know at Dr. Perner had some flasks for sale this year, so maybe we'll be seeing more of this interesting cross in the future. Do you know of anyone in Europe who has remade this one?


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## Hakone (May 11, 2012)

monocotman said:


> Hi,
> 
> the temperatures have perked up a bit in the UK this week and the plants have really grown quickly.
> Large plants across the back are Gabriela, Inge, Sunny and Michael.
> ...



Hello David,

The Color intensity ( deep coloured ) is dependent with temperature.


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## monocotman (May 11, 2012)

Tom - I suggest that the current new alba hybrids are all macranthos alba crosses with PALE coloured species - michael is with Henryi, sabine is with fasciolatum,birgit is with cordigerum.
All these species are quite pale in colour with little anthocyanin.
When crossed with a white they generate very little colour.
That is why there are only a few alba hybrids.
With darker flowered species we need alba forms of them before we can produce pale hybrids.
So Philipp needs an alba (or more strictly a non producer of anthocyanin) kentuckiense - there have been a couple of posts of these seen in the wild where the flower has been pure yellow.
In addition the mutation for the alba has to be in the same place in the genome for both alba forms - not very likely, but could happen.
So the chances of producing something like an alba Philipp isn't high, but is possible,
Regards,
David


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## monocotman (May 11, 2012)

*colour intensity*

hakone - I agree that colour intensity in flowers is temperature dependant.
But these flowers have no colour at all and are almost ready to open.
The chances of them being from the clone 'red russian' are zero.
David


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## Hakone (May 11, 2012)

David,

macranthos 'red russian' = macranthos Baikalsee ??


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## monocotman (May 11, 2012)

Hakone - probably the same or similar.
Crustacare don't say on their web site where the clone originates,
David


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## Dido (May 12, 2012)

Nice flowers congrats. 

My alba macranthis has too no flowers all are dry and brown as for many kinds this year. 

The winter was sh.... for me here.


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## biothanasis (May 13, 2012)

Well done!!! Very nice blooms!


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## monocotman (May 15, 2012)

*a few more*

Hi,

Sunny - mature plant in 10 inch pot with great foliage.
Sabine alba - flowers are a bit battered by the rain.
Detail of a spike of michael with 3 flowers - a first this year
Inge flowering for the first time since I nearly killed it when repotting.
It's produced stunted growths for two years,

Regards,

David


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 15, 2012)

Stellar David. Looking at your Cyps, it makes me realize that with the plethora of hybrids coming out these days the need for wild sourced plants is ridiculous. 

Great stuff!


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## NYEric (May 15, 2012)

Nice Sabine album!!


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## monocotman (May 16, 2012)

Tom - agreed!
The species are nice but mostly very slow and for display purposes the hybrids knock the spots off them.
The range of these will only increase in the future and the prices come down.
For a shady place in the garden I would not even consider species in Europe.
Well possibly reginae.
David


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## monocotman (May 17, 2012)

*white cyp*

Hi,

the two unknown white plants have developed a bit further.
Nice thing is that they are both true albas.
They llok like some form of macranthos alba.
Last photo is the coloured form of Sabine.
Nice enough but there isn't the wow factor you get with
sabine alba,

Regards,

David


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## monocotman (May 18, 2012)

*macranthos var rebunense*

Hi,

just been told by the breeder that the two white cyps are macranthos var rebunense. Fantastic result!
I thought rebunense only occurred as a cream form but apparently not.
Anyway they're impossible to find unless you import them from Japan like Berthold.
Fingers crossed they continue to grow - there is a temptation to put a pod on one of them but they're pretty small plants. Maybe wait a bit,

Regards,

David


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 18, 2012)

monocotman said:


> Hi,
> 
> just been told by the breeder that the two white cyps are macranthos var rebunense. Fantastic result!
> I thought rebunense only occurred as a cream form but apparently not.
> ...



Hey David, those are lovely, but I fear are not the famed _rebunatsumorisou_ of Rebun Island. Their petals are a bit too elongate and flourishing. I'd put them more in the range of C. x ventricosum - one of the types commonly marketed as "manschuricum".

Variety rebunense does indeed have pure white flowered forms as well. Just as _Atsumon_, the mascot of this lovely flower. Yes, this is the typical insanity of Japanese popular culture rearing its, ah, absurd head.


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## yijiawang (May 18, 2012)

monocotman said:


> Hi,
> 
> just been told by the breeder that the two white cyps are macranthos var rebunense. Fantastic result!
> I thought rebunense only occurred as a cream form but apparently not.
> ...



Hello, my plant are real rebunense, which was imported from Japan, same division was flowered in the last week in Germany, was proved 100% pure rebunense(sorry can not upload picture before permission). Rebunense is a very special variety of mactanthum, with heavy leaves(even I doubt it is Polyploid). I saw some websites labeled ordinary white or yellow form of macranthum as rebunense, of course I can understand they really want to own it. 
Please check book DIE ORCHIDEENGATTUNG CYPRIPEDIUM by W.ECCARIUS, page 181, for ordinery yellow form of macranthum.


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## Hakone (May 19, 2012)

macranthos vra. rebunense ? Never 

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8913.msg247111#new


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## monocotman (May 19, 2012)

*rebunense?*

Hi,

Thanks for the comments.
I also have doubts about my plant.
The ovary is hairy - not usual in macranthos.
But it looks like the rebunense alba photos on the crustacare web site.
Maybe I need to dig a bit further!
The rate of groth of the plants is also more like ventricosum than macranthos.

Regards,

David


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## Hakone (May 19, 2012)

here is cypripedium macranthos rebunense 


http://www.google.de/imgres?q=cypri...w=164&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:68


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## Hakone (May 19, 2012)

cypripedium x ventricosum album


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## SlipperFan (May 19, 2012)

Delicate white.


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## monocotman (May 20, 2012)

*rebunense and more photos*

Hi,

thanks for the comments.
I'll check on the origin of the parent(s) of my plant.
Reading up in Cribb and elsewhere it does look like a form of ventricosum.
No worries. Pure white ventricosums seem to be quite rare.
The only thing that doesn't say 'ventricosum' is the length of the stem at the base of the staminode.
If you check out Werner Frosch's web site he suggest that an important distinguishing feature between ventricosum and macranthos is the the length of this stem. This plant has a very small stem much more like macranthos than ventricosum. 
However with the introgression between these two in the far east it isn't surprising that the waters are pretty muddy.
Four new cyps currently flowering.
Achim is pubescens x froschii. Flowers have variable colour even on the same plant. This is almost peachy but others are more reddish.
Next is a 2nd clone of Sunny and quite different. Petals are deeper brown, the lip is paler and the plant much smaller.
Ventricosum pale is a newish grex from Michael Wienert. Vigorous sturdy plants and good sized flowers.
Last is a nice clone of tibeticum with large flowers. Growing well now with twelve stems though only four are flowering,

Regards,

David


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## Hakone (May 20, 2012)

another x ventricosum album


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## tenman (May 25, 2012)

All lf them are great, an impressive achievement. I particularly like the last-posted Sunny, with the dark petals and wide stance.

I have a half-dozen cyps in a bed in my backyard here in Ohio that are doing fairly well for me. Can you tell us about your fertilizer and fertilizing regimen?


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## monocotman (May 25, 2012)

*fertilizer*

I feed the hybrid cyps with full strength fertilizer ( garden centre white powder - nothing fancy). Species receive quarter strength.
I start just as they wake up in March and then every couple of weeks until they've become dormant.
Later in the summer I sometimes use high potash tomato food to encourage the roots.
This year they'll also receive the odd feed of epsom salts.
Sometimes the new shoots in spring are a bit yellow and I'm trying to recify this with the salts.
It isn't very scientific - I don't measure conductivity. I try to use rain water when I can for feeding but if I haven't enough I don't stress over it and they receive hard tap water instead,
Regards,
David


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## monocotman (May 31, 2012)

*a few more*

Hi,
A few more flowering today.
A nice Aki with lots of fine lines in the flower.
Next up Lucy Pinkepank( kentuckiense x tibeticum).
Huge flowers and a bit of a bulbous lip but an impressive sight.
Last is Pixi ( calceolus x tibeticum). Darkest hybrid yet and the plant reaching full size with 25 stems. Stems are quite short,
Regards,
David


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## Dido (May 31, 2012)

A great show of flowers Lucy is now on my wishlist

Has anyone Tibeticum pollen, mine are finished with flower


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 1, 2012)

David, both are knockout crosses, but the wide segments on the Lucy Pinkepank are just amazing.


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## monocotman (Jun 1, 2012)

Tom,
it has become clear to me over the years just how much cyp flowers 'improve' as the plants mature. 
They get much bigger and the colour increases in depth and intensity.
Just as much as for example, a hybrid paph.
They can also vary from year to year.
Last year this clone had flowers of a dirty pale purple - not at all nice.
This year they're a good dark red.
I pretty much disregard any flowers until a plant is well established,
Regards,
David


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## monocotman (Jun 1, 2012)

*three kentuckiense hybrids*

Hi,

a trio of closely related kentuckiense hybrids.
First up is Dietrich made with calceolus. A mature plant with most stems having two flowers. This plant can put out quite a good scent in the right conditions.
Next are Rascal made with parviflorum var parviflorum and Lothar Pinkepank with parviflorum var pubescens. The flowers are very similar, the only difference being the flower size - Lothar is larger. 
Both have amazing twisted petals.
The lip of these two is a much deeper yellow than Dietrich.
The final photo is all three with Rascal on the left,

Regards,

David


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## Dido (Jun 2, 2012)

Interesting comparison of all this ones


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## newbud (Jun 2, 2012)

Very nice David. Some really nice yellow Cyp's.


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## biothanasis (Jun 2, 2012)

Very nice blooms!!!!!!! :clap:


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## raymond (Jun 3, 2012)

Wow Very Nice Blooms


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## monocotman (Jun 17, 2012)

*last of the season*

Hi,
last three of the season.
First up is, as expected, kentuckiense. A nice clone with big flowers. The lip is a deeper yellow than shown, I find it difficult to get yellow lips to show up well.
Four stems and six flowers- a good result.
Next up is reginae alba, a seedling flowering for the first time. Always good to see a new plant flowering correctly. The flower is amost pure alba - only a few yellow spots in the labellum.
Lastly we have a new unregistered hybrid, Emil x kentuckiense. The flowers are pretty much as you'd expect from the parents and very similar to the cross Rascal, but with slightly larger flowers,
Regards,
David


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## biothanasis (Jun 17, 2012)

Gorgeous!!!


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## parvi_17 (Jun 17, 2012)

Looking at your photos is always a real joy - your plants are clearly the result of expert growing. I think reginae alba might be the most stunning flower there is, unfortunately my seedling doesn't look like it will flower until next year. But your photo can tide me over until then .


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## Dido (Jun 18, 2012)

Great pics as usual, 
love the new cross.


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## newbud (Jun 18, 2012)

I ditto Dido. 
Seriously David you've done a marvelous job raising all those Cyp's. I'm impressed and would really like to learn how to do it. Are you interested in showing a greenhorn how you do it so well. I'm thinking about getting a pack of acuale and parviflorum var. pubescens seeds off ebay and trying it.


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## Dido (Jun 19, 2012)

Dont start with Acaule seed, this are the most frustrated ones, 
start with reginae and try it with that species. 
if you grow up succesfull this one from seed then you can get to other kinds. 

Acaule is tricky in flask and after. Pubescens is not easy to germinate too. 

So for starting I recommend Acaule, she works well from dry seed too. The others are not easy from dry seed. 

heard that Acaule is possible from dry seed, but only heard from one person till now. 

If you want I can cross a reginae alba fro you, tell me what you want as pollen on it, or I can make a pure one for you, and send you the dry seed.


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## monocotman (Jun 21, 2012)

*cyps from seed*

Newbud,

Thanks for the comments but I only buy seedlings, I've no interest or time in trying to grow them from seed.
It is not easy. If you want to growe them then it is best to buy the biggest seedlings you can afford. Small ones are also pretty tricky unless you have optimal conditions. Larger ones are easier,

Regards,

David


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## NYEric (Jun 21, 2012)

You can get groups of plants off ebay, start there for the Cyp acaule, Cyp reginae I'd get from a reputable dealer.


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## monocotman (Oct 4, 2012)

*autumn review*

Hi,

'tis the season of mellow fruitfulness and time to check on how the cyps fared this summer.
We had a non summer this year in the UK - a spring drought was followed by a hosepipe ban and the day this came into force the heavens opened and the wettest summer for a very long time followed.
However not is all doom and gloom - the cyps loved this cool wet weather with no heat stress and several have increased impressively.
I saw some rot on the leaves for the first time ever due to the humid conditions.
Growing in mainly super coarse perlite allows you to easily check on the state of the plants by gently knocking off the top layer to expose surface roots and buds.
First up is x ventricosum pale from Frosch.
This had 2 FS and 2 non FS growths in the spring. There are now 11 new buds for next year. Pretty much a tripling in size.
Next up is the bright red hybrid 'Bill' ( pubescens x tibeticum). This had 2 FS growths plus one small growth in the spring. There are now 8 large growths.
Also close to tripling in size.
The last two photos show stages in repotting a large tibeticum.
This plant is a large flowered form from a breeder so I'm pleased it's grown well.
This plants has lived in the same compost and pot for 5 seasons.
In 2008 it was a single FS growth. Today there are 20 new buds for next spring and I thought that it merited a larger pot.
The first photo shows a problem with pot growing - the discoloured parts of the compost at the front are worm burrows. They are an occupational hazard of pot growing for me but take 2-3 years before the build up of humus in the pot from their activities starts to impact on the plants.
I could put fine wire mesh over the holes in the bottom of the pot but that my also affect drainage over time so I don't bother.
The point is that cyps take time to build up size, especially species and a compost of perlite allows them to do this with no danger of compost breakdown.
When I repotted this plant I managed to find just a single rotten root in the entire pot - the rest were all hard and active - another benefit of an inorganic free draining compost. 
The plant has doubled in size this year after several years of much gentler increase - maybe due to the cool weather.
It must also have been frozen several cm deep during the winter of 2010/11 so the roots must be very hardy.
Regards,
David


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## NYEric (Oct 4, 2012)

Ok, OK, I'll get some more Cyps for NYC!


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## naoki (Oct 5, 2012)

Hi David, they all look amazing! I'm pretty new to Cyp. growing, do you have any good tips about overwintering? I'm pretty nervous about the soil moisture level during the winter time.


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## monocotman (Oct 6, 2012)

*overwintering*

Hi,
not sure about overwintering in Alaska - there may be others with more experience.
You could cover the cyps with a rainproof cover to keep the worst of the rain off - maybe it'll depend on snow cover?
Dvaid


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## Dido (Oct 6, 2012)

Great plant as usual 

Are you offering devison of yours from time to time......


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## KyushuCalanthe (Oct 6, 2012)

David, great job growing your Cyps, as usual. Those root and eyes look more like a hosta than a Cyp though - they are too happy.


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