# Cyp. acaule



## abax (Jun 30, 2013)

If I may ask, have any of you lovely Cyp. growers ever managed to bloom
acaule either in your garden or in pots? I've tried a couple of times to
transplant a stand on our property that is dying out due to pine bark
beetles killing the trees they grow under with no success beyond a year to
two. I duplicate soil, temps., sunlight as closely as possible. I'm heartbroken about losing this wonderful group of plants.


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## Rick (Jun 30, 2013)

You might check out the Vermont Lady Slipper site.

And also get a copy of Growing Hardy Orchids by John Tullock

John is from East TN and seemed to grow them pretty easily. I think he also references the work done by the Durkee's at VLS.

Having a VERY acid soil seems to be key for this species.


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## NYEric (Jun 30, 2013)

Vinegar in water .


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## likespaphs (Jun 30, 2013)

i thought i had seen a culture sheet somewhere about Cyp acaule, but if so, i can't find it anymore


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## Rick (Jun 30, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Vinegar in water .



That was part of the Durkee pot protocol.

I can't recall the link address, but as Likepaphs mention there is a culture article on the web. Maybe its still on the VLS site.


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## naoki (Jun 30, 2013)

Here is a great info from Tom (botanyboy):

http://botanyboy.org/the-moccasin-flower-cypripedium-acaule/

I have to use 2 TBS/gallon of white vinegar (which says "5% acidity") to get the pH down to 4.25 from pH 6.80 of Rain water. With 1TBS, it only goes down to pH 4.5.

This page contains some info from Eric:
http://culturesheet.org/orchidaceae:cypripedium:acaule


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jun 30, 2013)

I have luck with them out at my LI place in Cutchogue. However, C. acaule is native there, and there are some wild plants within a few blocks of my house. My soil is nearly pure sand, forest is dry oak. Soil pH is 3.9, virtually no nutrients. I've bought plants from various sources, and just put them directly in the soil with no amendments. My biggest problem is with squirrels digging them up.


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## abax (Jul 1, 2013)

Very acid soil I've got. The original stand grew under a very thick layer of pine needles that is now gone. When I transplanted, I also used pine needle mulch and the soil read as quite acid. Cyp. acaule is native here, but
apparently transplanting is a deadly shock to them. Perhaps I should bring
in some "foreigners" and try again. Uh oh, I have lots of squirrels too!

Just as an aside, I had squirrels digging in my hayrack baskets of annuals for a long time.
This year I planted lemon thyme in the baskets with annuals and the squirrels haven't
gotten near my baskets. There's something about lemon thyme...


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 1, 2013)

When are you planting them? Timing is crucial. I think fall is best...I've even planted rescue acaules, still in full leaf, in September without a problem. Early spring is OK too, but very early...there should be no growth beyond swelling of the bud. For me, that's late March-early April. If at all possible, try fall planting. Also, FWIW, since NY has very hot, sometimes dry summers, I have had better luck with acaule's from southern sources rather than northern sources, which may be acclimated to cooler, wetter summers. Some of my best were rescue plants from the Atlanta area.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 1, 2013)

Another thing....while acaule always requires low pH and low nutrients, different populations deal with different amounts of water. The native acaules near me are used to very dry summers...I've seen them go 8 weeks in the woods during the summer with no rain at all. But I've also seen acaule growing streamside in very wet circumstances. So the water requirements of your source plants may be different from the requirements you can provide.


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## abax (Jul 2, 2013)

I'll have to try fall planting. We tried in the spring both times. The area
where they originally grew was wet most of the time and I tried to duplicate
the conditions. Perhaps I over-did it. Thank you, Eric. You've encouraged me to try again.


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## NYEric (Jul 2, 2013)

When Charles took me to an acaule site in upstate NY, they were growing (blooming) very dry.


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## chris20 (Jul 2, 2013)

Years ago I visited Walden Pond near Concord, MA in early May and every six feet or so was a blooming Cyp. acaule. There were hundreds of them. They were growing under mature pine trees and I suspect the soil was very acidic and also sandy. Also probably dry conditions.


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## abax (Jul 3, 2013)

Apparently, the species is adaptable, except when I transplant. The addition of coarse sand to the planting area just might be a goooood idea.
Hmmmmmm.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 3, 2013)

The sandier the better.


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## NYEric (Jul 5, 2013)

I got some acaules from eBay. Unfortunately the vendor did not wait to let them go dormant before shipping; so I have erc'd them on the hottest week of the year so far. I am going to the pet store tomorrow to get some litmus paper then will try to pot them in various media.


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## abax (Jul 5, 2013)

Good luck, NYEric...or at least better luck than I've had.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 5, 2013)

There is no way to get dormant acaule at this time of year. I wouldn't order acaule's after April or before October.


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## Dido (Jul 10, 2013)

I grow some in pots and bloomed 3 of them this year. 
2 I cutted after starting spike 1 I let flower and pollinated it the smell was really great will put pic in later. As I had no time the last weeks to post


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## NYEric (Jul 10, 2013)

168 hours in a week and no time to post! oke:


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## Dido (Jul 12, 2013)

sorry I wanted to post a pic of my flowering one then I found nothing on my camera so I must have dreamed it that i taked a pic, I only have one of the bid, and I could make pic of the plants I have, I can show a pic of the capsule to prove it. 
I cannot belive that I forget to take a pic even I have not often flwoers from them.......


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## NYEric (Jul 12, 2013)

No more beer for you!!


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## Clark (Jul 12, 2013)

The local clump grows in all sand, with pine needles covering the surface.

The tidal surge from Hurricane Sandy stopped about 100ft. from this stand.
Lots of plants this season. Thought soil contamination would be issue.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jul 17, 2013)

The issue with this species is the balance between the plant's ultra sensitive roots and the soil fungi - both "good" and "bad". That is the reason why a pH of 4.5 or less is required. Regardless, I wouldn't consider this an easy species.


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## jtrmd (Jul 17, 2013)

I grow them in my garden with just a top dressing of pine needles yearly.They didnt bloom this year,and came up really late for some reason.Then the rabbits got to them when they finally stopped growing lol!


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## abax (Jul 17, 2013)

jtrmd, we have lots of rabbits and I've never given them a thought. The
group I transplanted were in the proper environment and good ph levels
and a lot of the original soil. They came up and appeared to be doing well and then disappeared. You may have solved a problem that's I've been
stressing over for a long time. Thank you!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 18, 2013)

Could also be deer. I have both rabbits and deer out on LI, and the deer are way more damaging. At least one acaule is gone, one is reduced to a piece of a leaf...my trilliums are down the the leaf spines anf lower spines. Last week they ate the flower stalk of one of my G. pubescens, and some leaves just for fun. Ate ALL my lilies.


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## abax (Jul 19, 2013)

I feed our local deer population and they leave my plants alone. Now I'll
have to figure out a way to feed the local rabbits! It appears that our wildlife is lazy and prefers dried corn and a salt lick to my gardens. However, the deer do some damage in the nursery when they rub their
antlers on the trees. Drives the nursery manager crazy, but I like the deer. We also have fat, lazy squirrels that never munch on my plants.

I'm very sorry about your deer damage. Damn!


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## jtrmd (Jul 19, 2013)

squirrels have ate my Cyps too.In my garden they seem to like the new growths,and flowers over a full grown plant.


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## abax (Jul 19, 2013)

A little trick I tried this summer and it worked for squirrels is planting
Lemon Thyme around the plants you want to protect. Apparently, squirrels
find this plant offensive. Now, if someone has some non-poisonous spray
to drive away Japanese Beetles I'd love to hear it. I've tried lemon grass/peppermint oil in water and it only drives them away very temporarily.


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