My success with various cypripediums has been mixed, at best. First, the good news. I have found calceolis to be fairly adaptable, even in somewhat dry conditions. I was wondering why boggy conditions were recommended. Mine is currently in a pot. It needs to be put in a bigger pot, and I was wondering if I should use a hanging-basket type that has a water reservoir on the bottom. Also what kind of planting medium would be best?
I've also had good success with reginae when I was living in Michigan (I also brought it to Seattle with me). There I grew it on the NE side of my condo (full morning and late afternoon sun in summer (the sun is pretty far north there in summer), and it grew like a weed. I also placed it near (but not under) a downspout and placed a plastic bag in a concave hole under the plan to hold some additional moisture there. I'll probably place it in a pot on the east side of my house here in a hanging basket pot.
I have had no success with acaule at all. In fact, I'd feel a little guilty trying again. I wonder what I was doing wrong? I even brought in some pine duff to plant in. My observation of them growing in the woods is that they like open (presumably somewhat dry) pine forests with enough sun to get them to bloom, but not full sun (unlike reginae, which seems to like growing in a fen (wet feet), but at the edge where it is shady part of the day but full sun the remainder. Suggestions, especially for growing in a pot (as I may be moving yet again).
Harvey Brenneise
Seattle
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