----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 4:47 AM Subject: [OGD] Bletilla striata / Q&A
> "Bletilla orchid grows stronger with pruning > > By MARIANNE BINETTI > ... > > Q: ... I have a patch of hardy orchids in my shaded garden... Bletilla > striata... although they bloom well, the long stems tend to get floppy and > fall all over the pathway that is nearby.... If I prune back the new growth > in early spring, will this make the orchids stay low and grow more compact?... > > M.B.: ... shorten the new growth of these hardy orchid plants in very early > spring after you see that the new shoots are about 8 inches tall, Snip off > the stems to half their height... the Bletilla orchid will bloom a few > weeks later than usual, but the flowers will be easier to enjoy, held on > shorter and stronger stems... Bletilla striata... , asking for just a cool > location in a shaded spot and lots of organic matter in the soil to keep > the roots moist. Once you make them happy, these Chinese ground orchids > will return year after year in larger colonies no matter when you decide to > prune them back. They tend to bloom better when crowded so even though they > can be lifted and shared in early spring as soon as the shoots emerge, they > do best when left in place year after year" > > source : > http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgardens/274775_binetti22.html?source=rss > > ********** > regards, > > VB -------------------------------------------- As someone who has grown these for over thirty-five years, I would have to disagree with what this women suggests. Most of the time B. striata's bloom spike is contained within the initial shoot and comes out before the leaves develop much. Her suggestion seems to be a good way to clip off the spike accidentally and due to the reduction of leaves, the plant may not flower as well the next year or be as strong. The cut-off leaves will also look more like palm seedlings as well. As these orchids have fairly attractive foliage (for orchids), the best solution is to put these plants where they won't be in the way. They flower for me in late April here in northeast Tennessee and the foliage remains attractive until frost. David Sizemore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
