The Orchid Garden

Dying Cypripedium

Question:

All cyps require a minimum of 3, and preferably 4 mo of dormancy if they are to produce leaves the following season. If the pip, the start of next years growth, is dead, then the plant is dead and has nothing to sustain it. This is one of the cyps which is readily grown in pot culture, but I am afraid you have killed it by breaking dormancy too soon for too long. There are numerous sources of native orchids; however, Cyp reginae is seldom available other than seedlings, except for the occassional salvaged plants, or from friends. Of the firms with which I am familiar, all ship only in the fall after dormancy, and the cutoff date for this year’s orders is past.<<HELP!! I have a Cyp. Reginae that I have had for 2 years and I think I have killed it.

Response:

HELP!! I have a Cyp. Reginae that I have had for 2 years and I think I have killed it. It was a gift from a relative who has them growing in her garden in Cape Cod. It did fine the first year, and when it went dormant, I placed the pot in the crisper of my refrigerator for several months. After about 8 weeks, I removed it and placed it in my greenhouse. After another 5-6 weeks and no growth, I checked the roots. They looked fine and seemed to be growing, so I left the plant out for a few more weeks. Still no growth so I asked a few of my local Orchid club members what they thought the problem was. Their response was that I had removed the plant from the cooler too soon and I should put it back in for another month or two. I did this, since had also I read that these Cyps need a 3-4 month cooling off. I pulled the pot after another 9-10 weeks and the roots were still in good shape. A few days ago, after a month out of the crisper, I checked the roots again since there was still no new growth and the main root corn has rotted and turned brown. A few of the main roots still seem to be healthy, but most of them seem to have also died and turned brown. I think now that my big mistake was placing the plant in the cooler, pulling it out for a while and then placing it back in the cooler instead of leaving the plant in the crisper for the full 3-4 months from the start. However, is there any chance that any of the roots may live and form new plants? I removed the dead material and placed the live roots back in the soil again, just under the surface. Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just go ahead and bury the plant and write it off to a learning experience. I hate to loose it since it was a gift and they are hard to find in my area of the country. Also from searching the web, few people seem to sell Cyps, even at the Orchid Mall. Since my Paphs and Phrags seem to grow and do well, I was hoping to do the same with some of our native North American plants. If anyone has a source of Cyps or have some they are willing to part with, I’d really like to hear from you. I have placed orders with Spangle Creek Labs, and while they are helpfull, their prices are very reasonable and their selection good, they do not ship in the fall (perfect Cyp weather here on the Gulf Coast) and it is sometimes hit or miss as to what and when plants are available (weather, culture problems, limited quantity… the usual problems with at a small nursery).  Any suggestions??

Response:

Filed under: Orchid Garden

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