Japanese orchids from Kusamono Gardens

Just a heads up, they are taking the pre-order for 2008. Cypripedium debile is an exciting new addition. Calanthe reflexa and a couple varieties of Pecteilis radiata and Bletilla striata are new, too. 20% off with a Promo Code PREORDER18 right now.

My Amitostigma and Poneorchis are starting to go dormant. A. kinoshitae did make keikis, but I'm not sure what to do with them. They were very small before the plants became brown. I put them on the media, but I think it was probably too late.

 

I just received this year's order today. Just in case some people are interested in seeing the initial conditions, I'm posting a couple photos.

I'm most excited about these Cypripedium debile. They look pretty good, but I'm not sure if I can keep them.


Pogonia japonica, bigger clumps than last year. Last year, they didn't do well for me, so another try.

Calanthe reflexa

Bletilla striata and Bletilla formosana x B. striata (bottom left). I didn't mean to get this hybrid, but they screwed up. From Kusamono Gardens and the English page of Shikoku Garden aren't clear about this hybrid, which they call 'Peaches & Cream'. This is not a pure species, and it is a hybrid of B. formosana and B. striata. This information is in Japanese web page of Shikoku Garden. So if you get these, I hope you correctly label them.


All potted up.

 

I searched a little in Japanese web sites or books (well, the climate there is pretty hot, so the media good for them might not work well here). I have limited supply in alaska, so I had to substitute. For example, I have to use sponge rock (med. perlite) instead of pumice/kanuma even though sponge rock is neutral vs kanuma is very acidic.

For Cypripedium debile, I read a couple Japanese web pages. Unlike many other Cyps, several people had more success with high organic components. So I'm trying Peat moss:sponge rock (med. perlite)=2:1 and dirt (partially composted spruce needles with low mineral components) collected under spruce tree:sponge rock=1:1. Yes, it was tough to dig up frozen soil under snow!

Pogonia japonica, I used 100% sphagnum moss or sphagnum moss:sponge rock=1:1 Some people use completely inorganic ones (e.g. Kanuma, Akadama, gravels) because it is easier for reportting. But they mention that the plants seem to spread (increase in number of shoots) better with sphagnum moss based media.

Calanthe reflexa, I used sponge rock:dirteat moss=2:1:1. Many Japanese people seem to use either 50% organic or 100% inorganic (pebble, pumice, kanuma, akadama based).

Bletilla, I used sponge rock:dirteat moss:sphagnum moss=1:1:1:1.

Pecteilis radiata, I have been doing ok with sponge rockeat moss=1:1.

And I added a couple pieces of corrugated cardboard to each (except Pogonia).

Pogonia and Pecteilis will be on an Ebb-Flow table, and I'll probably populate them with live sphagnum moss.