Pleiones are waking up from winter and are ready for action
Pleiones are among the first group of orchids to burst into life and one of the easiest to grow
While some plants in the garden are now just starting to wake up, many orchids are still in their winter rest period. Orchids such as cymbidiums, dendrobiums, oncidiums, coelogynes and pleiones all grow with the swollen storage organs
known as pseudobulbs and have an active summer growing season followed by a winter rest period.
New pseudobulbs are produced over the summer months, when they need regular watering to help them mature successfully into bulbs that will flower
well the following season. In the autumn, at the end of that growing season, they
will slow down, their newly plumped-up pseudobulbs entering into a rest period for the winter months. During this time, they won’t need as much watering, just enough to keep those bulbs from shrivelling if they get too dry. By the end of February these plants are still in their winter rest period but may be beginning to show signs of waking up, with new shoots just emerging from the base of the latest bulb. One of the first to spring into life are the pleiones.
Pleiones are cold-growing orchids, often kept alongside alpines and are classed as easy-to-grow orchids for beginners, ideal for a cool windowsill. They’re actually deciduous and need a completely dry winter. The rules are simple: if the plant is growing leaves, water it. If it isn’t, don’t water it. What could be easier. They’re also great for getting children into growing orchids as they’re
compact plants that are easy to handle.
The small, round pseudobulbs multiply each year and can end up as quite a collection which look good in a shallow pot or pan. The large and colourful, single blooms grow within the newly-emerging leaf shoots during February and March, making a super show for the late winter months.
These orchids originate from across South East Asia and there are many attractive species and hybrids to collect in a range of white, pink and cream shades, usually with a highly spotted lip to the flower.
These cooler-growing orchids are perfect for a greenhouse or conservatory with only a little heat required. Pleiones are happy at a minimum of 6C (43F), whereas varieties of cymbidiums, dendrobiums and coelogynes will need eed a little more. Keep them abovebove 8-10C (46-50F) for the best results. esults. The low temperature requirements equirements make it easy to grow a few orchids in a cool, unheated room in the house or a conservatory. If it gets too hot in the summer, the orchids can be moved into the room where the conditions are less extreme. There’s no worry about bright sun burning leaves at this time of the year, so give your orchids as much light as possible now.
Warmer-growing types like phalaenopsis, paphiopedilums and cattleyas are better off in the warmth of the home for winter. Try to keep the temperature above 18C (64F), 15C (59F)at the lowest, to make sure their flowers and buds develop correctly and don’t succumb to bud-drop which happens if they get a chill. Ensure they get enough light as dull weather can also cause this. Phalaenopsis especially have quite fleshy leaves and if chilled the leaves can drop and this could even kill the plant in severe circumstances. Cattleyas need a winter rest but you can continue to water phalaenopsis and paphiopedilums all the year round.