Hi, During early winter I bought 2 dormant pleione pseudobulbs. they look very healthy and now that spring is coming, I am seeing some smaller bulbs come from the side of the mother bulb with buds in them (they are about to flower!). the roots and the bulb looks perfectly fine but I want to ask what happens after it blooms? I know that the flowers come earlier than the leaves but what afterwards? do i need to cut the leaves or flowers?
Re: pleione orchid life cycle New pseudobulbs --> flowers -->leaves -->dormancy --->repeat. After the flowers have gone and the spike starts to wither, wait for leaves to start emerging and then cut back the flower spike to just above the pseudobulb. The leaves will have a natural life; when they're withered, take them off as well. Pleione are really simple to grow, and fairly tolerant of abuse.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle Use a diluted fertilizer. Orchid fertilizers have additives that will make the plant happier but they absorb it best if given in small doses rather than a single large one. I mist all of my own with a 10% strength every few weeks since they will absorb it through the leaves.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle do i do that now because the shopkeeper said that I should not wet the bulb that has a bud in it, also what is a proper substrate to use. i am using spahgnum moss right now and it is really tight and kind of moldy, when should i repot it?
Re: pleione orchid life cycle I have always believed you should do what Mother Nature does. If the moss is moldy there may be another cause. However, these are rain forest plants and Ma Nature has no way to not getting water on any part of a plant when it rains. Still, they survive. I have heard for years you should not get water on any flower or any leaf but that is pure junk. Again, Mother Nature does not have any way to avoid getting either wet since it rains all the time in the rainy season of a rain forest. I have spent time is some of the wettest rain forests in Central America and everything stays wet. Sometimes the ground is so muddy you sink into it when you walk. Still, the flowers bloom on the orchids. This may help: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/misting orchids.html
As far as I understand, Pleione are not tropical. Most, if not all, are found in the cooler mountainous regions of SE Asia. A temperate climate is more accurate. Do your plants have names?
Re: pleione orchid life cycle I don't know the specie of my pleiones but I know its from Taiwan and one of them gives white flowers and the other should give pink flowers. I got it for about a dollar and a half canadian (10 dollars HK to be exact) i am guessing its a pleione formosana
Re: pleione orchid life cycle You might have bought them from Taiwan, but I don't believe any species are native there - it's too warm. There could be some from the mountainous regions, but I'm not sure.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle Formosa is another name for Taiwan. The pleione growing in the mountains, as suggested.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle Think formosa can also mean "beautiful" in Latin, like in Aquilegia formosa from North America.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle There are close to 50 native orchid species in Taiwan which is firaly well north.
Re: pleione orchid life cycle Anyone wants to see it, It has a pinkish white bud now I would upload a photo every time it changes a bit. please reply if anyone wants to see it
Re: pleione orchid life cycle You should ask: does anyone not want to see pics? Yes, please!! Post pictures!
Re: pleione orchid life cycle (photos!) here it is fully bloomed, sorry for not posting its pictures for so long
Very nice, but it's definitely not formosana. I don't even think it's a species, but I could be wrong.
