Terrestrial orchids.

I've had a lovely clump of Dactylorhiza maculata, growing near my wildlife pond for the last four years. Last year it had five flower spikes and looked really healthy. This year all I have are two rather pathetic leaves, and, what looks like a virus.

Can anyone offer advice on growing orchids outdoors, and, recommend a good nursery where I can obtain a replacement.

Sorry, don't know what has happened here - unless it's the drought? Dachtylorhiza like damp conditions and soil on the acid side.
If it's a virus you run the risk of any new stock getting it :(

We're lucky to have lots of Serapias orchids growing naturally on part of the garden - oh, and a bee orchid by the gate :)
Sorry, not meaning to rub it in......

Hey, nice orchids philomel.

I seem to remember the garden centre where I bought the plant having to pull all their remaining stock off the shelves, due to a virus. Seems odd it took four years to show itself in my plant.

The Bee orchid is my all time favourite, they grow local to me, but, seem a bit erratic in their appearance from year to year.

I also like Slipper orchids, but, the cultivated forms are sooo expensive to buy.

Nice picture, by the way.

Yes, weird that it took 4 years. Perhaps you should go and get your money back LOL

Good luck with finding a replacement

prophet, longacreplants is where I got my D maculata, they are experts in shade plants and grow their own in a good mixture. They also have a huge range of ferns they grow from spores from a national collection, ones you won't see elsewhere.

http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

Hiya wallaby1

Longacre usually attend Malvern Spring Flower Show, but, I don't recall seeing them this year. I did actually order from them last year, but, for some reason the order was never processed. Still, thanks for jogging my memory, I'll have another look at their website now.

I grow my terestrials in pots, it's much easier and they seem to take to it quite well. Having said that the Serapias succumbed to slug damage but it would have done that in the garden too, that's my excuse anyway LOL.

I think I've told you all this before but here it is again :) A few years ago I went for an interview on the other side of the forest for a food processing firm. Around the edge of the building in the tiny space where the car park tarmac met the brickwork was a long thin stand of bee orchids, from what I could see they circled the building. If I can remember where the building was I'll try and get in (private car park) and see if they are still there.

Lovely photo wallaby :)

That must have been quite a sight Baa!! Quite bizarre too......

Thank you Philomel!

I read on the Fern forum, thread titled 'my favourite fern', where there is a Cypripedium everyone wants to have. It seems they require a certain ph soil, and fungii in the soil to grow properly and survive. I think other orchids will have their own requirements too, this could be why they are short lived.

I have read about Dactylorrhiza needing their seed to grow around a parent plant, as this provides the correct conditions. I bought some seed from Chiltern's, they were selling it cheap as an 'experimental' use as the requirements would likely not be met. I placed mine in 2 pots around the ones I have, but no success as yet! This is the second season, sown last year.

The plants, I got two as they were small, were quite new but already growing in pots, I potted them on into a leafy compost mix and that is where they are still, I've had them 2 years and they both flowered last year. I'm hoping that my compost will provide the proper conditions, although I think many of these require pine needle compost, Cypripedium does and I think I have read that about others. I have Leylandii hedge with cuttings composing at the base, I think I tried to incorporate some.

Baa, I'm wondering if the place you saw the orchids had pines nearby which had built up debris along the tarmac edge, that also proving a moist place. All around it, sounds like there is an orchid enthusiast there who planted them!

Yes, all terrestrial orchids grow in symbiosis with a particular fungus - so you're right, many don't survive 'in captivity' because this vital ingredient is missing from their environment. I think the growing round a parent idea is for this reason - and may work. If there is a healthy orchid then it must have the right things in its surroundings. Good luck with the project :)

These were natural, theres no way such an abundance could have been planted, Ophrys species can be difficult to transplant. The building was new (no more than 5 years old) and they are native to that part of Hants.

All orchids have a necessary symbiotic realtionship with various species of fungus and require the correct substrate to grow (terrestrials that is). The seed embryo uses the fungus to develop until they produce leaves and they continue the relationship right through their lives. It's marrying the fungus species, soil and seed that makes germinating orchids in garden conditions a pain in the neck unless they occur naturally of course. The seed coat is so delicate that even the moisture from your hands can affect it, it's recommended to sprinkle seed from paper and not to handle it at all. Having said that terrestrials are pretty hardy things, I know someone who had Sprianthes as a weed popping up in pots.

Dactylorhiza populations in the wild are there for years. There are times they won't pop up above the soil, others they won't flower and they can be hard to spot until they are ready to flower. The years they do flower they put on a stunning show, I haven't got my photos on this computer or I'd post a piccie of a Dactylorhiza stand near us.

This message was edited Jun 3, 2006 2:16 PM

Yes, when out checking sites for endangered species we used to find that some orchids actually like disturbed ground, If the conditions are right for them they can be tough little things.
Amazing about the Spiranthes though Baa. If you get the chance it would be lovely to see your Dactylorhiza stand, please

Strangest British Orchid I've seen is the Wasp Orchid. I don't know if it's classed as a subspecies of the Bee Orchid, but, it looks very similar except the 'slipper' extends to a long tapering point. It has a very localised distribution in Gloucestershire.

The Fly Orchid too, is unusual, this is quite common in the Painswick area.

Yes, we have quite a few fly orchids locally here too. I haven't seen the wasp orchid, that sounds interesting - will go and look it up

I wonder if the Ophrys apifera is one of those that likes disturbed ground Philomel?

I must say I've nto come across the Wasp Orchid, my Collins Orchids of Britain and Europe is a little scant on common names, is your Wasp Orchid the O. apifera var. trollii Prophetfive?

This next bit is a prime example of what happens when you take photos and download them willynilly and then don't bother to lable them so please excuse the following should it not work :)

This was taken last June and you may (I hope) be able to make out the little pink dots. This part of the forest is practically carpeted in Dactylorhiza and little Drosera.

Lovely photo Baa, what a beautiful spot!

Hello Baa,

Without looking it up I believe var. trollii is the Wasp Orchid. I haven't seen these for years. Back in the early '80's I did some contract grass cutting for Severn Trent Water, in the Gloucester area, and was shown some of the protected sites they have to look after.
The Adder's Tongue Fern is another unusual plant I was privileged to see.

Hi Prophet That Bee orchid gets around doesn't it. We noticed a few of them coming up in our spanish grass(?) lawn and this year they increased to about 18 in number. This gets mown regularly (avoiding the orchids of course until they die down) Funny thing is that our neighbour who never mows cannot understand why we get them and just over her wall, in what one would think was a more suitable meadow environment they never appear????? Puzzled,Lizzy

Hi B1ZZYL1ZZY,

Bee Orchid appearances can best be described as "erratic". I know of several places where they occur, but, some years they do, and some they don't. Maybe your neighbour has them, they're just being coy.