Cypripedium californicum

[dhaas]

After having success with Pogonias, Calopogons, Spiranthes, and Platanthera ciliaris in my Missouri bog garden, I am considering trying a Cypripedium californicum. I am considering putting one in an empty corner of my bog that gets morning sun but is a bit more shaded than the rest of the bog throughout the rest of the day (direct sunlight for several hours and then dappled shade/ partial sun for the rest of the day). I can grow Sarracenia in this corner, but they don't tend to color up quite as nicely as those in the rest of my bog do. My bog is around 17 inches deep and has a 4 inch layer of pure silica sand at the bottom that acts as a reservoir during dry-spells (although I also water it with water from my rain barrel); however, it isn't especially swampy but is moist instead (the orchid's roots wouldn't be soggy). I would dig down and replace the current mix of peat moss, silica sand, and long-fibered sphagnum moss with another medium for it. I also mulch the bog with several inches of pine needles every winter. Does this sound okay? Does anybody have any experience growing them? I've been scared to try any Cypripediums in my yard in the past, but a man who raised and grew hundreds of temperate orchids while he lived in STL said that a C. californicum might be worth a shot in my bog. I've read that they do well in completely inorganic substrates made up of perlite and Turface, but I don't know how Turface would affect the pH in the rest of the bog. Does anybody have a suggestion for a medium to plant them in? I was thinking about making a mix of silica sand, pine bark mulch, perlite, and long-fibered sphagnum, but I can buy some Turface if necessary. I've also heard that they like fertilizing although I don't currently fertilize anything else in my bog. How should I best fertilize it? I've heard of other's using fish emulsion for their Sarracenia, but would a Cypripedium be okay with this? 

[meizzwang]

I tried it once, and it was pretty darn difficult to grow. It died, so needless to say, you'll want to take these instructions with a grain of salt, or at least know that this information is my best guess based on what seemed to work and what didn't seem to work.


Treat it like an ultra-highlander species: they love full sun, but only when it's cool. I'd grow it in morning sun afternoon shade. Much like Darlingtonia, they don't like to have their soil temperatures go over 80F. They do well in an acidic, nutrient poor mix that is porous. Maybe sphagnum and pumice mix would be ideal. Fertilize with maxsea 1-2x a month once all leaves have completely formed, but use maybe 1/2 strength. Without a doubt, use deionized water, regular water will kill it. Do not use regular potting soil, and if you sit it in water, make sure it's in a tall pot, and not sitting in more than a 1/4" of water. You want to keep the soil as wet as possible at all times, but not too water logged (much like Cephalotus).

In a bog, I have no idea how to grow this thing, they don't like stagnant, sitting water. Maybe create a mound and grow it on the top of the mound, but again, as long as you're careful with the soil temperature thing, it should survive.

[dhaas]

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm a bit scared to try it since my summers can get hot, but I am aware of somebody else growing it here with some success. Luckily, the soil temperature of my bog stays fairly cool. What kind of MaxSea do you recommend? The 16-16-16 seems to be the most easily found online. Unfortunately, however, I've only found it available in relatively large quantities (several pounds). Do you know of anywhere that sells small quantities of MaxSea inexpensively? Thanks again.

[jdallas]

I bought some C. californicum seedlings last year, and planted them with my Darlingtonia in raised beds on a drip system. The area where these beds are is fairly cool. I had about 10, and only one survived, so like Mike, take this with a grain of salt. What I have gathered since is some additional information from some local orchid growers who like to grow difficult species from Serpentine environments, and one piece of information they shared is that they hate any root disturbance. Mine were shipped bare root. Also, they may prefer an alkaline substrate, since many of the areas in the Siskiyous where Darlingtonia and C. californicum grow tend to be alkaline. My beds are a course peat/perlite mix, so acidic. I'm watching my survivor to see how it does.

[dhaas]

Thank you so much for the advice! How do you recommend I grow mine? Should I try it in a pot and sink the pot into the bog so it is kept cooler by the surrounding soil? Do you think that a mixture of perlite (pumice isn't available for horticultural usage here in Missouri), silica sand, pine bark, and a little bit of sphagnum would work or is this too acidic? I have a copy of Growing Hardy Orchids by John Tullock, and he recommends growing them at a pH of between 5 and 6 in a mix of 2 parts pine bark fines to 1 part long-fibered sphagnum to 1 part perlite. That being said, Spangle Creek Labs, which supplies and raises vernalized seedling Cypripediums recommends an entirely inorganic mix of 2 parts perlite to 1 part Turface. Have either or you ever used Turface before? I've never used it myself, but I know of multiple nurseries around here that sell it. Do you think it would affect the pH of the rest of my bog if I were to replace a patch of peat-sand with a mixture of the aforementioned materials that also included some Turface? Thank you so much again for all of your help.