Bletilla needs help growing ABOVE ground

20 years ago

I planted a bletilla a few years ago in an area that receives a bit of direct sun, but mostly dappled shade and high, bright shade. It gets ambient water plus some additional and is planted in an area that is happily shared by ferns, hostas, cyclamen, arisaema (rampant growth on the cyclamen and European ginger). It was small when first planted (2-3 inch pot) and I didn't know what to expect from it. Well, it hasn't flowered and it doesn't produce much in the way of leaves--fewer than when I first planted it.

But when I see what has been going on underground! The thing is huge. The crown looks like it would fill a 2-3 gallon pot with ease--I haven't excavated it completely, but when I brush away the soil, it looks very healthy and hearty and green and happy. It just doesn't want to do any growing or flowering on top of the soil.

What should I do? I've looked for info on the internet and thought that I'd done a pretty good job siting the plant. Then again, most of the info I found wasn't really geared for the PNW.

The only thing I've found is that it may need more sun, but the grower from whom I purchased it pretty much OK'd my plans for siting it. And I never thought about dividing it, because not alot was happening above ground. What do you think? Anyone with personal experience?

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Comments (4)

Embothrium
20 years ago
Replant on top of ground. May need more light for flowering. Biggest clump I've seen was the "white" (pale pink) form, growing in Tacoma, belonging to tree and shrub collector who didn't know what it was, may have taken it out and thrown it away later (called it "that lily thing" or something like that). Was sited between some rocks and the edge of the lawn, west of the house where it probably roasted in summer afternoons.
sammie070502
Original Author
20 years ago
Oops...I just realized that I wrote "arisaema" when I meant "asarum." Doh...

bboy, I can't figure out if are you teasing--because, really, I do usually plant the green end up and roots down--or do you really mean that I should leave the crown partially exposed as with bearded iris? I planted it initially at the soil level of the pot, and now the top of the crown is "barely" showing or only about 1/2" down. I haven't been burying it in mulch or anything. I do suspect that it might need more light for flowering, but I'm stumped as to why the crown is growing like gangbusters but with essentially no leaf production (and also no flowers). Even when I looked at it last Spring, the crown was large and I had hopes for a lot of top growth, but there were only two or three meager leaves.

I have happy Dactylorhiza maculata planted nearby. Would you characerize their needs as being very similar?

Isn't it frustrating when something you'd prize grows well for someone who doesn't even know what it is?
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morz8 - Washington Coast
20 years ago
Sammie, my bletilla striata is doing the same as yours. I have it in an area where the soil is about average, maybe just a little on the heavy side, quite a bit of sun until about 2 PM...I'd been wondering if it needed more shade. I've read they like a low PH (have that), dislike winter wet (can't avoid it).

It was a large division sent to me by a friend 18 months ago (expensive to mail it was of such weight), it hasn't bloomed for me, and has fewer stems this year than last.

Let me know if you find the answer....
Embothrium
20 years ago
Yes, I meant plant on top of ground like bearded iris. The Tacoma clump was almost bursting out of the nook it was in last I saw it. I grew some pink bletilla in pots for a short time once, neighbor's dog bit the pseudobulbs and they blackened and died, as though infected by bacterial soft rot.