Cypripedium calceolus

Description

Cypripedium calceolus is fantastic to grow in the garden and grow late spring early summer.

Growing Instructions

Plant in well drained soils that do not dry out in the summer months. Cultivate soils to a depth of 15cms and plant the rhizomes so that the tips are 5cms below the soil surface. Plant them in a cool shady part of the garden in a compost comprising of equal parts of peat, leaf mould and loam mixed with gritty sand. deep and 5-8cms apart. In heavy soils such as clay also add grit or humus matter to help with drainage. In sandy soils add organic matter to help with fertility and to retain water. They naturalise well and bulk up each year provided they are kept well fed. After a number of years they may need to be divided. Dig them up when the flowers have died back and re-plant farther apart.

Commonly called slipper orchids they are splendid plants to grow in the garden. Plant in a shady part of the garden.

Ideal foods for Cypripedium calceolus are well rotted manures, grass clippings, tomato feed and bone meal.

Tips:

Supplied in pots these plants are from European seed and are very vigorous. Plants grown in pots can be plunged into the soil or kept as a pot plant.

Commonly called slipper orchids they are splendid plants to grow in the garden. Plant in a shady part of the garden. May take a year to establish but well worth waiting for.

Growing Information

Flowering Height: 30-35cms (12-14″)

Flowering Period: May-June

Aspect: Shady parts of the garden

Soil type: Free draining soils, with leaf mould and loam added.

New season top quality bulbs dispatched from September on-wards