Growing a Pleione in a pot

The needs of Pleiones

Pleiones thrive in partial shade. They benefit from sunlight early in the morning and late in the day, but the base of a tree with light foliage is ideal for limiting sun exposure during the hottest hours. Sunlight, especially in summer, can quickly scorch and completely dry out the plant.

Pleiones are semi-hardy orchids and the bulbs can freeze at temperatures of -8/-10 °C. Growing in pots or containers is therefore recommended to allow you to bring your pleiones into a cold greenhouse during winter.

Pleione

What type of pot to choose?

Terracotta pots are more durable and more porous: they thus prevent excess water. In any case, opt for a pot with drainage holes in the bottom.

Pots for growing pleiones should be wider than deep, as the new bulbs will grow around the old mother bulb: specific pots for bonsai cultivation prove to be a good choice.

What soil should you offer it?

For the substrate, we will opt for a special orchid compost designed for pot cultivation. It is rich in pine bark, which creates a substrate with a porate texture, particularly airy and draining, allowing the thick roots of orchids to be well oxygenated and to develop without hindrance.

Use orchid compost

How to plant a pleione?

• Place clay balls, gravel, or simple pottery shards at the bottom of the pot. This will further facilitate drainage;
• Fill with the appropriate substrate (see above);
• Place your pseudo-bulbs in the substrate leaving 1/3 of the bulb above the surface;
• Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil and gently press down with your fingers;
• Water well to moisten the substrate and eliminate any potential “air pockets” in the potting soil;
• You can cover your pseudo-bulbs with a thin layer of wood chips;
• Use a saucer under your pot to collect excess watering.

Repotting is done during the dormant period in winter. As soon as the new shoots start their growth: do not touch them! A broken root of a pleione will never be replaced.

3 essentials for your planting: drainage with clay balls or gravel, a special orchid draining substrate, and a saucer to place under the pot

Caring for your potted pleiones

Water only moderately at the start of growth in spring. Afterwards, it is essential to keep the substrate moist during flowering and until the leaves begin to yellow. As soon as they fall, stop watering until growth resumes! Use rainwater for watering.

Cut the flower stem flush with the leaves when the flower fades to prevent the bulb from exhausting itself.

During summer, ensure to keep your pleiones below a temperature of 25 °C by any means: shading, daily misting, ventilation…

As soon as the first frosts occur, place your potted pleiones in a cold greenhouse (between 1 and 4 °C) but frost-free. You can bring your pots out around the beginning of April or later depending on your climate.

You can apply a special orchid fertiliser during the flowering period at a rate of one application every two weeks.

Useful resources

→ Discover our most beautiful varieties of pleiones in our online nursery.