Helga,

At the risk of getting in trouble, go to the 'Slipper Orchid Forum' for advice. Many Cyp experts there. Google it, or type that dot com.

Here is a link to a general info sheet
You are probably not giving the plant enough light to set flower bud primordia. Also refrigeration temps should be close to 32F. See the sheet.
Also look for an excellent article on them by Mr. Neptune

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Native Orchid Info Sheet

Here is Dr. Neptunes pages. with the best info on the cyps

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow

Ok!
Firstly, I'm guessing that your climate isn't dissimilar to mine! ;~)

Why, exactly, are you diggin' it up?

My Cyps are, out of my 1000+ orchids, my easiest and most reliable.
They stay outside all year with no protection other than a heavy layer of pine needly mulch.
I have them in a large 4'x 4' x 3' box.
It's a mixture of soil from around my old pine trees, lots of bark, cones and twigs from said trees.
They all do great and just get bigger and bloom more every year!
{{gwi:142323}}

What?
Cyp. fasciolatum are from around Sichuan, I guess?
So...
Cold climates, both.
Shouldn't be a problem!
You're letting them get too warm and they're breakin' dormancy early.
Stop it.:~)
Stop looking at them and disturbing them.
Plant the darned things in proper soil and leave 'em alone.
They'll come up around april, or so, and bloom around May!
Make it easy on yourself!!;~)

As far as the pot...
Bigger is always better, as far as I'm concerned.
You will stop damaging the fragil roots and let them get established.
I made sure that my soil had local soil fungi and used the meager soil that came with it to help establish even more.

Mine are dormant, but the last years growth is still showing.
Not really a problem, as far as I'm concerned!
You don't like it, stop lookin' at it! ;~)

BTW...
Happy B-day to you, too!

"pine needly mulch."

Pretty similar to normal pine needle mulch!!;~)
You have to ask around!
(Sometimes...I just need a boot to the head!) :~)

Helga, I'll echo what Scott said and add a few:

Your cyp should not have broken domancy if kept refrigerated. Either the temps were too high in the frig (is it working properly?) or perhaps you are mistaking next year's buds for a new growth. I don't know your particular cross, but north american cyps are used to 6+ months of dormancy and will not break it on their own unless temps are warmed up. If you are seeing a greenish-white bud that does not look elongated with leaves/stems emerging, then stop poking around in the pot and leave it refrigerated for another 3 months!

If your bud is elongating/emerging because the plant has been warmed up, then you cannot put it back in the frig; the die is cast for this season. Ron Burch of Gardens at Post Hill (google it) has written about cyps breaking dormancy early; you have no choice but to try and grow it off-season, as it were, trying to keep it going under lights and such before inducing an early dormancy about 6-7 months from now. Do this by putting the plant and pot in the refrigerator at nights to force it to think fall has arrived. Once dormant, put the pot in the refrigerator and leave it be until the next spring.

Your description of the leaves drying up and dying sounds like a lack of water contributing to an early domancy. I think I remember you asking about this plant before; with as many difficulties as it has had, I would not expect it to bloom for as least a year and probably longer. With luck and care, you have a hope of keeping it alive until it does.

Thank you all for responding.
Terrestrialman 9 to your second reply, I have tried Dr.Neptuns soil the first year and it did not work for me. The second year I tried using less woodsoil in the mix to keep it dryer and more aerated, perhaps.In it too (not sure if the soil was THE culprit)the leaves dried in spring.

I then, due to advise from GW member, I put it into pumice rock with a handful of pine needle mulch. I lost my notation about the date the orchid went in the refrigerator the third season but, it must have been June or July, so dormancy lasted about 5 or 6 ms. The refrig. was set to 39 deg.
When I checked the pot last week, no growth was visble. Thinking this time the plant was dead, I took it out and put it (just in case) under lights with my phals. 2 days later (and without poking, Scott)I noticed a green elongated growth. The orchid still sits under lights near a window in the heated (58 low at night) garage. If neccessary, I could put it into a cooler place for the night.

In regard to your first reply I can only say, that I grew the orchid much like the growing sheet suggests. The cyp is in a 12" pot, filled with pumice and a handful of pine needle mulch.

T530 How long would the plant have to be in the fridge -should I follow your advise. The rythm of the orchids growth seems as you have discribed. According to your letter I should have left the plant in the fridge longer - perhaps until I spotted a new growth in the pot while still in the fridge. Correct?
My orchids all have a wooden stick in the soil to check the moisture. I doubt, that the cyp died because of lack of water but, will pay closer attention to it once the leaves (how do I hope!) will have emerged.

cbarry, checking the Slipper Forum is a good idea.

If any of you have more to contribute, I would be greatful.

Helga.

Helga,

By removing the pot from the fridge and putting it under lights, you have woken up your cyp and it has started its year's growth. Only problem is, it's january and you'll have to grow it indoors under lights until sometime in April (last frost date?) when it can go outside.

This can be done, although there are two downsides: first, your plant would rather be outside, and second, you'll probably have to force dormancy sometime in midsummer as I don't believe cypripediums can take a 10-11 month growing cycle (which it would be if you allowed it to grow until the fall).

Undisturbed, your cyp would not have sprouted in the fridge. (Many NA species range up to zones 2-3, where the dormancy period can be 8 months!) What I would have done is left it dormant until early April or so (Scott would know for your zone) and then take the pot directly outside to a shaded spot. Too late for that now, so try to keep it going until you can get it outside.

Check Ron Burch's (screen name = "fundulopanchax" or somesuch) posts on the SOF; I believe he has dealt with this issue when plants shipped to him broke dormancy en route in midwinter. His cypripedium experience is vast.

good luck.

tee530, you are giving me hope. As you said, I need to grow it now under lights until night temps allow it to go outside, watching carefully, that the temps stay between 40 and 85 deg. It is getting good light so far.
I will see to it, that it goes into dormancy early. This time I will leave it in the refrigerator until May of 09, then proceed as I have now.

Question: Should the leaves still be green in June when I want to put the cyp into the fridge, do I cut them or leave them alone?
I will contact Ron Burch as well.

Scott, your cyps look fabulous! Truthfully, I don't have the nerve to expose this one and only cyp I have to possible snail and slug damage. Maybe at a point when it has multiplied. Until then I shall work hard to keep it alive.

Thank you VERY much!

Helga.

Helga,

My opinion is about a 7month growing period in '08 should be good. Thus, about the end of July, I'd start moving the plant into cooler, shadier conditions, and putting it into the refrigerator at nights/out during the day to induce the plant to enter dormancy. This will be done when the leaves are still green, as you want them to go yellow and die back of their own accord. Admittedly, this is laborious. I don't have personal experience with your situation, but i understand cyps are plants that can "grow themselves to death" if left for too long a growing season, so you need to supply the cues (ie, cold nights) that winter is coming...

t530, hope I can grow the cyp until July. Our nights get down to mid to low 50s then, and cooler from Sept. on.
What if I leave the plant outside until temps are in the 40s (Nov.), then put it in the fridge and leave it 'til May of 09?
Have to catch up with a project first, then post a picture of the growing cyp.

B.t.w.: I have contacted Posthill but have not received an answer yet.

Helga.

I still pick off slugs at night when it's growing.
So far, they only munch on the leaves.
Lazy ducks!:~(

I'll have to take a current photo tomorrow!
It's dark and snowing again. ;~)
Scott

Scott, are you from just north of me?
How do you post a picture in this message?

My cyp is doing fine under light. The green growth is opening. Seems leaves are developing. Growing indoors does away with slug worry.
Hope I can grow mine until July, before drying up again.
H.

Not exactly a great photo, but as there aren't any flowers and it was pushing dark-thirty when I remembered...!;~)
{{gwi:142324}}
I use my flickr acct. to upload images.
It was a nightmare before I joined them.
Virtually all decent photos require a respectable minimal size to appreciate some of the details.
You can't see much in a tiny photo.
It drove me up the wall, until I could upload a large photo, yet provide a smaller link to it.

" Growing indoors does away with slug worry."
Tell that to some of my orchids that lost buds last year! ;~)
The ones that spent the summer outside brought guests back in with them.
Although it's in spike now, my last Catasetum lost the whole thing to slugs last year.
I had two of 'em in the pot sitting in the kitchen window.
I did kill the two slugs that were hiding, but the damage was done.

"Scott, are you from just north of me?"
{{gwi:142325}}
If you pull the image up in a different window and expand it, you'll get an idea of my location.
Considering that I'm about seven miles from the Ca. border, it'd be a tight fit to get you in there! ;~)