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Deadhead peacock orchid

strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
in Plants
I have some peacock orchids that are finished, and have quite large seed pods forming. Does anyone know if I should deadhead these, or if leaving the pods will cause any issues for next year's flowers and so forth please?

I'm pretty sure that this plant is actually a gladioli, which I wouldn't bother specifically deadheading, but these seed pods look different and there's not a great deal of leaf to feed the bulb...

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I always deadhead them as soon as the flowers look manky. I'm surprised you say there isn't much leaf though.
    The bulbs are tiny anyway, so it would be better to take them off, unless you want the seed?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Thanks @Fairygirl, I'll go snip them. I don't want the seeds, I'll pick up some bulbs next year if I do decide to add some more.

    Yes there is relatively little leaf on all of the flowered ones, especially compared to a regular gladioli. The flower stems and seed pods have little leaf-looking things (points to me for technical knowledge there  :D ), that's why I wasn't sure about taking the stems off.

    Oddly I had a cluster that came up blind - too shaded and crowded, they didn't get moving until I cleared some space. These have stacks of leaf, just like I'd expect, but no sign of the flower stalk...

     I'll post a photo later if I get a moment!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They don't have such hefty foliage as the usual gladioli - a bit more like a crocosmia leaf, but with the bulbs being small anyway, I would doubt they'd need tons of foliage to feed them for future years. 
    I tend to treat them as annuals. I'm too lazy to lift them and store them over winter, and they don't survive here in our conditions, although if we get a non winter like last year, the ones in the warmest, most sheltered bed might be ok. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Thanks @Fairygirl, that's good to know. I don't lift my gladioli either, but they seem to be sheltered enough that they survive the winter. It gets windy here but we rarely get hard frosts, so bulbs etc usually survive and some annuals make it through too. Surprisingly had lots of antirihininirrrininirrinums survive last winter. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's wet cold they don't like.
    Many bulbs don't take kindly to it, like tulips, whereas snowdrops and daffs are fine. Lots of perennials are the same - dry cold is easier for them than wet cold.   :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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