My Ceph growing experiences at the equator

[Cindy]

Mildew - Cephs kept in conditions of low light, too humid and stagnant air

Chemical burns - Cephs fried with overdose of what I deemed as safe fertiliser

Mealybugs and scales - Cephs with yellowing leaves which I ignored for several weeks

...all of which I have to admit is a lack of cultivation knowledge rather than the plant being fussy or difficult.

In bright indirect light and getting the afternoon heat of 33C, the largest pitcher to date is 1.5".

I am keeping a close watch on this pot of Cephs as I push its limit to grow at the balcony, in year round lowland conditions.

 

[BigBella]

Mildew - Cephs kept in conditions of low light, too humid and stagnant air

Chemical burns - Cephs fried with overdose of what I deemed as safe fertiliser

Mealybugs and scales - Cephs with yellowing leaves which I ignored for several weeks

...all of which I have to admit is a lack of cultivation knowledge rather than the plant being fussy or difficult.

In bright indirect light and getting the afternoon heat of 33C, the largest pitcher to date is 1.5".

I am keeping a close watch on this pot of Cephs as I push its limit to grow at the balcony, in year round lowland conditions.

Nice looking plants you have there. I too have done experiments over the years, growing Cephalotus in a number of different environmnents, though cultivating them under equatorial sun is something I cannot claim.

A far as the fertilizers are concerned, I've always had good results with 1/4 strength 30:10:10 orchid fertilzer, applied as a foliar feed twice-monthly either in the evening or very early morning -- to avoid burns or spotting of the leaves, etc.

Lately, on the advice of one very successful grower, I even have tried Hikari Cichlid Staple mini-fish pellets dropped into the pitchers biweekly with, so-far, good results . . .

 

[Cindy]

Thanks, BigBella for all the tips.

It wasn't wasy growing this species without some significant night drop or cooling. I was really pushing my luck this year with the growing area hitting 35C (95C) on certain days. I got the plant in October last year when the weather is cooler and more humid. Even then at 25C (77F), it is considered warm for most growers here. LOL