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Growing Cephalotus follicularis on a Vertical Wall?

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Hi,

Another crazy thought I've had for a while and think with Spring here I'm actually going to try it. Instead of my normal, rush in a see what happens I thought I'd try getting some inputs.

Has anyone tried this and if so what where your experiences.

Would wicking or top watering be better? Maybe a small drip system...

Any suggestions welcome.
 
We just had an excellent lecture from Barry Rice about his travels to various locations, and Australia was one of them. He found a cliff-side covered in Cephalotus. It was being watered from a seep above.
 
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I went to Barry's talk, too. There was a striking location near a beach (of all places) where a freshwater seep kept the plants moist, synonymous with Darlingtonia in some locations north of here. I don't know if there would be an advantage to growing Cephalotus this way, but if it works, I'd like to see a vertical wall with a patch of Cephalotus growing with Drosera hamiltonii. ;)
 
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I've been doing some reading (very dangerous) and I think I have a general idea of what I'm planning on doing. I have an open top fish tank? Well some type of tank with a lower front and one of the back sides is much higher than the other 3 sides. I can build up a wall on that side.

From what I've read in those cliffs there is a laterite layer at the bottom then a mud mix then the peat/sand mix, well I have some laterite and some mud so I figure I can duplicate that. Then I can somehow? mold the peat/sand/perlite/other stuff mix into a wall.

For watering I'm thinking I can set up a drip system using a gallon container, some airline tubing, and an IV dripper.

Lighting will be from 2 T5HO lights approx. 6-9" or so from the tubes.

The humidity level will be lowish, but everyone says thats ok with Cephalotus.

Any problems or suggestions before I start? This will be longish project but I'll try and keep photos coming.
 
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I had a friend create an elaborate terrarium (a 1.5 meter long x 1 meter deep x 1 meter high box, fabricated in plexi-glass) some years back, which included, not only a steep, almost vertical slope, but a hollowed-out log as well -- in which she also planted many Cephalotus (quite a few snagged from me at the time), several Australian Drosera, multi-colored New Zealand sphagnum mosses, and even some native grasses from the Albany WA area.

The Cephalotus grow almost vertically and the automatic misting system created a seep from above. The "foundation" for the slope and the mount for the log was carved from thick closed-cell foam with deep pockets and ridges for the peat-based compost, the creepy plants, and grooves to hide the irrigation tubing. Sphagnum grow along the vertical wall, log and covered everything within a year.

The plants looked great . . .
 
I'm not trying anything that grand, although it does sound great.

The tank I'm using is 4" on the front leading up to 6" on the left back side and 9" on the right back side. The right back will be my slope. The footprint of the tank is 11" X 11"

I added about a 1/2 cup or so laterite evenly spread over the bottom then started adding the mud. I'm wanting a smooth, none clumpy mud so this process will take a few days maybe a week. To get the texture to my liking. I'm up to about 1/2" of mud now.

Everyone should get to play in mud every once in a while :-D.

Here is the tank as it sits nothing special.



Finished adding the rest of the mud, and started on the wall structure. The mix is 50% peat 25% sand 25% perlite + some lava rock and driftwood pieces. The next levels will have less peat and more sand/perite in the mix. Still a long way to go before I'm finished, any suggestions for what plant I should put in the mud? Utricularia graminifolia would be an easy candidate, but something else would be preferred. It would need to be able to do well in 40%ish humidity.

 
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Added a few more layers, I'm making the medium more sand/perlite less peat as I get higher on the slope. So far the lava rock pieces + driftwood are adding a good amount of support to the wall. Alot more than I thought they would. The exposed driftwood is the outer points of the wall, unless I mess up and have an avalanche.

Hopefully I can get some plants in there this weekend. Right now I'm planning on adding a very small Cephalotus or two and some Cryptocoryne parva in the mud. I'm not sure how either plant will do with the lower humidity, but there is only one way to find out.



Here is the next step, added some more driftwood pieces and built up the left side some more. Its looking more like a cove now especially when I add water to it. With it all draining to the bottom right and making a little pond.

 
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I planted a tiny Cephalotus division a few weeks ago, along with some Cryptocoryne pavra. Along came some Drosera spilos gemmae from the NASC auction and some extra ones went in too.

So far everything is doing fine, the Cephalotus is losing is older pitchers but the newer ones seem stable. Only time will tell. The Cryptocoryne pavra adjusted very nicely and are starting to grow. Some of the gemmae are even starting to put out leaves.

Here is an overview so you can see the layout, sorry for the overly white photo, but I'm feeling lazy today and I'm not moving the tank.



This is a close up of the tiny Cephalotus.

 
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how will you be watering the Cephalotus? is there are return system? looking good btw!
 
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  • #10
Very cool idea . . .
 
  • #11
So far I have been adding water to the mud at the bottom, it is wicking via the mud to the peat mix and up the wall. I'm also misting the wall about once a week.

amphirion said:
how will you be watering the Cephalotus? is there are return system? looking good btw!
Click to expand...
 
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  • #12
lol! I tried growing a Cephalotus like that once...however, it ended up dying by drying out. I still haven't given up on the idea and I think this is an really fun thing to try. :) Good luck!
 
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  • #13
Nice, thats a really cool idea, I would add some Tillandsia or some Drosera. :)
 
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  • #14
Time for an update I think.

The Drosera spilos gemmae are now approx. 1/4" to 3/8". Most if not all of the gemmae sprouted which was very surprising since my temps are high (due to summer) and the humidity is low. There is no dew on them thou.

The Cephalotus quickly put out a winter leaf??? Now its working on some pitchers! For 1 1/2 months the growth has been very nice for a divided plant or any Cephalotus for that matter. Remember this division had little to no roots when it was planted.

So far I'm happy with this little tank, its still barren but things are starting to grow.

 
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  • #15
RSS,

For long term, it would be better if you water from the top and allow the water to flow down the slope. The wicking would cause minerals to be deposited on the media surface over time. From what I saw when I was at the cliff-side, there was water dripping/running off near the base of the slope.

Commendable effort, by the way. I had wanted a similar set-up but never really got started.
 
  • #16
I had my camera stuff out again so I thought I would update this again. I have been watering "some" from the top/slopes down as recommended. I getting a more attractive moss in the lower humidity but I still can not stop growing moss.....

With luck I will have a 2nd Cephalotus in there by fall, the cutting Cephalotus is growing me a new one right now.

The Drosera are actually catching some food for themselves, I'm surprised they were able to get enough dew to do this.

They are eating the babies of these guys, who have made this tank there nursery much to my wives dislike. Here is one resting on a Cryptocoryne parva leaf, the C. parva is growing at a good pace for a Cryptocoryne.



Here is one of the dews.



And the Cephalotus much larger now you can still see the old leaf from the last photo.



A better photo of the entire setup.

 
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  • #17
Wow...I've seen shots of Cephs growing vertically in the wild before but never pygmy dews. Didn't know they could grow that way. Great job!
 
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  • #18
It looks stunning :D
Btw those bugs are awesome, they're moth flies, and from what i've read about them, they outcompete mosquito's but dont sting.
 
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  • #19
very nice , where did you get a tank like that, and what are the lighting conditions natural or ?
 
  • #20
uphwiz said:
very nice , where did you get a tank like that, and what are the lighting conditions natural or ?
Click to expand...

The tank was from our time in Japan about 8 years ago, it was so odd I had to pick it up. The lighting is from 2 T5HO's.
 
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