Hello everyone! This is my first post
I'm from Istanbul and I've been growing CPs for about 2-3 years now. Over the years I've kept many different species, tried my hand at a terrarium and finally decided to stick to plants that can grow on my balcony without the need of a terrarium.
Cephalotus is one of those and my most favorite, too. I've always heard about the troubles of keeping one, how sensitive and what a slow-grower it is.
My experience has been very different, so I wanted to share it.
This is a photo of them taken in June, 2010.
And this is from January, 2011.
Compared to my other CPs (a few Nepenthes, Sarracenia, a vft, a few Drosera), I wouldn't say their growth is slow at all. Hard to see in this photo but there's also a big pitcher on the left.
I may be a radical grower, I'm not sure, you tell me. Here's how I treat them: In summer, I watered often and in little amounts; I sprayed them every evening with soapy + oily water to keep off the bugs. A few of my Sarracenia had bug problem (I don't spray those) but Cephalotus never did.
Starting from fall I reduced my watering. I've been watering them once every 2-3 weeks. Is this extreme? They didn't seem to mind.
Last but not least, I'm using Charles Brewer's mix; %45 LFS, %45 perlite and %10 other stuff.
They're in a little fish tank with no top (the top was there when I first put them out on the balcony, opened it slowly over the month and finally discarded it); they've seen some frost and the winter temperature has ranged from 0C - 10C; dropping below 0 once or so.
I never shielded them or took precautions.
I'd say, so far, Cephalotus has been my most trouble-free CP. However, I have to note that this is our 9th month together and in Cephalotus years, I guess it's only a beginning
I'm from Istanbul and I've been growing CPs for about 2-3 years now. Over the years I've kept many different species, tried my hand at a terrarium and finally decided to stick to plants that can grow on my balcony without the need of a terrarium.
Cephalotus is one of those and my most favorite, too. I've always heard about the troubles of keeping one, how sensitive and what a slow-grower it is.
My experience has been very different, so I wanted to share it.
This is a photo of them taken in June, 2010.
And this is from January, 2011.
Compared to my other CPs (a few Nepenthes, Sarracenia, a vft, a few Drosera), I wouldn't say their growth is slow at all. Hard to see in this photo but there's also a big pitcher on the left.
I may be a radical grower, I'm not sure, you tell me. Here's how I treat them: In summer, I watered often and in little amounts; I sprayed them every evening with soapy + oily water to keep off the bugs. A few of my Sarracenia had bug problem (I don't spray those) but Cephalotus never did.
Starting from fall I reduced my watering. I've been watering them once every 2-3 weeks. Is this extreme? They didn't seem to mind.
Last but not least, I'm using Charles Brewer's mix; %45 LFS, %45 perlite and %10 other stuff.
They're in a little fish tank with no top (the top was there when I first put them out on the balcony, opened it slowly over the month and finally discarded it); they've seen some frost and the winter temperature has ranged from 0C - 10C; dropping below 0 once or so.
I never shielded them or took precautions.
I'd say, so far, Cephalotus has been my most trouble-free CP. However, I have to note that this is our 9th month together and in Cephalotus years, I guess it's only a beginning
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