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All Things Petiolaris
- Thread starter bluemax
- Start date
bluemax
Lotsa blue
That's a nice-looking plant. I would let that off-shoot develop more. When it looks more like an adult plant, albeit with undeveloped leaves, it will be ready to remove and root. I wouldn't worry about the stem if it were me as long as the plant seems solidly supported. Paradoxa get pretty long stems with time!
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
bluemax
Lotsa blue
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Wait is that humidity under the dome? My humidity keeps frying my acurite gauges because it gets to high (and I sometimes spray it when I water haha). I would try and keep your humidity at least around 60%. That seems to be the lowest I could see from a quick shoot around google.
If you need to boost humidity and you are using the Mondi style 10x20 seedling trays like me (i.e. not using a false bottom) put a layer of sphagnum about 1" thick across the bottom. Still keep the water table at 1/2" so your pots still get plenty of water, but with the added sphagnum layer you dramatically increase the surface area from which water can evaporate. More evaporation = more humidity! My setup is usually between 90-95F and 70-75% humidity during the day. I haven't checked night time temps/humidity in awhile but will do that later tonight. My plants are nocturnal like me and don't turn off until 2am haha.
Also, a good resource for cultivation techniques is always wikipedia'ing the plants local climate. Here's Darwin, Australia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin,_Northern_Territory#Climate
If you need to boost humidity and you are using the Mondi style 10x20 seedling trays like me (i.e. not using a false bottom) put a layer of sphagnum about 1" thick across the bottom. Still keep the water table at 1/2" so your pots still get plenty of water, but with the added sphagnum layer you dramatically increase the surface area from which water can evaporate. More evaporation = more humidity! My setup is usually between 90-95F and 70-75% humidity during the day. I haven't checked night time temps/humidity in awhile but will do that later tonight. My plants are nocturnal like me and don't turn off until 2am haha.
Also, a good resource for cultivation techniques is always wikipedia'ing the plants local climate. Here's Darwin, Australia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin,_Northern_Territory#Climate
bluemax
Lotsa blue
Here's just a quick snap. I only had about half a handful of sphag in there before and was averaging about 70. I went ahead and added the rest about an hour ago and am already up to 80% humidity. I had to remove one of my lights and all the aluminum foil to do this so temps have dropped down to around 88. I'll check in a couple hours once it heats back up to 95 to tell you the humidity then.
Oh I am holding the lid up in the picture so you can see inside. It is normally shut.
The only thing that is bothering me about the setup now is no air circulation. Once my main terrarium is back online (which is only about 5 feet away) I can run an extension from the computer power supply to a fan hung inside the dome. Until then evaporation is my only source of air movement.
Oh I am holding the lid up in the picture so you can see inside. It is normally shut.
The only thing that is bothering me about the setup now is no air circulation. Once my main terrarium is back online (which is only about 5 feet away) I can run an extension from the computer power supply to a fan hung inside the dome. Until then evaporation is my only source of air movement.
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ya I think Ill nee to get some better moss... the stuff I just used is really cheap and I had to rinse it over ten times before the water wasn't brown! I think it'll work for now until I get my hands on some good quality moss. Thanks again for the advice now I just have to wait and see if the humidity will increase...
Tanu, it normally would be good for ventilation but I keep it sealed off pretty tight to raise the temp. Here's another pic back a little further with most of the aluminum foil attached. It is some what of a temporary setup/kind of ghetto at the moment but it works.
As for the humidity I appear to have peaked out around 84%. An interesting thing though, the accurite humidity/temp gauge resting on the sphagnum at the bottom has a temp reading of 86F. If you look at the sensor that is just 3 inches above it I am getting a reading of 95F. The air gauge is actually a pretty hardcore unit so I trust it much more but still not sure of the discrepancy. It was also cool to see the temp drop by about a degree in the minute or so I had the aluminum foil back to take the picture.
To the left of my mini "hot house" is a tray growing live sphagnum. There are two 20x10 trays of sphag growing on the shelf above as well. It's kind of cool that in the "hot house" with aluminum foil I am hitting 95 degrees. On the shelf above that with no aluminum foil I am hitting 86 degrees. And finally the air temperature in the closet is 76 degrees. It's interesting to see how much each variable effects the setup.
As for the humidity I appear to have peaked out around 84%. An interesting thing though, the accurite humidity/temp gauge resting on the sphagnum at the bottom has a temp reading of 86F. If you look at the sensor that is just 3 inches above it I am getting a reading of 95F. The air gauge is actually a pretty hardcore unit so I trust it much more but still not sure of the discrepancy. It was also cool to see the temp drop by about a degree in the minute or so I had the aluminum foil back to take the picture.
To the left of my mini "hot house" is a tray growing live sphagnum. There are two 20x10 trays of sphag growing on the shelf above as well. It's kind of cool that in the "hot house" with aluminum foil I am hitting 95 degrees. On the shelf above that with no aluminum foil I am hitting 86 degrees. And finally the air temperature in the closet is 76 degrees. It's interesting to see how much each variable effects the setup.
bluemax
Lotsa blue
Carnivoregon
IG carnivoregon_official
bluemax
Lotsa blue
sprouting petiolaris seed
Since I last made a post in this thread I have been trying to germinate seed for both D. derbyensis and D. broomensis. I planted 8 - 10 of the derbyensis seeds and got one sprout. Of the 10 or so of the broomensis seeds I got nothing. In the past I have gotten similar germination rates with petiolaris seed so the question is: do I fail due to inadequate methods of cultivation or are the seeds just low in viability? I place the seed on top of long-fiber sphagnum moss that has been topped with grated lfs and then is put in a watering tray, which is not allowed to dry out. Anybody have a better, more effective method? I wonder if smoke treatment, heat striation or GA3 treatment would make a difference?
Since I last made a post in this thread I have been trying to germinate seed for both D. derbyensis and D. broomensis. I planted 8 - 10 of the derbyensis seeds and got one sprout. Of the 10 or so of the broomensis seeds I got nothing. In the past I have gotten similar germination rates with petiolaris seed so the question is: do I fail due to inadequate methods of cultivation or are the seeds just low in viability? I place the seed on top of long-fiber sphagnum moss that has been topped with grated lfs and then is put in a watering tray, which is not allowed to dry out. Anybody have a better, more effective method? I wonder if smoke treatment, heat striation or GA3 treatment would make a difference?
bluemax
Lotsa blue
I sent an email to Michal over at LabFlyTrap. He's the guy I ordered the entire complex from so he has a lot of experience. He is a tissue culture guy but I'm sure he will know if there are any special requirements for germination. I linked this thread in the email so if he replies to me and not on here I'll relay the information 
