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D. schizandra

Here's a pic of my schizandra I've been growing since last summer.  I found it under one of my parent schizandra leaves one day and decided to grow it on its own.  The pictures not the best but I haven't seen any other schizandra pics on this forum!  

schizandra.jpg


Anyone else out there growing this species??

-Homer
 
I'm growing the plant too. But not very well. For the past 6 months or so I've been moving the plant around my greenhouse to find the ideal spot but haven't found it yet. I'm sure that I'll lose it soon as the summer temps really hit their peak. I'd like to grow it on my windowsill inside but don't have any that receive the correct amount of light- either none, or far too much. I'll get it right eventually, probably with my next plant...or the one after that. I won't post a photo of the pathetic little thing. It doesn't quite compare to Tamlin's little gem.

Sean.
 
This is one tough plant to maintain. It wants dim light, cool roots, wet conditions, and nearly 100% humidity. If you find a spot that it likes, DON'T MOVE IT. I mean, treat it like a pot full of nitroglycerine: don't even take it out to admire it. The plant in the photo went into a decline, but is recovering now with the onset cooler temps. I regard my success as minimal: I saw a plant once with lamina nearly as large as my palms (which are rather large as palms go)!! This is one of the most frustrating species I have ever tried to cultivate: it's always a case of looking good, LOOKING GOOD, poof: gone. <gnashes teeth>. Why cant this plant behave like its nice sister, D. adelae? I speculate that there is something missing in cultivation that is present in habitat, possibly a mycorhizal association, since this is a woodland species. Sean, you should try to get some of the substrate from its habitat and use this in your mix: I bet it will make a difference!
 
Tamilin, your schizandra is outstanding!  I made the BIG mistake of have my ultrasonic mister's fog fall directly onto my schizandra.  A few days afterward, all the dew was gone, and never came back!  Whoops!  But, needless to say, the plant is growing new leaves; slowly but surely, and its in its own enclosed 5.5 gallon terrarium.    

Tamlin, I have a 14w compact fluorescent bulb illuminating my schizandra tank.  Do you think that's too much?  

-Homer
 
It should be ok: I keep mine at the end of twin 40 watt grotubes, and not too close. Yeah, D. schizandra hates any water on the leaves, although it wants very high humidity.
 
Tamlin, do you keep the humidity at 100% for your whole terrarium that it's growing in? Just curious.

-Homer
 
I grow my coloney of schizandra in a mix of LFS and a top dressing of Live Sphagnum. I have found that these plants like it WET, so i cover the pot with a clear cup, even though the pot is already in a terraium. I fan in fresh air daily by removing the cup and letting in new air. This will make sure no fungus will grow. I flood the plants once in awhile, pouring in lots of water until water drains out heavily via the holes at the bottom of the pot. Under growlights, my plants are lime green with red dew.

To Tamlin,
yea, this is one tough cookie to maintain. I killed off the larger mother plant, but thanks to the roots, I have a coloney of little plants (largest 1 inch across). At the BACPS meetings, a women usually sells the 3 sisters, with here schizandra growing in large pots. The leaves were almost 5 inches across! I was so going to buy one, but I limped off after seeing the $40 price tag
tounge.gif
 
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Here is a picture I took tonight of my Drosera schizandra.

d_schizandra_small.jpg


Against advice to the contrary, I have begun to lightly mist the leaves with an extremely dilute fertilizer solution.</span>
 
  • #10
PinguiculaMan, that is amazing!  I can't help but pester you all that grow this plant with such success.  I must ask what conditions you grow yours in?  

The dew on my schizandra is not nearly as pronounced, even though the humidity is 94% +; even in a sealed 5.5 gallon terrarium.

cephalotus88, thanks.  I will give my plants a good watering at times and give it fresh air every day or so.

-Homer
 
  • #11
Presently I am keeping my Droesra schizandra in a closed quart size ziploc freezer bag, and I keep the bag up against many cheapest, cool-white fluorescent lamps on 15 hours per day. Their day is our night.
 
  • #12
Misting with the fertilizer is working? That is supposed to be a death sentence, as you alluded to. Joe, You are a man with balls the size of ....N. rajah pitchers. Sorry, that was the only cp-related analogy I could come up with, lol.
 
  • #13
Yes, the plant is in a sealed terrarium which I employ for this and other high humidity demanding species. My experience with the plant has demonstrated water left standing on the leaves will rot them in short order. Pinguiculaman is an exception to many rules :) If I tried this, my plant would be history.

As to the fertilizing process, I defer to Joseph in this as I have little experience - but be aware that when he speaks of fertilizing the plant, it is with a VERY dilute solution, and not something I would recommend to anyone not well familiar with a TDS meter.

Different conditions produce different results from grower to grower. Don't be to quick to assume that "standard" information and advice is the end of the matter. Careful experimentation under YOUR conditions is always a good thing. PLay around with it, move in small steps, and go with what works for you.
 
  • #14
Here's what I did. *I top watered my 2 D. schizandra pots and placed them into a 5.5 gallon aquarium that is 2" full of distilled water. *The top is fully enclosed. *Lighting is provided by 1x 15w fluorescent plant & aquarium light. *I'll see how this works. *From time to time I'll give them some fresh air and top water them well w/o getting their leaves wet.

-Homer
 
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  • #15
Here is a photo of some nice looking D. schizandra:
JCPS
 
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