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Another bicalc question

I have three healthy bicals cohabitating in a tank in my living room.  I read much about how fast they grow and I'm really not seeing it.  Mine grow nice healthy pitchers and then they blacken around the edges or the pitchers die off.  The plants aren't growing at an alarming rate, but they are clearly doing well.

My question is shouldn't the leaves be hanging around a bit longer?  The plants don't usually have more then three or four leaves at a time and when new ones grow in, an existing one seems to die off.

The tank is warm and humid and the conditions are good enough for them to be pitchering regularly  The rafflesiana in the tank is doing very well and the older leaves aren't dying nearly as fast as the bicals.
 
check the roots. bicals have rediculously big root systems. its probably time to repot. they dont like it at all though! so be VERY CAREFUL!
Alex
 
My bical was doing so-so and I decided to repot and remove it from the terrarium I had it in. I was shocked that it's roots where root bound for such a small plant. My other neps the same size where not close to filling the pot with roots as the bical was.
Since it's repot it is growing so much better.
 
They've all been repotted within the year as far as I know. Maybe the ones from Sarr. Northwest this spring/summer are due for a size upgrade. I'll think about it.

Thanks!
 
What are some secrect soil recipes you guys use? Mine is currently a mix of peat, perlite, long sphagnum, sand, vermiculite and orchid bark. Any suggetsions for changes?
 
There are many different soil recipes.
If your plants are happy, no need to change.
Also people may have different experiences with the same mixes.
My mix that I have not changed since I started to grow neps since they are all very happy is equal parts peat moss, perlite, LFS.
 
behold the ravages of repotting a bicalcarata-
bical-1.jpg


its been a month and a half and the groth point just started moving 2 days ago
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ilbasso @ Jan. 04 2007,11:01)]They've all been repotted within the year as far as I know. Maybe the ones from Sarr. Northwest this spring/summer are due for a size upgrade. I'll think about it.

Thanks!
Ah, so that is where you got yours, that is where I got mine also. If you have it in the pot it came in, that is probably your issue. I immediately took it out of that 3" pot when I got mine from them, and put it in a 6" tall pot with 100% LFS. It isn't "exploding" with growth, but it came with 0 pitchers and now it has 2, which have hung around for a few months now (see avatar). It currently is growing a new pitcher and its two newest leaves are forming pitchers. Also note, that this bugger is not in a terrarium, just on the windowsill. I do have the pot in a deep saucer and keep a few inches of water in it all times also...

*AND* it has a basal...
 
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