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  • #381
Beautiful pic Vrae! U.humboldtii has always/will always be my favorite plant. How did you manage to keep it alive with just water apart from the fact that it killed your bromeliad with algae? Ive always tried to grow it using pure water but it always rots and dies. Did you use peat or sphagnum?

I actually did once try to grow a U. humboldtii inside a bromeliad. The utric started exploring and growing, but it was fatal for the bromeliad. Slime algae contamination from the source material of the utricularia grower who gave me the plant completely choked the bromeliad. Since the centre is the growth point for these plants, if it gets choked with algae, the bromeliad starts a steady decline. No matter how hard I tried to get rid of the utric and algae, it was all in vain. The algae would always come back.

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  • #382
Beautiful pic Vrae! U.humboldtii has always/will always be my favorite plant. How did you manage to keep it alive with just water apart from the fact that it killed your bromeliad with algae? Ive always tried to grow it using pure water but it always rots and dies. Did you use peat or sphagnum?

I did not grow it in there for more than 6 months....I then ripped it out and threw it away. It grew in the water just as you can see. I never had any media/moss in there. It was in pure water. :)
 
  • #383
Here is a picture from my U. humboldtii (broad form from Cerro Neblina) which I planted two years ago beside a nice Brocchinia tatei from Cerro Duida. Since about 1.5 years it started to grow in the bromeliad growing much better in it than on soil...
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Cheers
Marc
 
  • #384
My new acquisition.

U. jamesoniana

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potted up with a lepanthes that was going downhill in a pot.

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  • #385
No posts in a few months so I figure I can update my version of slack potting.

Here is the quelchii, it lost a few leaves over the hot summer months but is springing back nicely.

Utricularia quelchii by randallsimpson, on Flickr

The "jar" version with the tree fern totem.
Utricularia 'Jitka' by randallsimpson, on Flickr

Utricularia quelchii cube.
Utricularia quelchii by randallsimpson, on Flickr
I've now had two of these disformed leaves, one in my 'Jitka' and one with my quelchii. Both of these are in similar but different enclosures so cross contamination is unlikely. I do spray a fert mix close to both of these so maybe its something to do with getting a dose one week then nothing for the next few weeks. Any thoughts? Either way it looks neat.
Utricularia quelchii Disformed leaf by randallsimpson, on Flickr
 
  • #386
2-3 years ago, I started to grow U. reniformis (smaller clone) on my east-facing windowsill because it refused to flower in the basement under lights. In the spring, it flowered. The next year, I added some other smaller clones & they also flowered. However, the way U. reniformis quickly finds the bottom of the pot & comes out makes repotting a real problem. I also noticed that Dean Cook grows his large form U. reniformis in a tub. When I received another one of the small clones (this one labelled 'Enfant terrible') from a buddy, I figured I'd grow half in a pot & half in a small tub.

Both grew well but in a surprise move, the plant in the tub flowered in the spring & then each time one stalk was spent, it sent up another so there were flowers all summer. The potted plant didn't flower.

My apologies but I was busy with other stuff this summer & didn't capture the flowers. Here's the tub (obligatory penny for scale is in right corner):


... and here's the whole thing with the spent stalks:


For comparison, here's one of the potted clones with the last flower of the season (this one's been on the windowsill for a few years & this is it's only flower this year - all the potted plants have similar foliage)


.... and the flower:


For me, the tub is a win:win. I'm going to try one of the larger clones as soon as I clear some space on the windowsill (they've also never flowered in the basement).

On a completely different topic, last winter lots of stuff flowered so I did as many crosses as I could. Many never produced any seed and others that produced seed never germinated. However, a few did sprout. Ironically, the one that had the highest percent of germinations also had the smallest seeds & the only one I selfed - U. campbelliana:

I hedged my bets with some of the seed - I sowed some on chopped live LFS & some on a piece of cotton pad. Both sides worked. In another odd twist, I shared seed with some other fellow utric growers & neither had any germinations - it's not like the seeds weren't viable when they left - something in the postal system - or just dried out?? :scratch:
 
  • #387
That's a lot of germination. I divided up the seeds and tried 4 different methods, including the 2 you were successful with. Many seeds appeared to swell within the first few days but, I didn't have a single one actually sprout. To the best of my knowledge my seeds were no more than 5 days old or so. Could they really dessicate in the mail that quickly ? I don't think temps would have been an issue since they were in the basement where it doesn't get above the mid 70's even on the hottest summer days. There was ample lighting and plenty of humidity. It's an even greater mystery to me now that I see just what percentage of yours actually germinated.
 
  • #388
I've had similar experiences with U. unifolia seed from South America (although transit time was obviously longer). Super-fresh seed & nothing germinated - while the grower had close to 100% germination.

Although the seeds themselves are massively different, Travis placed U. humboldtii seeds on moist paper towels when he did a giveaway a few years back & most people had good germinations (I'm still growing one of those clones). I think we need to try that approach next time we ship Orchidioides seed or possibly do a 50:50 split.
 
  • #389
Something must be going awry in transit. It definitely seems that the seeds should not be allowed to dry out for any length of time. I would have to say that shipping them on a damp paper towel may be the key, given the amount of germination you got with sowing them directly after harvest compared to 0% we experienced. I can't imagine the conditions we tried germinating them in were a whole lot different from yours. It's great to see that you've done so well with these though, great work Ron !
 
  • #391
Spectacular plant Mach! Have you gotten flowers yet?

Also, what are everyone's cultivation conditions for U. praetermissa? This is one of my dream plants, and I hope to get one someday (really far in the future), but specific information seems rather sparse.
 
  • #392
Mach - that thing has really taken off! What's your secret sauce (water bath?)?

Also, what are everyone's cultivation conditions for U. praetermissa?
Same as the other large Orchidioides (not Iperua) (for me - can't speak for everyone else). Mine is flowering now...

This is one of my dream plants, and I hope to get one someday (really far in the future), but specific information seems rather sparse.
I know this may sound rude - but - have you read this thread? :scratch: What info hasn't been shared?

We created this thread specifically so people who are interested in growing Orchidioides have info from various growers on how they do it. I know it's gotten quite long but there's a ton of great info in here as well as many cool pics. Take some time to wander through it - if you have questions - feel free to ask.
 
  • #393
outside in shadehouse with neps. Sitting in deli cup with some live sphagnum. the rest is ambient conditions.

so dunno.

Mach - that thing has really taken off! What's your secret sauce (water bath?)?

Same as the other large Orchidioides (not Iperua) (for me - can't speak for everyone else). Mine is flowering now...

I know this may sound rude - but - have you read this thread? :scratch: What info hasn't been shared?

We created this thread specifically so people who are interested in growing Orchidioides have info from various growers on how they do it. I know it's gotten quite long but there's a ton of great info in here as well as many cool pics. Take some time to wander through it - if you have questions - feel free to ask.
 
  • #394
I know this may sound rude - but - have you read this thread? :scratch: What info hasn't been shared?

We created this thread specifically so people who are interested in growing Orchidioides have info from various growers on how they do it. I know it's gotten quite long but there's a ton of great info in here as well as many cool pics. Take some time to wander through it - if you have questions - feel free to ask.

Its not rude at all, if anything it's my oversight. :blush: I looked through this thread a while back, but it seems I went rather quickly and missed things. Now I found what i was looking for though, thanks!

Also, I'd love to see pics of those praetermissa flowers! :)
 
  • #395
Also, I'd love to see pics of those praetermissa flowers! :)
Here's a not-ready-for-primetime pic (iPhone thru glass) in the 'jungle'


On the topic of providing a quick reference growing guide - I struggle with it - especially as so many have contributed in this thread. Here's a post from earlier this year when someone else posed a similar question.
 
  • #396
That's a beautiful bloom, Ron! Your utrics really look like they're going wild in your conditions! :)

Are the other leaves in the back also utrics (other than praetermissa)? I think I see quelchii next to one of the big nep pitchers.
 
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  • #397
On the topic of a quick reference guide, it is just a bad idea in general. Look at all the misconceptions about Cephs due to these guides. I'd even be against adding labels as easy/hard species, it works for orchids well due to the much larger grower base, and TONs of published information specific to the species. With Utrics there are just not enough people growing/reporting on each species to get these types of lists together.

I've noticed ALOT more tree fern being used with these Utrics over the last few years, something guides would not have included but seems a good growing option.

A great example would be U. humboldtii 5-7 years ago no one would have put in a guide that you could keep it alive on a windowsill in a low humidity house but guess what you can. And it is not just Ron's Bladder Encrusted Gloden Thumb (BEGT for short), others have been able to reproduce results, mine are a tiny fragment of his but I still have positive results.

As for adding tubs to the guide there is another problem, I've had no success with them for years but clearly they work. Why are they working so well for Ron and not for me? It is not the tub, something else is at work here, I've always been quick to blame my temps since it just makes more sense down here in TX we are on average going to be higher year round.

On the subject of the seeds, all I can think of is maybe they are a quick turn seed and need to get germinating fast. The few days in the mail might just be too long? I know of other non CP species that require germination within 12-24 hours so why not these also. Just guessing, Utric seeds and me have never had a good relationship.

This thread is very likely the largest single source of info out there for these species, think about that for a minute.
 
  • #398
That's a beautiful bloom, Ron! Your utrics really look like they're going wild in your conditions! :)
Yes - things are pretty wild in there at the moment. Many are in need of repotting and when they fill one of those netpots, they grow all over (quelchii example, asplundii example - both of those pots were in this tank)

Are the other leaves in the back also utrics (other than praetermissa)? I think I see quelchii next to one of the big nep pitchers.
There are other utric leaves visible but the one to the left of the flower is actually a side view of a N. robcantleyi leaf. There are quelchii leaves below left & below right of the flower. The crinkled flower in front of the praeter flower is an old asplundii bloom & asplundii leaves are below & to the left. Praeter leves are to the right of the flower & the large mass in the upper right is a U. humboldtii leaf (they are 2-3" wide & 16-18" high in this tank - it's 1st flower stalk was something over 48" long).
 
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  • #399
<----Puts on my "I hate moss" T-shirt

More odd things I've been doing and having success with. Both of these are growing in seed starting sponges. NOT normal sponges :) Both are under 6m old but growing well.

Utricularia 'Jitka' - The above sponge growth has been very minimal but there was only about 1" total "root" when I planted it and no bladders. This one is just sitting in about 1/2" or less water. I do allow this watering tray to completely dry out for a day or two but the sponge is never anywhere near dry.

Utricularia 'Jitka'
by randallsimpson, on Flickr

Utricularia 'Jitka'
by randallsimpson, on Flickr

Utricularia nephrophylla - This one is only about 2m old nothing growing into the water yet, but the top growth is 3-4X what I started with. I need to add something to block out the light from the water still.

Utricularia nephrophylla
by randallsimpson, on Flickr

Utricularia nephrophylla
by randallsimpson, on Flickr
 
  • #400
As for adding tubs to the guide there is another problem, I've had no success with them for years but clearly they work.
I think this tub is a special case. Over the years I noticed that U. reniformis acted like U. longifolia in that, soon after potting, new rolons would pop out the bottom holes. U. longifolia loves living in the water saucer. With the similarities and the fact that U. reniformis has those large swollen pain-in-the-butt rolons - it made sense to try a tray/tub. The blooming all summer on the windowsill was a really pleasant unexpected gift.

In general, I dislike having pots sitting in water. It's conducive to anaerobic conditions (depending on media & environment) & I have a somewhat irrational distaste for that state. However, if a plant continually shows a desire for those conditions, it would be silly for me to ignore their wishes. Most of the original Orchidioides (not including Iperua) seem to detest a no-oxygen media. Success with U. campbelliana & jamesoniana sitting in water (as seen in Mach's post above & my treefern & hygrolon plaques) doesn't seem to be an exception since the open/airy plaques don't develop anaerobic conditions - probably similar to the sponges in your post.

In the future, I hope to have an environment with automatic misting/sprinkling so there would be no need to sit the epiphytes in water.
----------
**Edit** After I closed this post, I looked at my windowsill. In addition to the large reniformis which I will soon be adding, there is a small container of U. geminiloba that I added last January. Since I knew it wouldn't handle the super-low household humidity in the winter (at least w/o acclimation), I placed a small division in a takeout clamshell container. When summer rolled around, I opened the clamshell to keep from creating a solar oven. Although I can't say it has 'taken off' with growth, the division has increased steadily in size - it now has 1" leaves on 2.5" petioles. This is still much smaller than my basement plant but since the basement plant has never flowered for me - I needed to try something (hey it worked with reniformis...!).
 
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