Ant plant

[joseph]

Just got an ant plant in the mail, looking for a care sheet.

joe

 

[Vic Brown]

I grow a few different ant plant genera; Dischidia, Lecanopteris and Myrmecodia and they differ in their cultivation requirements.

Without doubt, the best web site about the biology and cultivation of these fascinating plants is Nicholas Plummer's site, Ant Plants. You should find most the information you need here.

Cheers

Vic

 

[joseph]

Thanks Vic that helps but I'm still unsure of proper care. I beleive I have a Dischidia major which the web site you linked says should have an open mix. The medium stuck to the roor that came from PFT was more of a dense peat mix. Which do you think is better?

joe

 

[Vic Brown]

I grow my Dischidia pectinoides (this is the commonest species in cultivation) in an open mix similar to that used for Neps; LF Sphagnum, peat, perlite and fine orchid bark (1:1:1:1 approx.). It came in a similar mix, so when I put it in a larger pot I just used some Nep mix I had lying around, it grows very well in it.

Vic

 

[mindmaze128]

I think the dischidia plant that Phil was selling came from some Dischidia pectinoides seed that I sent him last year. Whatever the source, I keep my D pectinoides plants in coconut husk chunks. I also put some osmocote pellets in the medium to fertilize the plants.

Jœl

 

[joseph]

Thanks for the species clarification Joel.

joe

 

[goldtrap2690]

i knew i should've gotten some ant plants in the clearance sell , now that you mention it these plants sound very interesting although i don't know what this topic is doing in the quasi- carnivore section , it not a cp as most often mistaken , i believe this topic wil have to be moved somewhere else

 

[Vic Brown]

I can't see what's wrong with keeping this thread in the Quasi-Carnivorous Forum. Dischidia pectanoides has a symbiotic association with ants, providing them with shelter, whilst receiving nutrients (and protection from herbivores?) in return. The nutrition comes mainly from ant faeces and decomposing dead insect parts. No one seems to dispute treating Roridula as a quasi-carnivore, yet it receives its nutrition from insect faeces too. OK, Roridula traps its prey, but otherwise they are feeding in a very similar manner.

Vic

 

[Tristan]

I grow one. I started it from seed that Joel gave me. I've found it to be very easy. Mine is currently in a peat and perlite mix (50:50)