HELP! Cephalotus looking very poor!

[Indychus]

Hey guys, I have a very small ceph that I got from andrew a while ago. It is growing in my sunroom, where temps stay between 65-85F most of the time, and humidity is usually around 50-65%. I do not have it in a tray, I mist it every other day. I read that cephs suffer from root rot very easily, so I have been trying not to over water it.

The plant was looking very good, and produced a few new pitchers until about 2 weeks ago. Now all of the pitchers are brown and dried-up looking, although the stem of the plant still looks green and vibrant. It seems to have stopped growing also. I can get some pics if it will help. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Wolfn]

Yes, we need pics to see what's wrong. Also, try and get a picture of the growing area too.

Did you transplant it or anything? It might be in some shock from growing in a new location

 

[SirKristoff]

Pics would help yes.
but you say your misting it?
Cephs don't exactly enjoy having their crowns wet 24/7....could be crown rot

 

[BigBella]

It could simply be a minor die-back, since Cephalotus, regardless of size, are occasionally prone to it (though photos would be of help). It is encouaging that you mentioned that the plant remains partly green. I would simply give it some time, avoid over-watering at all costs, and let the finicky little plant do its thing.

My advice with these plants have always been not to **** with them. Obsess over them and they will die . . .

 

[Indychus]

Once I received the plant, it died back a little, but after a week or so, it started to produce new pitchers and I figured it was acclimated to it's new environment. I have not repotted it, so It's planted in whatever andrew had it in... appears to be sand/perlite/lfs maybe... here's a few pics, I suck at macro photography, so excuse the poor pics

 

[Indychus]

Pics would help yes.
but you say your misting it?
Cephs don't exactly enjoy having their crowns wet 24/7....could be crown rot

I'm not misting it with a misting system or anything, just a small spray bottle. I try to avoid spraying the pitchers, I just try to dampen the surrounding soil.

 

[BigBella]

I would immediately trim off the dead leaves, which are prone to develop or harbor fungus and let the plant grow back. Cephalotus does nothing quickly, so you should be as patient as possible . . .

 

[Indychus]

ok, i trimmed it up and got all of the dead stuff off. should i just keep doing what I've been doing?

 

[BigBella]

Yes, that sounds fine but don't overly wet the plant itself, the soil, or its crown for the time being -- until you see some new growth . . .

 

[Wolfn]

From the pictures, it looks like that soil is very dry. You might want to add a little more water to the soil

 

[Alexis]

Cephs are tougher then they're made out to be (like Darlingtonia).

Keep it in a tray of water, give up on the misting, and keep it sunny and warm.

Looks like the old pitchers have just died from old age. I can see plenty of new growth.

 

[RL7836]

Cephs are tougher then they're made out to be (like Darlingtonia).

Agree. (except for the Darlingtonia part - killed every one I tried)

Keep it in a tray of water, give up on the misting, and keep it sunny and warm.

Disagree. Personally I don't like to keep them sitting in water... Can't say I've had any issues with it (sometimes the outside ones get days of rain & stay wet) but just don't like to keep plants in stagnant water ....

Looks like the old pitchers have just died from old age. I can see plenty of new growth.

Agree. It appears that there a bunch of tiny new pitchers coming out. No worries ....

 

[Cindy]

Indychus ,

What is your mix like i.e. proportion? From the pics the surface of the media looks way too dry.

Also, how often do you water the plant?

 

[Alexis]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexis
Cephs are tougher then they're made out to be (like Darlingtonia).
Agree. (except for the Darlingtonia part - killed every one I tried)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexis
Keep it in a tray of water, give up on the misting, and keep it sunny and warm.
Disagree. Personally I don't like to keep them sitting in water... Can't say I've had any issues with it (sometimes the outside ones get days of rain & stay wet) but just don't like to keep plants in stagnant water ....

Well, there's usually no 'best' way and everybody has their own growing methods, but I'd found darlingtonia is as happy as larry in hot conditions. And my ceph permanently sits in 3cm of water throughout the growing season. Big pots may help in both instances though.

 

[Cindy]

Alexis, thanks for agreeing to the disagreement.

On the same note, conditions in which CPs are grown are relative. Hot temperate environments is not the same as hot tropical environments. Hot can be 95F in the day but 70F in the night...but hot can also can be 95F in the day and 90F in the night. That 20F temperature difference can decide which species thrives or dies.

The same goes for sitting pots in water trays. A 10" tall pot in 3" water is different from a 5" pot in 3" water. A wide water tray is different from a narrow water tray. Permanently sitting in stagnant water is different from a varying water table.

Sometimes what I wish from experienced growers is that they are more specific and detailed when describing the factors/conditions. It takes a lot of guess work out of growing a plant well.

 

[Indychus]

Indychus ,

What is your mix like i.e. proportion? From the pics the surface of the media looks way too dry.

Also, how often do you water the plant?

not sure of the mix, it's whatever andrew had it potted in when I bought it.

as far as the watering, I was watering with a spray bottle once every few days because I didn't want to cause root rot. I have begun to water it more often as it did seem to be pretty dry, but I still don't want to put in in a watering tray. it looks a lot better since I trimmed all the dead stuff off, and I think it's strating to inflate a new pitcher.

 

[Cindy]

Indychus ,

Check with Andrew what the mix is like and how he keeps his plants. As long as the media is quick draining, it is alright top water the plant on a daily basis if you don't intend to put it in a watering tray. Just avoid the crown area.