TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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Rapidly yellowing older pitchers normal on new Ceph?
It is very common for Cephalotus to lose a few leaves in transit. My suggestion would be to allow the plant to acclimate to its new surroundings and to appreciate that that may take some time. Back off on any over-watering; avoid getting the crown of the plant wet, and give it -- most importantly -- ample ventilation. Also, replacing a bit of the fluid in the pitchers (lost during shipping) may prevent wilting and / or leaf loss.
I know of no one who has lost a Cephalotus following that method of cultivation . . .
I know of no one who has lost a Cephalotus following that method of cultivation . . .
Lil Stinkpot
Lucky Greenhorn
The soil for Cephalotus should always remain moist (never allowed to dry out completely), though never saturated; and standing water should never be present. The compost, whichever you choose, should be -- above all -- quick-draining. Many of my plants have a layer of live sphagnum to increase local humidity, avoid splashing, maintain moisture, and to "crowd-out" undesirable elements -- molds, fungi, etc . . .
Lil Stinkpot
Lucky Greenhorn
Really 2 years is a "good" amount of time? I had thought I was doing everything "by the book" but since it seemed to disintegrate with no warning I figured I must have done something.
I was looking online and it seems that Cephs have almost the same seasonal temp variation as our VFT (except in opposite months due to the southern hemisphere). Has anyone tried growing them like that, allowing it to go dormant in winter? Perhaps that would extend their lives?
I was looking online and it seems that Cephs have almost the same seasonal temp variation as our VFT (except in opposite months due to the southern hemisphere). Has anyone tried growing them like that, allowing it to go dormant in winter? Perhaps that would extend their lives?
theyellowdart
sea bear returns!
I've always wondered the same thing. Most people, including many experienced growers, grow them without any sort of dormancy or seasonal difference in photoperiod. I used to cut down the lights by an hour and a half during the winter but was then told it would make no difference.
I know "dormancy" for them means slowing growth and producing the non-carnivorous leaves but it seems that nobody intentionally puts them through seasonal variation but maybe that's why they only tend to survive a few years in captivity or rather in terrariums? Kind of like a flytrap which also only lasts a couple years in a terrarium. Grown outdoors they obviously are forced to swing with the seasons, perhaps like outdoor flytraps these outdoor Ceph plants also live longer?
My grow shelf lights follow the sun for the succulents (the South Africans are growing now while the US plants are sleeping) so my Ceph is going to be getting 10 hours in midwinter up to 16 hours in midsummer and some temp variation throughout the year (not cold enough to make a flytrap dormant) so we'll see just what it does anyway.
My grow shelf lights follow the sun for the succulents (the South Africans are growing now while the US plants are sleeping) so my Ceph is going to be getting 10 hours in midwinter up to 16 hours in midsummer and some temp variation throughout the year (not cold enough to make a flytrap dormant) so we'll see just what it does anyway.
I read that site last night, it's partly responsible for getting me to think about this actually.
I still want to know if more Cephs are living longer than a couple years when kept outdoors exposed to year round light & temp variations compared to plants kept in a terrarium. Even a Ceph in a greenhouse would be getting some seasonal variation.
I still want to know if more Cephs are living longer than a couple years when kept outdoors exposed to year round light & temp variations compared to plants kept in a terrarium. Even a Ceph in a greenhouse would be getting some seasonal variation.
Judging from some of the articles and letters in the first issues of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter Cephalotus follicularis have been in cultivation at least 37 years. It's pretty fascinating seeing growers compare notes on propagation methods and zeroing on the most successful. If giving season cues were an important factor it would most likely be common knowledge by now.
Certainly the closer you can duplicate the plants natural environment the better it will do.
However, you should talk to Peter (pingman). He rarely frequents this forum these days.
He grows some of his C. follicularis outdoors and others indoors under lights. If I recall correctly he does not vary the photoperiod. I also recall him saying he likes they grow under lights rather than outdoors. Yes, his plants flower.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/byblis/2118661021/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/byblis/2119284614/
Certainly the closer you can duplicate the plants natural environment the better it will do.
However, you should talk to Peter (pingman). He rarely frequents this forum these days.
He grows some of his C. follicularis outdoors and others indoors under lights. If I recall correctly he does not vary the photoperiod. I also recall him saying he likes they grow under lights rather than outdoors. Yes, his plants flower.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/byblis/2118661021/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/byblis/2119284614/
I have grown Cephalotus under both conditions over the years; and I've had most plants for far more than a decade -- with no discernible differences. While they don't undergo any formal dormancy (keep in mind, after all, that they are considered subtropical plants and evergreen) like that seen with Sarracenia, there is a seasonal slowing of growth; but the flat "vegetative" leaves are constantly produced during the winter.
In my opinion, it is neither an issue of indoor/outdoor cultivation or length of photo-period that leads to failure with Cephalotus; rather, it is more of a problem of keeping the plants under all-too-common stifling conditions -- thereby encouraging disease.
Simply research the climate of Southwestern Australia; these plants are native to a meso-Mediterranean climate, not the wilds of Borneo . . .
Lil Stinkpot
Lucky Greenhorn
(Sorry to butt in again
)So I shouldn't be having any problems with mine. Maybe I should stick it outside; I am in San Jose, by Alviso. Not terribly hot, not too cold, we are buffered a little by being by the Bay.
http://www.aqph26.dsl.pipex.com/cephalotusfollii.html
But if we go by this weather chart from the Cephalotus site we can see that many people may be keeping their plants either too warm and wet or too cold and wet at the wrong times. Many of my Namibian succulents have a very similar weather pattern to the one shown above (far less rain though) with warm dry summers and cool wet winters (remember the seasons are opposite ours on the chart above). Rainfall is minimal at times but coastal fog/dew is consistent year round supplying much of the plants watering.
Californian and other growers on the coasts may indeed get these sort of temps naturally with no fuss & muss but keeping mine in the old highland chamber with steady light, cool temps and watering somehow lead to a decline and I'm just trying to figure out why so I don't have the same thing happen again.
