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In June of 2011 I bought my first Cephalotus follicularis; the so-called "vigorous" clone from D. Hastings. I knew little about the care and cultivation of this mysterious species, but as is my way, I sought every snippet of information available to help me forge a plan for its care. This is the plant shortly after I received it, in a 2" pot:
http://nitrogenseekers.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/ceph03b.jpg
And here is the same plant, one year later, measuring over 5" across:
ceph-vig03a.jpg


Culture notes:

I started out caring for the plant by housing it in an indoor terrarium, equipped with fluorescent lights, as many people do when they first acquire this species. It did OK for a while, but in the terrarium environment it was inclined to mildew on the new pitchers, and it just looked “stressed” to me, so I soon moved it to the greenhouse, where ambient humidity was modest at best, but light levels were higher and night temps dropped into the fifties consistently. In September 2011, I built a new greenhouse dedicated to Highland/Intermediate climate Nepenthes, and the Cephalotus was moved into that grow space for the Winter also. When light levels dropped and temps got cooler, the Cephalotus (I had 8 plants of various clones by then) went into semi-dormancy, as I was told they will do when exposed to seasonal changes. Pitcher formation gradually slowed, then ceased by January, and there was little activity until March, when many new non-carnivorous leaves began to form. Soon after that, several plants started making bloom spikes, and three of these plants are now in bloom or about to flower. (Including my “Hummers Giant”!) I suspect Cephalotus benefit from the chance to experience some degree of “dormancy” for long-term health, although many experienced growers related to me that they have grown plants for many years in terrariums with little or no variation between Summer and Winter conditions, with no ill effects observed. (However, plants grown this way are unlikely to flower, I am told, since the flowering response is triggered by seasonal climate changes)

As for soil and water, I have potted my plants in a mix that is essentially 50% washed Peat, 50% coarse quartz sand, but with a handful each of horticultural charcoal and fine grade Fir bark chips. The top of the pot is dressed with 1/4″ of the same coarse quartz sand, as some growers report that this tends to reduce the chances of crown rot or other fungal/bacterial disease. Water used is always collected rain water or filtered municipal water from the city (our city water has a TDS reading of less than 50PPM, which is exceptionally mineral-free). I have occasionally applied a very dilute Orchid fertilizer (no urea) to the soil, rinsing thoroughly with clean water a day or two later, with no ill effects. I can’t say that fertilizer has a profound effect on their growth, since I didn’t use a control plant for comparison. However, there have been studies done that show that Cephalotus do get a portion of their nutrients through the root system.

In all, I would say that my experience with this species has been very rewarding and it is not at all difficult to grow well as long as you observe its core requirements: bright light (natural sunlight preferred), simple, well-drained soil mix, clean water, and don't allow the soil mass to heat up! (plant it in a very light-colored container: I use glazed white ceramics)

And whatever you do, don’t fuss a lot over your Cephalotus: they like to be ignored (well, as long as they are getting proper waterings, of course!) and left alone as much as possible. Oh, and they also resent root disturbance, so if you repot a plant, do it when it is dormant, not during the growing season.
 
I'd like to encourage other growers to add details about their own experiences cultivating this species, and turn this into more of a "how to" thread, not just a show-and-tell. Tell us about the things you've tried, which worked, and which failed. There is a lot of conflicting info online about the cultivation of Cephalotus, and yet many people have great success with it, in spite of conspicuous differences in their methods. (This suggests it isn't a difficult plant as long as the basic needs are met and no glaring errors made)

Lets make this information available so we can all succeed with this amazing plant!
 
Honestly.. I can't.
I use the same EXACT media mix as you even. Nothing different here except I grow mine indoors under 8 T5HO's.

p.S. Cephalotus is BY FAR my favorite carnivorous plant though. :bigthumpup: You know me all too well my friend.
 
Don't forget the trichoderma..
 
Don't forget the trichoderma..

Mato, this is one aspect of Cephalotus cultivation I have paid zero attention to. Please tell me what you know, and why you regard it as important. Thanks!
 
Well, the two people who would be able to give you the most detailed advice on the subject are Butch and David. That being said, it's essentially just a type of fungus that is found in all soils in nature, and helps the plants by colonizing the roots, acting as an avirulent biocontrol agent. It helps defend the plant from various diseases and has even been shown to help with nutrient uptake. As far as plants like Cephalotus and Heliamphora are concerned, the chances of one of those "sudden death" stories happening, that you often hear about, can be greatly reduced by protecting the plant with Trichoderma (or so it seems).

I just mix it with water and pour it into the media of all my plants (save some of the dews) once a month. I also soak any new plants or plants that I'm repotting in it for at least half an hour. I've come to see it as something of a necessity.
 
Absolutely wonderful looking Ceph there. Love how well it has colored up for you.
 
  • #10
Well, the two people who would be able to give you the most detailed advice on the subject are Butch and David. That being said, it's essentially just a type of fungus that is found in all soils in nature, and helps the plants by colonizing the roots, acting as an avirulent biocontrol agent. It helps defend the plant from various diseases and has even been shown to help with nutrient uptake. As far as plants like Cephalotus and Heliamphora are concerned, the chances of one of those "sudden death" stories happening, that you often hear about, can be greatly reduced by protecting the plant with Trichoderma (or so it seems).

I just mix it with water and pour it into the media of all my plants (save some of the dews) once a month. I also soak any new plants or plants that I'm repotting in it for at least half an hour. I've come to see it as something of a necessity.

Thanks for that info. I knew about Trichoderma, but just hadn't considered it an "essential" for my toolkit. I will look into it now. :)

I would have thought that once you have applied it to your soil, that "inoculation" had occurred and repeated applications wouldn't be necessary, especially as you state that it "colonizes the roots". Can anyone speak to that? Thanks.
 
  • #11
Absolutely wonderful looking Ceph there. Love how well it has colored up for you.

Thanks very much! I have to say, it has been a ridiculously easy plant to grow, but then in my climate, I have one of the "essential ingredients": cool nights, even through the summer. I am convinced this is important for long term health of the plant.
 
  • #12
I would have thought that once you have applied it to your soil, that "inoculation" had occurred and repeated applications wouldn't be necessary, especially as you state that it "colonizes the roots".

That sir.. is a GREAT question.
 
  • #13
That sir.. is a GREAT question.

Lets hope someone pipes up with an answer :) In the meantime, I did find this: "Many species of Trichoderma, if given optimal conditions, establish stable and long-lasting colonisations of root surfaces and even penetrate into the epidermis (outer layer of root tissue) and a few cells below this level. This intimate relationship between Trichoderma and the host root cells is what induces localized and systemic resistance responses to pathogen attack."

FROM THIS URL: http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2011/02/trichoderma-in-hydroponic-systems/

That clearly suggests that, once inoculated, the organism should continue to live in the media indefinitely. Still, I hope someone "in the know" will add their perspective on it.
 
  • #14
Lets hope someone pipes up with an answer :) In the meantime, I did find this: "Many species of Trichoderma, if given optimal conditions, establish stable and long-lasting colonisations of root surfaces and even penetrate into the epidermis (outer layer of root tissue) and a few cells below this level. This intimate relationship between Trichoderma and the host root cells is what induces localized and systemic resistance responses to pathogen attack."

FROM THIS URL: http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2011/02/trichoderma-in-hydroponic-systems/

That clearly suggests that, once inoculated, the organism should continue to live in the media indefinitely. Still, I hope someone "in the know" will add their perspective on it.

I would also like to hear some opinions about this.
 
  • #15
Sorry, didn't see this question. Well, the reason I reapply it is because of my bimonthly fertilization. Apparently Trichoderma can become less effective with too many nutrients in the soil, so I just like to help boost the colony every now and then.
 
  • #17
Where can this be purchased?
 
  • #20
Ive had a similar experience with Cephalotus to you Paul. I grow it in 60% perlite, 40% finely chopped LFS. I place regular LFS on top to keep the perlite down. The top 1" or so is usually crispy dry except after watering. I water every 5-7 days depending on how heavy the pot feels.

I received this plant in June 2011 and about one month later it put out its first mature pitcher. This is in a 2" pot.
43d0fb9d.jpg


Here's a photo I took in October 2011, still in the same 2" pot. The first pitcher it made can be seen in the top left of the pot.
217ffd83.jpg


This is the plant today in June 2012, one year since acquiring the plant in a 5" pot. The biggest pitcher is about 1.5" tall.
43da5108.jpg


534e1f3d.jpg
 
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