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  • #21
I find that helis will grow in nearly anything as long as it's wet but well drained..even 50/50 peat/perlite works..just a matter of keeping the plants cool, humid, and very bright.. do those things and they will usually grow like weeds.
 
  • #22
What you use or don't use is ultimately a decision you have to make based on your own needs, conditions and performance requirements.
it's all shades of gray :)

Kinky..
 
  • #23
Alright, my 2 cents. First, have you consulted the writings of the Jedi Master himself: http://www.carnivorousplants.org/howto/GrowingGuides/Heliamphora.php

Regarding specific growing info (and I do not think I have read the sticky yet that Ron suggested so I apologize if anything I say is redundant. I should read that...),

Okay, I'm planning on ordering a Heliamphora minor. I do know that these plants are more difficult that plants like Venus flytraps or Drosera capensis.
- Keep in mind, easy and hard are largely a function of personal style. Helis may just click for you. Just watch the temps, light and the soil moisture and you should be good (I agree with Exo's comments on this one). I personally do not think they are nearly as bad as some make them out to be (then again, personal style. I happen to have a harder time with VFTs).

I have a setup waiting for it (if I ever do order it), which consists of a plastic terrarium (woo hoo) which currently houses my Nepenthes fusca that takes up about half of the space in it. The humidity inside it hovers around 90%, but due to a few holes in the sides it still has some circulation. I do know that these plants expect a nightly temperature drop and that they prefer to be top watered (which won't be a big problem in a terrarium).
- IMHO, the top watering thing is not really necessary depending on soil composition. This is where style comes into play. The top water thing is more representative of how they live in nature. If you want to go this route make sure you have a more open soil mix (see later). Also, stay on the ball about it (speaking from experience here...). I make a point of top watering occasionally even with a more dense soil mix just to make sure the pitchers stay full but do they need to be top watered every day to simulate rainfall? Nope- I don't think so.

The only problem I have is that I don't know exactly what to pot it in (I'm probably ordering a bareroot plant). I've heard that they like Sphagnum-rich mixes but at the time I have none, unless I repot all my other plants (the nursery just took the plants from their tissue culture peat plugs and dropped them into pots lined with Sphagnum) and take it out of them.
- Don't do that, never reuse soil unless you autoclave it first. That is pathogenic cross-contamination waiting to happen- you will eventually regret it, I promise you! Helis are succeptable to soil based fungal infections (see that link I posted above for some more information).

If Heliamphora desire the moss only for aeration, though, then I'm in luck.
I would greatly appreciate any opinions, facts, personal anecdotes, rants (yes, RANTS), etc., etc., etc. on the topic of growing these lovely plants! :D\
(End of five-minute anomalous formality. :p)

Ok, my personal anecdotes. I have not tried the aquarium media thing yet though likely will next time I transplant/propagate/buy a heli. I have used some form of the following recipes:
- 1:1 LFS: Perlite or Pumice (I forget which, maybe I have done both)
- 1:1:1 peat: perlite:lfs (I think this was what I potted my heliamphora sarracenioides in.... I will try to verify)
- 1:1 peat: perlite

The 50/50 peat/perlite mix was the first I tried. It worked for a while but eventually I started to have problems. This happened when temps went up so it is hard to say whether it was the soil density or temps. My hunch is the temps. Then again, it could be both- the increase in temps could have encouraged a pre-existing infection to attack full force. I had several helis in this mix happily growing for over a year without a single problem (some even flowered). I used with mix with a water tray/wick system. I maintained water levels about 1-2 CM up the pot and used tall pots (about 6 or so inches high off the top of my head). With this mix, I would avoid the top watering technique or only topwater/flood very occasionally.
The LFS/Perlite mix is what I currently have my H. folliculata potted in and it has worked out pretty well. I do top water more regularly with that mix but also have a 1 cm water level up the side of the pot (Vented humidity domes in both cases).

As I said before, the peat/perlite/lfs mix is what my H. sarracenioides is in. This is a new plant and a new soil mix so I cannot say much yet. The plant does appear happy thus far but I have only had it a month or so (beautiful species by the way! Almost no nectar spoon, really weird looking for a heli!).
 
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  • #25
Nice link, thanks for sharing utri :)

Edit: After the first read, i disagree with many points in the article. For example:
"Heliamphora requires fertilization to grow well"

?? Its far to be true. And for a newbie, reading this can lead to a dead plant.

This plant was a single leaf cutting last year. With no fertilizer. Even in the juvenil stade. And my plant was not yellow like on the pictures i saw in the article. Do you think my plant will be better with fertilizer ?

8700667806_bb7d4accb1_b.jpg
 
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  • #26
Yeah, John's a bad@$$.
I am kind of stoked, I recently got some heli seeds from a trading partner. I have not started them yet but am really looking forward to it. I have never grown from seed :D
 
  • #27
Yeah, John's a bad@$$.
I am kind of stoked, I recently got some heli seeds from a trading partner. I have not started them yet but am really looking forward to it. I have never grown from seed :D

Nice :) ask butch for advices, he is the real heliam master ! And not on the ego side like some forum owner! (Not you andrew)

Im looking foward for the pictures :)
 
  • #28
Nice :) ask butch for advices, he is the real heliam master ! And not on the ego side like some forum owner! (Not you andrew)

Im looking foward for the pictures :)

Thanks for the referrence, I am not sure I have spoken with Butch before but it is good to know who is growing Helis. I am going to be hitting people up for photos pretty soon here for a side project.

(edit) Oh wait, Av8tor, arn't you Butch?
 
  • #29
Alright, I picked up a big 432 cubic-inch (seven-liter) block of long-fiber Sphagnum. Could I just plant my Heliamphora minor in it, 100% moss?

Also, quoted by the article, bareroot Heliamphora should be bagged for a month. Didn't someone say they need circulation? And would a terrarium be an adequate substitute for a bag?
 
  • #30
Thanks for the referrence, I am not sure I have spoken with Butch before but it is good to know who is growing Helis. I am going to be hitting people up for photos pretty soon here for a side project.

(edit) Oh wait, Av8tor, arn't you Butch?

yes. Av8tor is Butch. he's also releasing a detailed heliamphora growing article hopefully in the near future via the CPN.
 
  • #31
Alright, I picked up a big 432 cubic-inch (seven-liter) block of long-fiber Sphagnum. Could I just plant my Heliamphora minor in it, 100% moss?

Also, quoted by the article, bareroot Heliamphora should be bagged for a month. Didn't someone say they need circulation? And would a terrarium be an adequate substitute for a bag?

From my experience, 100% sphagnum moss work pretty well.

For the air circulation in the bag, open the bag everydays, this will provide ventilation, but for myself, i use a terrarium at almost 100%. So for me, yes you can use a terra as substitute.

Oh, and Amphirion too is a very experienced heliamphora grower!
 
  • #32
Alright, I picked up a big 432 cubic-inch (seven-liter) block of long-fiber Sphagnum. Could I just plant my Heliamphora minor in it, 100% moss?

Also, quoted by the article, bareroot Heliamphora should be bagged for a month. Didn't someone say they need circulation? And would a terrarium be an adequate substitute for a bag?

The reason for the bag is just to acclimate them. I have; however, done just fine using a terrarium with high humidity (near 100% RH).

I have not tried pure LFS. I suspect it would be fine, personally I feel more comforable with something in there to open the media up like perlite or pumice. That's just me. I would be more inclined to trust LFS over dense peat mixes though.
 
  • #33
yes. Av8tor is Butch. he's also releasing a detailed heliamphora growing article hopefully in the near future via the CPN.

Awesome! I will look forward to reading it! Hopefully with some nice pictures, perhaps he will get the back cover?
 
  • #34
If you are acclimating new divisions its a good idea to bag them unless they are in a high humidity environment. Desiccation is one of the main reasons for new division deaths.
Now if you bag them and the bag is covered in water droplets... give it a little more ventilation. Trim a corner back or something, I usually just take the bag off once a day or so and give it some fresh air.
You want humidity, not stagnation :)

Heliamphora do appreciate ferts, but this is another area that has shades of gray.... I generally feed the pitchers fish pellets on established plants and a weak fert mix on new divisions (especially unrooted divisions)

I use to routinely root feed but I don't anymore....

Yes, I do have an CPN article scheduled, but with the recent deaths in the hobby it will likely be December issue.

However, many of my recommendations have been included in that ICPS guide

We have many growers of distinction, each with years of experience.... David, Jon, Ron, Carl, Dave etc etc etc
Each has their own prefs and what works for them, each a valuable resource... but at the end of the day, you have to tweek the methods to fit your own needs. New growers want absolute answers when its more an art than a science. There are just so many inter-related variables at play.

At the end of the day the key points are:
Keep them cool (typically below 78f)
keep them humid (typically more is better)
Keep them under intense lighting (but cool LOL)
Keep their feet from drying but not stagnant


HTH's
Av (Butch)
 
  • #35
I mostly feed fruit flies, not much chance of overdoing it that way.
 
  • #36
Sooooo... Let's review the information I've gathered from you guys.
Heliamphora like a lot of light.
They hate stagnant water and air (unsurprisingly).
They generally like very airy mixes.
They hate the heat and should never go above 80 degrees.
They like a nightly temperature drop but don't necessarily need it.
They need very high humidity.
They are slow.
They can be pieces of cake or absolute jerks to grow.

Anything not listed that hasn't been covered otherwise?
 
  • #37
I would argue that adult specimens can grow like weeds if happy.... :)
and not so sure about "absolute jerks".... but one thing is for sure, bigger is easier.

smaller the division, the more difficult and slower.... but obviously the plant has less ability to process nutrients and light
 
  • #38
Naturally. And I DID say that they can be pieces of cake to grow. Unfortunately I'll be getting not too large of a plant. I wonder when it'll arrive. Hopefully the 100% long-fiber Sphagnum will work.
 
  • #39
it will... no biggie, I have at least a hundred seedlings in pure LFS at the moment
 
  • #40
Dude, do yourself a huge favor and buy D'Amato's revised Savage Garden.
 
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