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Cephalotus Pictures!

  • #21
Thanks for posting those Gus! I hope my somewhat fuzzy picture helped! The pitcher is very similar in size, actually!
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  • #22
No worries Lithopsman:

I love to learn more things about cephs. I think what we should do is to start finding pictures of extra-large size cephs and post them with the appropriate acknowledgement to the owner(s). This way, we can learn how big ceph pitchers can get. Gus

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  • #23
Ok, also posted elsewhere. But here they are for the Cephalotus Photo Topic.

Ok, here are a couple photos of my Cephalotus German Giant. It is growing in a 4" pot.

CephGermanGiant061404.jpg


CephGermanGiantBigSmallTraps061404.jpg


CephGermanGiantPlantTop061404.jpg


CephGermanGiantOddTrapBigTrap061404.jpg

The two traps on the left did not form right. One has little or no teath, and the other is a bit odd as well. Kinda like a vampire.

CephGermanGiantPurpleTraps061404.jpg


CephGermanGiantTrap061404.jpg

Currently the largest trap. I will have to get a measurement later as I couldn't find the ruler.

CephGermanGiantGrownBaggy061404.jpg

Someone asked how I grew my plants. Here you can see its in a sealed ziplock bag. The photo shows the plant sitting closer to the lights than it actually is. The plant sits on the table about 8 inches from the light. The larger trap should color up in a week or so as it just opened a couple days ago.
 
  • #24
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and
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!!! Very nice indeed. Is the ornament made out of wax?

I'm about to sow seeds of these species for the first time, any hints?
Like what soil, light, temp... etc will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Jason
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  • #25
Absolutely amazing!
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How is your German Giant so big already? Mine is still TC size and I've had it for a year!
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Thanks for sharing!!
 
  • #26
I will see if I have any photos from the day I received the plant. Mine came from Tony. I will also get the date for age purposes.

The plant was much much smaller when I got it. The largest trap was about 1/2 tall, possibly smaller.
 
  • #27
I got mine form Tony, too!
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That's just the thing! I got it around March of 2003... Still the same tiny size, just more pitchers. I'm hoping something will happen soon...
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  • #28
Looking back at some of my older photos of the plant, I have had it since at least June 2, 2003.

Here is a top photo of the plant taken on June 2, 2003.
ceph_follicularisGiantPurple.jpg

Plant just after potting up in a 4" pot. This is the same pot as the 6-14-04 photos.

You can get an idea on the size of the traps and plant by comparing the traps to the sphagnum moss strands.
 
  • #29
That's the same size mine was!
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Either you are an expert Ceph grower, or different plants have different rates of "outright growth" and pitcher size production, or I am just missing something.
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  • #30
This is one of three cephalotus plants I have grown. The first one grew very well for several years until I left the top off the terrarium it was in while at school. Lets just say a very nice ceph got very very dry.

Anyway, here is how I grow my plants.

I grow my plants in sealed clear containers. Be it plastic/glass terrariums, plastic bags, or covered with a plastic cup. I have never been able to grow a ceph open to the air. They have always wilted on me and started to die within several days if left uncovered, or even 1/2 uncovered. As an example, the German Giant shown in the photos died back within a week to 1/2 the size it was in that June 2, 2003 photo. I have a typical I got at the same time and it died back to a singer leaf. I was able to save both plants by putting them in plastic bag under lights. The German Giant has done the best, and the typical is now has 2 traps and several leaves. It is also bigger than when I first got it.

So, I guess that says they need 90-100% humidity, at least for me.

The planting media is a mix of peat/perlite/sphagnum moss. Its 1:1:1 ratio or very close to that. The top is dressed with long fiber sphagnum moss. As you can see from the later photos, the moss has started to grow as well as some non sphaganus moss. This non-sphagnum moss was with the plants when they were received, it has not caused any harm.

The plants are kept moist at all times. Only on occasion has the top layer of sphagnum dried out the tiniest bit, I try to keep it moist all the time. When I do water, I water from the side of the pots to wet the top layer of moss and so that a bit runs out of the container. The pots sit in this water. The water that the pots sit in is less than 4mm and is not allowed to remain more than a few days. The water is normally gone on its own in 2 days. The pots are then checked for moisture every couple of days. I Only water about once every 2 weeks. I will try to start keeping records of the watering cycle. More or less I water the plants, seal the bag, and forget about them, only to check them weekly.

Each plant is in a sealed plastic bag. Currently my bags have small holes that have developed. This may allow for good air movement, although I think they are too small. So, I would still say they are sealed. I do open them about once a week just enough for me to blow air into the bags and reseal them.

Finally, the bags are placed about 8 inches under a bank of 6 flourescent lights. My first plant was grown in a shaded window and did very well, but stayed green. You can see from the photos that the German Giant has turned a nice purple. The typical I have under the same lighting has remained green. Although it may color up in a few weeks. I will try to keep an eye on the coloration.

I have not fed the plants. I plan on feeding them with a blend of water and bloodworms. Ok, blood worm soup... at a few drops/trap. No recipe at this time.

So...

Humidity: 90-100%

Light: Partial shade or under grow lights. (my lights are 6@3200 lumens each)

Water: Keep soil medium moist, but not soggy. Do not allow to dry out.

Soil: Pure Sphagnum Moss, or mix of Peat/Perlite/Sphagnum Moss 1:1:1.

Temp: 68-80°F (Most of the time between 70-75°F or whatever temp my basement is).

Well, I probably have a few things that don't make sense. Please let me know if anything sounds odd. Its 12:12AM and I need some sleep.
 
  • #31
Are Cephalotus hard to raise? DO they need dormation?
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  • #32
dormancy you mean.
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I love spelling errors, sound like a new breed produced from dormancy or a stage of evolution! hehe. Yes I thnk so, but not in this part of the world. From what I have heard they are slow growers, but once grown, can be a prized piece of your collection to be proud of. Anyone know how many years does it take for a ceph to mature/flower?

Nick, I greatly appreciate you help, thanks a ton!
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90% - 100% humidity? No prob...singapore weather'll take care of that. Almost always raining + I'm planning to grow mine in a terrarium. The temp should not be a problem as well, it well over 30*C in my terrarium (together with lights and singaporean environment), don't know what that is in *F.

Thanks again,
Jason

Sowing at this time...
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  • #33
30°C is 86°F.

My plants do best in very high humidity. The bags I currently have them in are sealed shut. The only time they are open is for water or when I blow the bag up (Make it balloon out so its not touching the plant).
 
  • #34
Well folks, there's your new mini-guide, How to raise a Cephalotus, by Nick Hubbell!

Nick, the funny thing is that down to a slight ratio difference in potting mix, I grow my Cephs just like yours...
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  • #35
Hmmm.........how long did you have it in a baloon, Nick? Your plant may rot or die from the stale air. I have a plastic bottle with a HOLE on my ceph. Is growing really fast and it is producing lots of pitchers. If you have a SEALED container over ANY Carnivorous plant, that carnivorous plant will catch VERY little or nothing. ALL plants enjoy air circulation, meaning that they dont like stale air. I sometimes spray inside of my bottle with water, so thre is more humidity.
 
  • #36
Oh yeah, cephalotus PREFER cool winters, but unlike the venus flytrap, they dont die away. The pitchers and leaves can live for at LEAST 6 months before they turn brown and drop off. Cool winters are not essential, but it would help.
 
  • #37
hmm, for future reference can you please use a thing called "edit", so we won't have a ton of double post....
 
  • #38
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]dormation
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]... sound like a new breed produced from dormancy or a stage of evolution! hehe.

Scientific name: Dormation
Common name: The Teenage Years    
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  • #39
To answer a few questions...

The plants are in plastic bags that I blow air into to puff up the bag. I refered to this as ballooning the bag. They were never in balloons
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I know plants need air circulation. If I were to add a constant source of ciculation, they would die. When I first got the plants, they came to me in very good condition. I potted them up in 4" pots and put them in a high humidity container with some air holes. After only a few days, I could see the plants start to decline. My typical Ceph died back to only one small leaf. It took over 5 months for it to recover, and it only put out the tiniest trap. I have tried to move the plants to a less sealed environment, but they always start to decline with the slightest humidity change. I have successfuly kept fungus by opening the bags every few days and blowing some fresh air in. I did use a fungicide after they were first placed into the growing bags.

My plants have not had any sort of insect since they were put into the sealed bags. I plan on either feeding them dried crickets, or a blended bloodworm mix of water and bloodworms.

When I was at OSU ATI (Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (1994-96)) I grew my cephalotus in a mini terrarium. This was only opened a few times a day, while I was around it, to let fresh air get to the plant. A comment was made last year (2003) by the Greenhouse Tech at ATI that he was never able to grow cephs, until he borrowed an idea from me. The idea was the mini terrarium. He has grown his ceph for several years in an enclosed terrarium that he only waters once a month or so. His comment, "You would think something from Australia would be a bit tougher".
 
  • #40
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I knew I´ve heard the word ´dormation´ some where! lol
 
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