Hi Brian,
Thanks for sharing great pics of some very healthy, well-grown plants!
I do believe in feeding, especially with D. schizandra as I can definitely tell the difference!
Ditto. For years, I grew them and they wouldn't get past 3-4" iirc but once I started feeding, the size increased dramatically (and they flowered for the 1st time).
Here's a few growth tips for this picky "sister"... Feeding; I use a primordial soup of sorts, consisting of crushed fresh (frozen) bloodworms mixed with a little RO water and the "soup" is applied to the leaves with an eyedropper every two weeks. The liquid is absorbed directly, without risk of mold and each leaf gets two drops of liquid only.
Wow! I need to try this and see if I also get no mold! That would be fantastic!
Watering; I've heard of some growing them wet and some folks growing them drier. Here in tropical Florida, mine respond best when the media is kept just barely damp at all times. I may water once every week or two and never saturate the compost. Just enough to keep the dampness present... and nothing more. I also grow them inside under a T5 lighting system on a red and blue spectrum bulb mix, in one of my Heliamphora chambers. Photoperiod is 12 hours with bulbs residing 12 inches or better above the plants.
More good info - thanks! I'll need to try keeping some with less-wet conditions.
Very interesting on the lighting also. I had a tough time keeping the plant cool if the lighting was that close. Looking at your plant from
the auction (same plant - right?), the increased light intensity seems to make the leaves less elongated / wider - a nice look.
Temperatures; Winter = 60F - 73 F. They grow best in Winter for me. Summer = 72F - 78F. I never let them go above 80F at any given time. In my conditions, it doesn't work. I have to constantly think "highlander" to be successful... ; )
Each summer my plants struggle even though i keep them in the basement all summer. If mine regularly see temps around 78*F, I can expect at least some to crash (Hmmm, maybe because mine are kept 'wetter'??)
I also grow D. prolifera the same way with great results, although they tolerate temps above 80F much better.
D. prolifera is a much more tolerant plant for me. I allow plants to grow in the live LFS between pots in my tanks and they soon grow everywhere. Since they are not as aggressive as D. adelae, there's no real worries about them showing up where they are not wanted. I suspect that they would love to grow in the top dressing of live LFS in highland / intermediate Nep pots...
I hope these tips help those interested in growing this magnificent gem!
Absolutely! Thanks for the info - much appreciated!