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N.hamata. how do you encourage quick growth?

  • #21
I finally caught up on this thread.
Are you folks talking about changing ploidy through the use of colcichine (yea, I mis-spelled it too). Orchid growers use this to change diploids into tetraploids. I've seen the results on multi-floral Paphiopedilums. It only works on about 20 percent of the seedlings, but Wow!. The growth is thicker and larger, and so are the flowers. Unfortunately, tetraploids tend to grow a bit slower too.
Have to agree with Josh 100 percent on the Growmore fertilizer. We've experimented extensively with different fertilizers on Nepenthes, as well as techniques of application, and have settled on the GrowMore formulation. We use the high nitrogen formula, not the bloom bloost. Michelle(my lovely and charming wife who is quite the Nep grower) has demonstrated to me consistently the positive attributes of GrowMore and her fertilizer schedule which really works. This info will soon be available on our website (that's why I never post pictures-want it to be a surprise).
We've also used SuperThrive, and found it most effective in treating seedlings suffering transplant shock. Superthrive is vitamins, not fertilizer, and thus does not substitute for fertilizer. Plants need those essential elements (see Josh's post), but they must be applied in a manner they can be absorbed and metabolized.

Trent
 
  • #22
Trent beat me to the punch with a much better and entertaining explanation than mine.
The only thing I would use ST for is a soak when repotting to curb any transplant shock.
Ivan Snyder has done extensive experimentation with colchine for Drosera and I think he has made fertile offspring of normally sterile hybrids. Don't quote me on this.
Where does one find "GrowMore?"

Joe
 
  • #23
cool, where can one get colchicine?
i want to see something with it...
Hellz
 
  • #24
Joe, it's really embarrassing to say this, but Home Depot sells GrowMore in their "orchid section" here in Florida. It's available wholesale in five pound tubs as well. I'm fairly sure it is manufactured by a large, wholesale orchid grower located in Arcadia, Florida....okay, I'll mention the name because they strictly sell on a wholesale basis, but maybe a phone call to them could point you in the right direction for you folks in the hinterlands (Nebraska). It's the Sun Bulb Co.
Helz, colchicine is really expensive and dangerous, and the treatment used with orchids is done at the flasking stage. I believe it is included in the nutrient formulation for the agar. It is a poison, and I have heard flaskers say you can kill the entire bunch of seed if you're not careful. It can also kill you-it is highly carcinogenic.

Trent
 
  • #25
True, but if u do things right, it can get u alot of money...
polyploid plants are the coolest, because theyre giants!!!
like i said earlier, if u look at the supermarket strawberries, and homegrown strwaberries, you will c the difference...
also, it makes thing more fertile, as ive heard people say
I have a certain plant in mind i can use it for...
 
  • #26
Before you go messing with colchicine.. reread what Trent said.
It is incredibly toxic and extreamly carcinogenic. Using it properly requires very detailed lab equipment.

Don't expect to make alot of money by throwing colchicine on a bunch of plants.. it doesn't work that way and what you most likely will accomplish is first killing your plants and then outright killing yourself either quickly or slowly by giving yourself all sorts of nasty cancers.

It does not make a sterile plant fertile. It can however make a fertile hybrid if the normally hybrid is usually sterile, by starting with colchicined parent plants.

Trent.. your close.. it is done at the protocorm stage in orchids but the are transfered to a liquid media without sugar during the cholchicine phase and then after a certain period are transfered to liquid media without sugar and without the cholchicine in order to let the cholchicine disipate from the protocorms. After a certain time period they are put back on solid media to continue growth and hopefully produce some 4n plants.

( and if any asks me for details on where to buy it and how to do it.. sorry I will not give that out as the consequences on mishandling this stuff is DEATH)
Tony
 
  • #27
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the explanation on how the seed is treated. It's always been kinda fuzzy. I've done flasking before, but never really wanted to get into colchicine. There's an orchid breeder in Delray Beach who has had some fairly astounding results using it. He treated some Paph St. Swithin seed, and the handful of 4N plants were spectacular when they bloomed. Flower size was easily a third larger than normal, and flower count per spike was greater. the spikes stood up heads above the other siblings on the bench. He was asking top dollar for them too!
Trent
 
  • #28
[b said:
Quote[/b] (pond boy @ June 15 2004,11:04)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] (swords @ June 15 2004,10:51)]Whoa, hang on a moment. Superthive isn't a powerful genetic hormone in comparison to something like Cinquefoil (not sure about the spelling). This is a chemical used to attempt mutating plants (such as marijuana) to avoid easy detection. This chemical can also change sexes on deiodecious plants (single sex plants) in extreme circumstances but it is also very toxic to humans. Superthrive is not the same. Also orchids are not single sex.

I do not bother with super thrive because it is NOT a fertilizer, it is hormones, a growth enhancer. To enhance growth there has to be the basic nutrients available to have growth to enhance. These nutrients are: Nitrogen (N), Phophorous (P), Potassium (K) and the minor elements as well.

The best kind of fertilizer to use if you think you want to use it, is to buy non-burning Urea Free orchid fertilizer. This is an immediately available form of nitrogen that can be absorbed as a foliar feed, or root soak compared to standard fertilizers which must sit in the soil until bacterial action breaks it down to a useable type of ammoniacal nitrogen.  I use a brand called Growmore (PM me for a website where you can buy it). I blend 1/4 teaspoon of bloom formula and 1/4 teaspoon of Tropical formula  in a gallon sprayer of distilled water. I mist small neps who can't be fed insects about once a month and my orchids and other plants once every week or two. Inbetween fertilizing I mist all plants every couple days with pure water so there is no buildup.

I will say that since you have pitchers, the absolute best way to grow your plant (one of my fave species by the way) is by feeding with insects. I feed all active pitchers every 1 to 2 weeks with appropriately sized insects and do I not fertilize the feedable plants because they will eventually quit pitchering if they are continually fertilized and not fed. Certain species are more finicky about that than others. N. rajah and N. hamata seemed to appreciate the light fertilizing when they were young but the N. ramispina quit pitchering for about 4 leaves until it had worked the fertilizer out of it's system. The natural (insect) way is always the best if you are after bigger and better pitchers! Too much fertilizer (or superthrive)will give you a big plant and tiny pitchers, or even no pitchers.
Cinquefoil changes plants sex?! I have that growing all over any instructions on turning a male Nep into a female?
Oh,you were talking about autumn crocus. Don`t got any of that.
smile_h_32.gif
 
  • #29
Ok let me jump in here, I don't use this particular chemical BUT, I worked for 5 years as a custodian and was licensed to use extremely toxic (corrosives, carcinos,flamables, etc..)
Hellz, what you are talking about is not a "hobby" chemical, nor is it a run-of-the-mill growth regulator commercial or otherwise. This is a DANGEROUS, possibly FATAL, thing you are speaking of doing. I understand what you are thinking in terms of wanting to experiment, I too experiment with odd things. This is something you should NOT do, or attempt to use. It's not as simple as wearing gloves and a dust mask.

Joe
 
  • #30
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the descriptive information. Like a few of you described, it is not a 'hobbyists' chemical to deal with especially with the lack of experience and I realise that the growmore fertiliser with a proper usage schedule and superthrive may be more beneficial and harmless to the average hobbyist. Other than that, I guess feed the pitchers' crickets.

Thanks again,
Christian
 
  • #32
Hi all:

I would like to clarify a couple of things:

First of all, i am not condoning the use of hazardous chemicals, yet i can confidently tell you all that any chemical that promotes poliploidy in plants is potentially carcinogenic since "cancer cells are naturally poliploid" thus, any agent that promotes poliploidy can cause cancer.

Furthermore, any use of these chemicals must be carried out under a fume hood with lab coats, masks, and gloves by someone with basic knowledge in handling hazardous materials.

Gus
 
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