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Jefforever

A yellow M&M
Research Growing Epiphytic Utrics

Hi all,

I've been looking around for epiphytic utrics for a while now. Epiphytic utrics are apparently difficult to grow. In the wild they grow on mossy rock faces with “bare peat and sphagnum” , shaded by trunks and branches. Water dries up really fast in their habitat, so they rot if kept constantly wet. These Utrics also require low temps 60.8 - 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

U. Humboldtii may have warmer conditions.

In the wild, the species (Asplundii, Jamesoniana, alpina, campbelliana, and quelchii) grow in small amounts of substrate, and they must be able to dry out slightly.

In the wild, the plants go dormant in the summer, produce flowers in the winter. Keep watered in the winter, barely water in the summer, so that it’s barely moist.

Soil:
I found several sites mentioning a "Oreo Cookie Method" -- basically lots of perlite sandwiched in between two relatively thin layers of sphagnum.

Some say to grow U. Humboldtii in coarse peat, in plastic pots sitting in shallow water.
A site said to grow U. Humboldtii in 50:50 peat perlite.

Another site said to grow all utrics in dried LFS, perlite and lava rock pieces, or just to use Nepenthes soil mix containing orchid bark and peat.

Another post on this forum recommended to use peat and coco-fiber for the Humboldtii
Every other "macro" utricularia is to be grown in mostly in LFS though some of the larger pots have a core of coco-chips. (Thanks Rattler mt!!!)

Watering:
Some people who have grown their plants submerged in water have decided that it causes their plants to rot away.
Many of the sites recommmended just watering from above keeping the plants' soil barely wet.

If any of you have corrections or more to say please post here. I'm planning to get some soon, so I'd like to know any info that might help. Thanks
 
I grow them all like highland neps - same medium (rockwool/fine bark/ perlite/charcoal/LFS/small amount of peat) - same temps - same light.

quelchii and alpina grow and flower beautifully, campbelliana looks O.K, but I haven't had it long enough to be sure.
 
you do realize humboldtii is from a completely different section than the rest you mention? its in Iperua and not Orchidioides. humboldtii is found from 300m to 2500m.............thats a HUGE range of habitats as far as temps go. as well as being found growing from everywhere including bromeliad leaf axils to subaquatic in shallow water and growing on moss on trees. and i know there are at the minimum of two completely different humboldtii clones in the USA.

according to Taylors the only sorta lowland Orchidioides section is U. jamesoniana with a bottom end of sea level up to 2500m and alpina which has a bottom end of about 500m everyone else starts at about 850m or higher........

this is prolly why there is so many different growing methods....not everyone is necessarily growing the same plant taken from the same locale.........add that to the fact those with a wider range of altitudes prolly are more adaptable
 
BTW check out his......still not sure why Andrew hasnt made it a sticky but maybe he will now that he has some :grin:

Pyro's care sheet
 
BTW check out his......still not sure why Andrew hasnt made it a sticky but maybe he will now that he has some :grin:

Good suggestion, if only because the Utricularia section has no stickies! Your wish is my command. :)

xvart.
 
BTW check out his......still not sure why Andrew hasnt made it a sticky but maybe he will now that he has some :grin:

Pyro's care sheet


I never even saw that topic... And don't say things are sticky just cause I need them to be!! haha I'm not even going to read that topic since I was told not go to by anyone else's instructions!! :-D :-))
 
Well, Sheridan was kind enough to link to my old thread which covers my total experience.

I have never pegged a true "seasonal" growth pattern with any of them. I find that "dormancy" patterns are more situation dependent. I have had plants grow for years with no indications of dormancy and others that pull it twice a year.

I will contend that U. jamesoniana (at least the Repressa el Penol clone which is, I believe, the only one in the US) can be grown wet year round as I have a air of pots that sit on the shallow tray full time.

I find that plants most often flower in spring. Except jamesoniana which flowers year round.

In the wild they grow on mossy rock faces with “bare peat and sphagnum” , shaded by trunks and branches.

This is not exactly accurate, at least not for all the species. While it does apply to some, many grow terrestrially in habitat.
 
the "dont go by anyone elses instructions" only applied to the humboldtii, not the hybrid and i said you could listen to Pyro :grin:
 
Thanks much Pyro for making that fantastic care sheet. I never saw it when I searched for info on this forum. Thanks much to rattler mt for posting it. :)
 
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