>
>Hello Everyone
>
> Everthings going well over here in Australia, but I'm
>having troulbe with one of my Cephalotus. Its pitchers,
>although not completely dead, have shrunken and shrivelled.
>I have had it for two years in a four ince "Squat" pot, sitting
>in about 1 to 1.5 cm's of water. I am getting a little worried,
>because it is the oldest Ceph I have. It is in a mainly Peat based
>mix, and is slow growing compared to my other Ceph. It only
>produces 2 new pitchers a season. Any Ideas?
Hi Russell, You might try repotting in a more open mix using at least half
sand and/or perlite to less than half peat. Also providing your plant with
very high humidity and more warmth. Mine was growing (or rather not growing)
much like yours till I used a more open mix and covered its pot with a dome
(I use the top of a plastic water bottle with the cap on). It still sits in a
saucer of water but it doesn't suffer from anaerobic conditions in the soil.
It now grows like crazy, blooms twice a year and has several crowns. I would
also recommend using a tall 6-8 inch pot, they like room to grow. After you
repot, remember to syringe some water into the traps to prevent dehydration.
And they like a little 1/4 to 1/2 strength Miracid or orchid fertilizer
syringed into their traps. Hope this helps,
John Phillips Email: phillips@library.ucsf.edu
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