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Post by Brian Barnes on Nov 4, 2007 12:35:55 GMT
I've seen Heliamphora grown in converted, functionable ice-cream coolers w/growlights in S. Fl. years ago, (due to the constant year-round high temps)...Has anyone else in the "hot" zones ever tried this?
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wadave
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He don't know me vewy well do he?
Posts: 283
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Post by wadave on Nov 5, 2007 8:12:53 GMT
Hey guys,
My experience shows that Heliamphora is not as heat sensitive as most of us are led to believe.
I live in Perth, Western Australia and I've kept my heli's in my cold greenhouse for the last 18 months. Last summer we had very hot, dry conditions, I'm talking temps in the 40's ( deg C) and my heli's loved it. They grew quickly with lots of strong growth and some nice colour.
Please note I water using an overhead mist system for 1 minute every hour during summer and cool the GH with a portable, personal sized, swamp cooler which tends to keep temps the same as outside or close to.
I've never refrigerated or even placed ice cubes or cold water on them to keep them cool. My heli's thrive during the summer getting full sun, lot's of water past their roots and infact they slow down their growth in the winter.
I guess the best weather comparison would be souther California.
Dave.
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Clint
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Post by Clint on Nov 19, 2007 16:30:07 GMT
Here are my plants. H. heterodoxa x minor and H. 'Tequila'. Steve kindly gave me a plant of the former but it eventually declined and died on me after doing very well! I guess it was a root issue. I received a replacement for it quite some time ago (5 months?) and here they are now. I water overhead every three days or so. I keep the pitchers filled with fertilizer water. Very high humidity, night temp. is 70 degrees during the summer and 80 degrees during the day. I wish the 'Tequila" was more colorful. Maybe I need to move the pot closer to the light, or maybe once winter comes it'll color up for me.
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Post by stevestewart on Dec 4, 2007 13:01:56 GMT
Clint, I missed your post earlier. I'm sorry the plant I sent you died! You must have made it feel that it was rare, rather than a weed. My large clump is flowering now. Your new plant looks great! When you get enough to divide, you can experiment with giving it more light, to get good color. I hope the other plants I sent you are doing ok. Take care, Steve
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Clint
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Post by Clint on Dec 5, 2007 2:01:41 GMT
Hey, Steve. Please, call me Clint All my friends do lol. I'm not sure how much more light I can give it, considering it's right under a 250 watt MH. I guess this clone of 'Tequila' just isn't a colorful one. The other plants are doing fabulously, by the way! Hope the Nepenthes seedlings I sent are doing well. Clint
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wadave
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He don't know me vewy well do he?
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Post by wadave on Dec 5, 2007 6:38:23 GMT
Hi Clint,
I've been growing my heli's out in the GH for nearly two years with no special treatment.
They experience temps from 1 or 2 deg C during our winter nights and low to mid teens during the day. Summer the temps can hover in the 30's at night and well into the 40s during the day. The evap cooler tends to keep the temps around 35ish and the humidity last year would have been in the 40% range on the driest days to well into the 80% mark on the good days.
The pots sit on wood slat benches and receive overhead water for 1 minute every hour during the summer down to 2 or 3 times a day in winter depending on evap rates. The water is directly from the tap and the hardness is around 125 - 130ppm.
The growth actually speeds up during summer and the nectar spoons put out copious amounts of sweet tasting nectar.
Perth is zone 10 on the American scale of things.
I know I've posted this info on previous occassions but I thought it worth repeating seeing as you said your last tequilla didn't do so well.
Has anyone else had success with such wide temp variations as I've described?
I have a feeling it may be a case of too much love if people are afraid to give their heli's high temps. The secret may simply be to have a good flow of water over the entire plant as they receive in their native habitat.
I can't say for sure as my experience is simply to place the plant in the GH and let it go. If something were to go wrong I would be the first person to jump on the forum screaming for help.
Dave.
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Post by stevestewart on Dec 5, 2007 12:15:58 GMT
Hey, Steve. Please, call me Clint All my friends do lol. Clint oops I do call you Clint! I have no idea what you are talking about ;D Steve
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Post by stevestewart on Dec 5, 2007 12:39:55 GMT
Dave,
I think you may be right in many cases. Some Heliamphora hybrids are plain tough plants, unless watered with salt water. Clint's plant that I gave him was rather roughly pulled from a clump I have growing on a south facing window sill sitting inches away from Nepenthes bicalcarata and Drosera petiolaris species and hybrids. The rough uprooting may well have been the cause for it's demise. I should have stabilized and rooted it in my place before sending it off to him.
From what I have seen of the tepuis habitat Heliamphora come from, I know the people that find these remarkable plants in the wild are very durable! (or were before they went on the journey at least!)
Take care, Steve
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Clint
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Post by Clint on Dec 5, 2007 14:48:55 GMT
Hey there, Dave. My H. heterodoxa x minor died on me, not the H. 'Tequila'. Just a fluke thing I guess as this one is doing fantastically and has easily doubled in size from (both in height/width and number of offshoots) from this past spring. I do top water heavily every three days or so. I fertilize, of course.
The H. 'Tequila' was sent to me from... Washington state, I believe, where it was being grown as a true lowlander. It's also doubled in size and seems to be the faster grower of the two.
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vraev
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Post by vraev on Dec 5, 2007 21:21:41 GMT
man! I love the tequila. I need to try that heli when its available at a cheap price sometime. Wonderful shape. the best Heli IMO. Or Heli nutans.
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wadave
Full Member
He don't know me vewy well do he?
Posts: 283
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Post by wadave on Dec 6, 2007 6:57:29 GMT
Oops, I misread that.
I've got a little H.tequilla given to me by Picrophill and it's has so far been slow to develop.
It is hard to tell if it is too wet, or too cold or if it is it's normal growth rate until it gets a bit older.
I've only had it a few months but it seems to be healthy.
I spotted a few aphids sucking on the new growth but they were picked off quick smart. Little buggers!
Keep us informed with how you go on getting them to colour up.
Dave.
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Post by pinglover on Dec 6, 2007 17:56:25 GMT
I want one of these darn Tequilla plants.
Please give me a list of any nursery anyone knows of that is selling these plants! The one I tried to buy must have sold out. I need to place an order for delivery in spring. I'm going absolutely nuts looking at everyone's photos of Tequilla.
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locko
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Post by locko on Dec 6, 2007 21:00:07 GMT
these people have them in Australia www.exoticaplants.com.au/ .I keep emailing them about buying a tequilla and they never reply mabey because I just want the tequilla for $25 and there minimum order is $100
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Post by pinglover on Dec 6, 2007 22:31:13 GMT
$25 is a decent price considering the exchange rate. Had sort of been looking for a nursery selling them in the US. Guess I will have to wait until they are more available.
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Post by av8tor1 on Dec 7, 2007 13:07:51 GMT
IIRC exoticaplants.com no longer ships to the USA, so H. 'Tequila' may be difficult to find for quite sometime on this side of the pond
there was mention of a vendor in the southern USA who was cultivating some from seed... so I dont know if these would be considered true tequila's... nor do I know which clone variant (A-E) they used for breeding stock
exoticaplants is the original source
Av
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