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Post by synthpaws on Jul 6, 2008 17:50:08 GMT
Hello! I am growing a Cephalotus in my terrarium and it seems to be doing well. Can I remove some of the old pitchers to make room for the new ones? It seems to be a bit crowded. I'm also concerned about the moss taking over. Is there is method of cutting it back without harming the CP?
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Post by ICPS-bob on Jul 6, 2008 21:15:53 GMT
Most terrarium failures are due to insufficient light intensity, too much water, build-up of minerals, and/or stagnant conditions. Many growers have perfected the technique and have outstanding plants.
I would not mess with pruning the Cephalotus. They are somewhat sensitive to disturbance and also cutting makes wounds that might be an avenue for disease.
The moss is very aggressive and will eventually cover your terrarium. I find it impossible to control, short of starting with fresh soil. It is interesting that I have some pots that are covered in that moss, but others that are moss free. I have never figured out what is different.
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Post by synthpaws on Jul 6, 2008 21:41:39 GMT
Thank you for your advice! I am planning on making my next terrarium a potted one.
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Post by RL7836 on Jul 7, 2008 15:11:26 GMT
I grow some plants in live LFS which will overgrow them if allowed - so pruning is a necessity. When the plant seems to be losing some of it's light due to moss shading - time for a trim (or you can adopt the Bob Z approach - <<if it was meant to live - it will outgrow the moss...>>) ;D ;D ;D
As for trimming the pitchers - nope. If they're in the way, new pitchers will grow around & over them to find a place to grow. Just take a look in Bob's photofinder (or in this forum) - you'll see many clumps of Ceph pitchers.
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Post by snowflakeobsidian on Jul 7, 2008 15:58:34 GMT
Except for terrestial Utricularia, I didn't know that moss could be a problem. So I should be getting rid of moss where feasible?
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Post by Aidan on Jul 7, 2008 18:27:05 GMT
Mosses are only a problem if they they begin to outcompete the rightful owner of the pot. Under most circumstances this will only occur with the smallest of plants and is not much of a problem.
Mosses love nutrient poor media and will soon colonise the surface of pots. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life removing it, I wouldn't worry overly much.
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Post by brokken on Jul 9, 2008 15:46:00 GMT
I think the moss looks fantastic. Think of it as a great backdrop for your CPs. Also, I don't see any dead leaves in your plant. Which ones were you planning on pruning?
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Post by synthpaws on Jul 10, 2008 1:14:34 GMT
Here's a picture of the two I was concerned about. The whole pruning idea began when I noticed an old pitcher basically consumed by the moss. Here is a picture of what's left of it. I was worried that if they were completely covered, they would rot beneath the plant and cause some issues. Now having seen even more growth, I am confident that it will work out without any pruning.
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Post by brokken on Jul 10, 2008 22:50:28 GMT
...besides, it maybe the colors in the pic, but they look like they still have life left in them. Completely dried up pitchers turn noticeably brown and papery and pretty much tug off with no effort in my limited experience with the plants.
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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 Jul 13, 2008 8:00:25 GMT
With the moss issue it depends on how much the moss roots compact the media. A good way to test is try to remove a small amount from the outside of the growing circle of moss. If a only a small amount comes out and not too much media is attached then it should be fine. If a whole chunk wants to come out and it takes a few inches of soil with it then you might want to do a bit more to prevent it from taking over the rest of the terrarium. I have several types of moss growing in the greenhouse and there is one type that will compact the media so it's hard for most of the plants I'm growing. It likes to climb too, up the side of pots, old nep vines, and it really sticks too. A good example is the the effect it was having on my VFT's which was to make it very difficult for their roots to grow and the plant was getting smaller, all others in different pots were doing great. As far as giving the traps room to grow, don't worry about it. In the wild they will grow in the most available spot and some of the crowded pots I've got will grow traps shaped square or skinny to fit the sized hole that is still available. Infact they seem to appreciate being root bound in my experience. Have a look at the trap in the middle of the photo. Dave.
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Post by synthpaws on Jul 13, 2008 21:37:57 GMT
Thanks for taking the time to educate me, it's been very helpful! That picture was a really great example.
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Post by chloroplast on Jul 23, 2008 17:35:05 GMT
A nice way of "pruning" your Ceph would be to take leaf and pitcher cuttings. This will thin them out and give you the opportunity to create new plants.
I wouldn't worry so much about the moss. I know your plants are in a terrarium, but if you ever decide to grow them in pots, a trick to help slow the moss is to topdress with coarse silica sand.
Congratulations on creating a successful ceph terrarium--it's not an easy accomplishment.
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Post by mobile on Aug 15, 2008 11:18:14 GMT
Most terrarium failures are due to insufficient light intensity, too much water, build-up of minerals, and/or stagnant conditions. Which is one of the reasons that I don't have my Cephalotus in terrariums. Mine are on windowsills and thrive there. Cephalotus can be susceptible to fungal attack (CSDS) and the primary cause of fungal attack it poor air circulation coupled with constantly being wet - which can be a problem with terrariums unless precautions are taken to prevent this. I also like to flush the pots through from time to time. This allows me to fertilise my Cephalotus without having to worry about build up of salts in the soil, as I can flush it out. I do have other species of CP in a terrarium, such as Heliamphora but these are all in pots, rather than planted directly in the terrarium.
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sheila
Full Member
Please Feed me
Posts: 9
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Post by sheila on Aug 15, 2008 22:10:05 GMT
Can you post some photos for us Mobile? I'd love to see how your Cephs look under your conditions. So many people have a lot of difficulty with them, it's good to see pictures of thriving well grown cephs..
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Post by mobile on Aug 16, 2008 8:42:08 GMT
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