dash3echo
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Post by dash3echo on Jan 6, 2009 22:50:38 GMT
Half kidding -- I'm curious, do hemliamphoras need deep pots? I planted mine in a bonsai pot... a really great oval one but basically in every picture i see online are helms in deep, deep pots. Who knows the answer to this question?
Oh, the media is about 1.5" deep. It's a H. Chimantensis from wistuba. High humidity, and low night temperatures.
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Post by sarracenialover on Jan 7, 2009 2:36:09 GMT
Wow, you almost got me there... Do the bonsai pots drain? If it does, a deep pot would be perfect for Heliamphora.
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dash3echo
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Post by dash3echo on Jan 7, 2009 3:01:18 GMT
it's a shallow pot, that's what i mean... it does have drainage holes... but it's only an inch and a half deep. It's about an 8 inch X 5 inch oval. sorry it doesn't show the depth...i took the pic in the summer.
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Post by Brian Barnes on Jan 7, 2009 13:00:42 GMT
Hi Dash, In my opinion, you need deeper pots to allow for maximum root space. Although a shallow pot will allow for more rapid cooling of the media at night which is needed for this genus, the roots will enjoy the cool depths of a deeper pot. I currently grow nine different species and hybrids of Heliamphora and they thrive in 6 inch deep pots of pure live sphagnum.
Happy Growing, Brian.
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dash3echo
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Post by dash3echo on Jan 7, 2009 17:14:06 GMT
when you repot them do you you find the roots going down deep? -- how long are the roots generally? Just pure live sphagnum... how often do your plants produce a new leaf/pitcher? Sorry for so many questions. There's not a lot of detailed information online and my book "growing carnivorous plants" has been shipped...but not arrived
XD
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Post by sarracenialover on Jan 9, 2009 3:25:32 GMT
Pure live sphagnum is usually the medium to go for Heliamphora. I would reccomend 6-inch pots for Heliamphora. They are extremely slow growing.
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Post by Jefforever on Jan 10, 2009 0:55:03 GMT
Uhhh... why such a shallow pot? Is there a specific reason?
Deep pots are what you will need to see better growth.
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dash3echo
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Post by dash3echo on Jan 10, 2009 5:51:23 GMT
because i like the way it looks... and i have seen pictures of wild heliamphoras growing in shallow flats of soil on large rock. I'm aware that the type i have generally grow in open areas, but i figured i'd ask if anyone (who has had experience growing heliamphoras) had ever done this... or at the very least, how deep the roots actually grow? Are they like nepenthes roots where they form thick clusters that go every way they can, or are they like sundews and have roots that primarily grow down and not spread out at all?
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Jan 14, 2009 17:05:06 GMT
So much negativity! I've been growing H. minor in a 2.5" deep undrained container for several years now. Potting media is long-fibered sphagnum, fir bark, perlite, and a touch of peat/sand. I just fill the pot to the brim, then let the top of the media get a bit crunchy before refilling to the brim again. I haven't noticed any negative effects. In fact, the plant is huge, with strong new growth. It also bloomed this past spring. I've found that cool temps, decent humidity, and bright light are much more critical than pot depth, at least for this small species.
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Post by Dave Evans on Jan 15, 2009 2:49:24 GMT
Jrod,
I have seen H. minor with five to six inch tall pitchers. What size leaves does your plant produce?
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Jan 15, 2009 17:39:14 GMT
My plant's spent most of its time dividing, so it's more wide than tall. I think the tallest pitchers I've seen so far are in the 4 inch range. It's somewhere around 100 pitchers with 30 or so growth points. If I can ever get the time, I'll snap a photo to show the container and plant before I divide it.
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dash3echo
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Post by dash3echo on Jan 15, 2009 19:28:53 GMT
That's exactly what i wanted to know. I assumed it would make the plant spread and grow stumpier... but i wondered if there was literature that says shallow pots are bad or dangerous for the health of the plant.
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Post by sarracenialover on Jan 18, 2009 23:42:09 GMT
well, it really all depends on the soil and watering method you would use. Naturally someone with a taller pot can add more water, but a shallower pot would require careful watering to ensure that the soil is evenly moist. Plus, there's the type of soil that matter too, like how much water it retents. I really love Heliamphora that divide. It looks really neat with a bunch of low pitchers together.
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wadave
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Post by wadave on Jan 30, 2009 12:32:55 GMT
Hey there guys,
I repotted my helis last season and I noticed my minor x heterodoxa along with my pulchella were very shallo rooted. I was quite surprised at how shallow the roots actually were and my min x het is very large; 5 flower spikes and I've had it for three years now.
I grow them in the standard plastic pots you get from the nursery, in a mix of 1:1 peat perlite or 1:1 peat LFS.
They flower twice a year and grow fast in my conditions and even thrive during our Perth summers when temps get over 40deg C.
I think the secret is the overhead watering they received several times a day.
My thoughts are they grow naturally on rock with very sparse amounts of humus in an environment where huge amounts of rain washes everything away so they would have to survive with a very shallow root system.
Dave.
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Feb 4, 2009 19:07:19 GMT
I've been busy with work and night classes, but will follow up with a photo soon. There may be something to the "out instead of up" theory. I know that with other Helis, I've seen roots coming out of the bottom of 5" (13cm) deep pots, so the roots are trying to go down. I tend to keep this plant wet, with the roots nearly always submerged, and haven't seen any ill effects, such as rot. I think the plant is in need of division, as many of its pitchers are crowding each other. Pics to follow...
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