6 replies to this topic

[0rmus]

I got a mature potted Cephalotus about 1 week ago.  About 3 days ago, shortly after cutting the flower stalks, the lids closed. Now some of the pitchers look to be drying up and some of the leaves are turning yellow.

Its under a 120W quad spectrum LED rig at 16/8. The space has good airflow and i have kept the soil moist. The humidity here in england has been high at of late so i haven't done much to humidity other than give it a spray once/twise a day and i only started doing that once the lids closed.

This is my first Ceph and i'm at a loss as what to do. It appears to be in shock, maybe brought about by a combination of change to enviroment, postage and having its stalks cuts? I have read plenty of stories of peoples cephs dieing for apparently no reason, what can i do to stop mine going the same way?

Thanks,

0rmus.

[gardenofeden]

probably just shock from the journey, give it time and it will probably recover. if it is going to drop dead there is not much you can do to prevent this.
stop spraying it, this will just encourage fungal diseases.
I don't grow under lights so cannot comment on the light intensity, but if it was mine I would fill the pitchers with rainwater then put the plant in a shady spot in the greenhouse for a month or so untill recovered, then adjust to full sun, with good ventilation at all times.

[petesredtraps]

Stephen is totally correct in what he says ,also I recommend you study this site http://www.foxoles.d.../index.html

[Marcus B]

Yes, this is definately not unusual for plants sent via the post.  Keep moist but not wet, even allow the mix to dry out for a short time (a day or two).  Not bone dry, just enough to discourage fungus while the ceph recovers.  Keep and eye on it and wait for the new growth.  

Cephs can regrow from bits of rhizone that have been broken off by cattle trampling the plant, so as long as the rhizome is okay the plant will live.   It may just take a while before it again looks like it did when you first got it.   I have had plants sent to me in pots that died right back and are still yet to full get up to the pitcher size they had when I got them.  They have more growth points though, so they are actually bigger plants.  I have had other plants sent bare rooted, pack in sphag, and most of them have recovered much faster and are growing well.

[0rmus]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Its still slowly drying up / dieing back. Its painful to watch and not be able to do anything about it. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

[JohnP]

0rmus, on 31 May 2012 - 08:54 AM, said:

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Its still slowly drying up / dieing back. Its painful to watch and not be able to do anything about it. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Try putting it under a propagator dome ( or ventilated plastic bag) to increase humidity and keep it somewhere cool and shaded until it shows signs of recovery. Watch carefully though for signs of fungus and treat as needed.

[0rmus]

I decided to leave the plant. Though temped to put it in my little green house, spray it or put a dome on it ect. i decided another change in enviroment would likely be another cause for stress and as far as i could tell the eviroment was near ideal anyway. It looks like 80% of the plant is dieing back, there is a small patch of green healthy leaves that i'm pretty sure is growing. I also see some tiny green leaves still hidden near the base of the plant so all is not lost!

I feel it won't be as pretty as the day i got it for a long time but i'll be happy if i can just keep it alive

Thanks again for everyones input.

/0rmus