mobile Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 A number of weeks ago I brought my Cephalotus in from outside, the largest of which had a flower stalk which had finished flowering. Being rather lazy, I decided to just pull the stalk out, rather than cut it, which resulted in me pulling out a length of rhizome, a pitcher and some leaves with it. I didn't really care as to whether the rhizome rooted or not, as it's just a typical, so I decided to try another growing medium experiment. We have a pet hamster and we use a by-product of the paper making industry as a bedding for it, that being a high temperature dried wood pulp. This material is absorbent and fibrous, which sort of reminds me of fibrous peat, so I decided to pot the rhizome in that. Figuring that it would probably offer very little in the way of nutrient or anything else beneficial, I decided to make a 'starter' solution to water it with so mixed some molasses, a vitamin tablet, trichoderma and mycorrhizal powder into deionised water and gave the wood pulp a good watering with it after planting the rhizome. I top water the plant with deionised water most of the time but occasionally add some of the 'starter' solution. Within a week or so of planting new leaves were visible and within the next few weeks more have appeared: As molasses are sugar, there is obviously a risk of unwanted fungal growth, though I'm hoping that the Trichoderma and mycorrhizal keep it at bay. There is also a chance that these they will digest the cellulose in the wood pulp, thus breaking it down. Time will tell, but as it's been growing well for a good number of weeks I decided to share the results. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Is there anything you wont try to grow plants in? The fungal issue is a problem as you say,especially with the darker/cooler days now. good luck with it Carl. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Wow! Just wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amar Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Is there anything you wont try to grow plants in? The fungal issue is a problem as you say,especially with the darker/cooler days now. good luck with it Carl. ada Hehehehehe...yes, why not try collecting one year's worth of cut toe nails and see if something will grow in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimscott Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Gotta love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted October 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 A quick update, as it's pushing out its first pitcher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 one week in,everything still looks good. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Wow! I can't belive it's actually growing in that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Wow! I can't belive it's actually growing in that! I find Cephalotus to be relatively unfussy as far as growing mediums go, within reason. I've been growing Cephalotus for years and I have not found a 'best medium'. I've found some that they will grow in and a some they are not so keen on, but all-in-all the growth rate difference between suitable mediums is minimal. I've been down the path of complex mixes, such as 'Charles Brewer's mix', which I'm told is not exactly what he uses nowadays, and many others and to be honest I can't really say I noticed much or any difference to growing in plain peat/perlite. When you think about it, many of the ingredients are inert, so combining them pretty much serves to increase or decrease air and moisture ratios. If you get an 'ideal' air/moisture ratio for 'your conditions' then things such as adding nutrients, be them salts or organics, can then start having an influence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Update: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James O'Neill Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 That's good growth in about a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Hingst Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Looks good Carl but I would expect that other factors like light, temperature, and water, have a bigger influence on the growth rate and health. I guess under the right conditions Cephalotus could grow in a wide spectrum of soils. Edited November 21, 2011 by Martin Hingst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I agree Martin. It's a combination of factors that influence growth rate and one of those is moisture/air ratio at the roots. The seemingly good property of this medium is that it is relatively open, therefore allowing good gas exchange, and also retains a good moisture level but does not get sopping wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Wow! Maybe i'll switch to this medium. It seem to be working really well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Wow! Maybe i'll switch to this medium. It seem to be working really well! I wouldn't recopmmend it right now. I've only been using it for a very stort period of time, so I don't know what the longterm stability and suitability of this material is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchasselblad74 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Thats Unbeleivably Impressive Carl!!!! WOW!! I like your Ceph cultivating experiments, very innovative yet simple but functional. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted December 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Update 19th December 2011: Approximately the same view taken on 20th November 2011, for comparison: And a few more pictures taken today: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pato Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Impressive!!! What type the light do you use? the pulp is always wet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted December 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 It's under a couple of 18W 2' fluorescent tubes, so not very intense. I keep the wood pulp damp, rather than wet. I use a pressure sprayer to top water every few days, usually just enough until water starts coming out the bottom of the pot. It's in a net pot to increase airflow and hopefully reduce the risk of mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus B Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 It's under a couple of 18W 2' fluorescent tubes, so not very intense. I keep the wood pulp damp, rather than wet. I use a pressure sprayer to top water every few days, usually just enough until water starts coming out the bottom of the pot. It's in a net pot to increase airflow and hopefully reduce the risk of mold. Net pots seem to work really well for my plants too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted December 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Net pots seem to work really well for my plants too. Coincidentally, the net pots that I use are manufactured in Australia. They are sturdy and really good quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus B Posted December 27, 2011 Report Share Posted December 27, 2011 Coincidentally, the net pots that I use are manufactured in Australia. They are sturdy and really good quality. I am currently trialling leaf catchers the go into inground drainage systems. They are basically a round basket, with holes that are about 6-8 mm wide x 15 mm high (which allows more space for side shoots to come through), with a square rim. They are much cheaper than the waterlilly pots that I have plants in, but only come in one size. I found them in the plumbing section of a hardware store (Bunnings). The plant in it is growing well so far. The feet on the leaf catcher means that it can have water running through it easily so drainage is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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