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My heliamphoras (Pictures heavy)


Maiden

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Looks to me like most of your helias have water in the pitchers. I have tried putting water in mine, but even the bit that doesn't leak out immediately doesn't seem to last for long. Most of them seem to be dry inside.

 

Is this a problem? Thanks again for the stunning pictures.

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Thanks :)

IMHO, sometimes old pitchers can be dry-ish inside, but the new ones should keep at least a low water level inside. Look with a flashlight down pointed.

If ALL your pitchers are completely dry inside, i suspect a problem. Can you post some pictures? What are your growing conditions? (Watering, rh%, soil mix, temperatures, ventilation)

Edited by Maiden
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IMHO, sometimes old pitchers can be dry-ish inside, but the new ones should keep at least a low water level inside. Look with a flashlight down pointed.

Hard to tell, as I can't see right down to the bottom of the smaller ones.
 
Out of the two big pitchers, one has a wee bit of water in the bottom, but the other looks like it has some sort of spider's web down the bottom. I couldn't get a decent picture of it, so you can't really tell from the picture, but it's the large pitcher on the left...
 
151122Heliamphora.jpg
 
I can't really tell with the smaller pitchers, even with a torch.

 

If ALL your pitchers are completely dry inside, i suspect a problem. Can you post some pictures? What are your growing conditions? (Watering, rh%, soil mix, temperatures, ventilation)

They are sitting in a water tray, day time temperature averages around 20-21 degs C, RH varies between 55% and 80% (the former before I walk in the room, and the latter after I mist them). The soil is the COM1 mix from Hants. They are sitting on a windowsill, but the window doesn't get opened that much at this time of year. We do have other windows around the house open (like one of the bedrooms, whose occupants insist of leaving the window wide open, much to my wife's annoyance!).

 

Don't know if any of that helps. Thanks again for the help.

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As i can see on your picture(maybe im wrong), its a new heliamphora division, so the pitchers 'mechanical' is affected. The growing point look ok, so the next pitchers will be ok.

When i got new helis by mail, the pitchers are odds. But the new ones growing under my care are perfect and keep a good water level. So, dont worry too much my friend.

Also, i know some growers who like to keep their helis in standing water, but IMHO the best way is to keep the soil mix drained. This will keep you away from a lot of problems. At 90%Rh, i wated/drain them twice a week. But dont get me wrong, growing helis on standing water is possible, if the plant is big, and the pot small-ish.

Also many growers like carl (mobile) grow their helis next to a window with success, so its possible :-)

Hope i help a bit, and sorry for my bad english :-)

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As i can see on your picture(maybe im wrong), its a new heliamphora division, so the pitchers 'mechanical' is affected. The growing point look ok, so the next pitchers will be ok.

OK, thanks for the reassurance. As new as I am with CPs in general, I'm even newer with helias, and given that they are more expensive than most CPs, I'm even more keen to keep them healthy!
 

Also, i know some growers who like to keep their helis in standing water, but IMHO the best way is to keep the soil mix drained. This will keep you away from a lot of problems. At 90%Rh, i wated/drain them twice a week. But dont get me wrong, growing helis on standing water is possible, if the plant is big, and the pot small-ish.

Also many growers like carl (mobile) grow their helis next to a window with success, so its possible :-)

I was under the impression that they needed to be kept standing in water. Could be at higher humidity you can get away with it, but I haven't figured out how to keep the humidity up yet. Any ideas?

 

Hope i help a bit, and sorry for my bad english :-)

No problem, thanks for the reply!

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Terrariums are great for high relative humidity :)

Yeah, but they need money and space, both of which are at a premium right now!

 

Any ideas for increasing humidity on a windowsill? I looked at humidifiers, but could only see ones designed to pump out more water than I need. I only need a very small, local one. Even with our rain I'd probably run out with the ones I saw!

 

Thanks

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Misting your plants, when you take showers, when you run dishwasher, a lot of plants together etc.

It will help, but this will have only minor impacts. You dont have a old aquarium? Or just a plastic/glass dome.

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Misting your plants, when you take showers, when you run dishwasher, a lot of plants together etc. It will help, but this will have only minor impacts. You dont have a old aquarium? Or just a plastic/glass dome.

Hmm, I wonder if I can rig up a cover. Didn't think of that. I have the lights over them, so could drape a cover over that.

 

Thanks for the idea, I'll give it a go.

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I suggest the use of a thermometer. Direct sun can cook your plant inside the dome. Be careful :)

I already have a thermometer and humidity meter in there, and keep an eye on both.

 

I tried putting some cling film over them yesterday, leaving the sides open so the air could get in and out, but it's hardly made any difference to the humidity. It did go up a bit later on yesterday, but without me spraying them, it's still only around 57% in there.

 

Any idea how I can increase the humidity without a dome? Is it possible to buy a mini-humidifier?

 

Thanks

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  • 2 weeks later...

Stunning pictures Maiden, I believe the moss like growth may be the fruiting bodies of a fungus, basically mushrooms but have not been able to find which species.I originally thougt it was 'Black Hand' fungus but it is usually found in woodlands, There are so many species not yet catalogued, but it definately looks more like fungi than moss.

 

May I pose a question?

 

I am in the process of constructing a climate cotrolled terrarium using an old aquarium with 240v mains for lights 3v for extra LED spots and 12v for thermostaticaly controlled input/output airflow fans supplied to the hood from an atx computer power supply and am very interested in growing some Heliamphoras, as a total novice to these species could you suggest a starter heli that would be easier to grow and a little more resistant to incompetence?

 

Regards

Buster

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  • 3 weeks later...

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