Mujician Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 (edited) Hi, I would like to buy a cephalotus, but however I would like to know the following - what is the best/favoured potting medium. Having kept australian drosera species I would have assumed that just anywhere inside my house would provide a good environment for a cephalotus - or am I wrong about this?! Edited April 25, 2015 by Mujician Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Cephalotus are usually shipped potted to avoid root disturbance, so you might want to consider leaving it in that potting mix until it needs a repot. I find mine grow best on south facing windows, or ones that receive at least some direct sunlight through the day. During summer I keep mine sitting in a saucer/tray of water, which I replenish as soon as it empties. In winter I tend to keep them just moist to avoid fungal attack. My personal opinion is people tend to fuss too much over Cephalotus, repotting them in all sorts of unusual or exotic mixes. In some cases they kill them with 'kindness'. There's also a lot of myths surrounding them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mujician Posted April 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Same as I kept my drosera then, great thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Star Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 (edited) I've got mine in a 1:1 peat/perlite mix and during the Summer keep them in the greenhouse stood in the same water tray as my Sarracenia. In the winter I tend to bring them inside and keep them just damp on a southish facing windowsill. I do this to avoid the frost although I know that some people leave them in the greenhouse all year round. Edited April 25, 2015 by 3Star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 I even left one of mine outdoors all winter a couple of years ago and it went really dark in colour and suffered absolutely no damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Grow guide on The Carnivorous Plant Society website: http://www.thecps.org.uk/cms/fileman/upload/Growing-Guides/Cephalotus.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 I even left one of mine outdoors all winter a couple of years ago and it went really dark in colour and suffered absolutely no damage. Outside or in the greenhouse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulsar Posted April 26, 2015 Report Share Posted April 26, 2015 I grow mine in a 50/50 peat perlite mix and find I get good results I also tend to grow mine quite wet during the summer I personally wouldn't grow it outside as it'll get a bit battered from the weather.it can survive low temperatures but I've found it takes a long time to come into full growth again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CephFan Posted April 26, 2015 Report Share Posted April 26, 2015 Mine have done well in the greenhouse over this winter kept a a minimum of 2C overnight. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted April 26, 2015 Report Share Posted April 26, 2015 Outside or in the greenhouse? Outside on a patio table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mujician Posted May 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 So my new plants arrived today, including my rather cute looking young Ceph: Does it matter that the pitchers contain no water - will it die back and grow again? I've read that if they do have no water in they will shrivel up and die, even if filled back up straight away. There is a lot of moss growing quite thick, and I don't want it to smother th plant (obviously), so how do I keep the moss in check? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carnivorousDan Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 Maybe give it a haircut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMHoff Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 How is it going with your Cephalotus? I'm curious about the care you're giving it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mujician Posted May 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 Its on a sunny windowsil, sat in water. I'm not sure what the growing medium is it arrived in but i filled up a small pot and placed the plant on top of 50/50 peat perlite. It seems to be okay at the moment but the moss is starting to grow which always makes me think its going to smother the plant. Do I just pick out the moss from the pot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 When I originally got mine about 3 years or so ago it also soon developed a blanket of moss. I didn't feel it was smothering the Ceph but I did think it encouraged powdery mildew which my plant suffered from for a while. I eventually removed the moss and repotted the plant. It has thrived since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 If you grow in peat then there is always going to be moss develop on the surface, it's inevitable. Even if the medium does not contain moss somehow, it is almost impossible to remove all traces during a repot. I've never personally experienced any issues with surface moss smothering plants. The same however can't be said for Sphagnum Moss, which has the ability to completely outgrow the plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 I have a Cephalotus growing in live Sphagnum. I think it's been in there for about 6 years and it's still not swamped. The only plant I have had burried by live Sphagnum was a Drosera spatulata which seeded itself into a Darlingtonia tray, that process took about 3 years, with the plant flowering annually, the plant may have just given up with old age. Pinguicula grandiflora self seeded itself into a Darlingtonia tray too. That is the first to flower each year and also the biggest plant I have. The leaves cover the Sphagnum so preventing light reaching it and therefore little growth I have also planted small sections of Utricularia into the Sphagnum of my Darlingtonia trays to see what would happen and of course the Utricularia win. Where they are growing the Sphagnum doesn't.( so far) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 Depends on the Sphagnum moss type and how fast it grows. I had some growing in what must have been ideal conditions for it, as it would frequently completely engulf the Cephalotus if I were not to keep the moss trimmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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