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Cephalotus Czech Giant


rwharold

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I just received a large Cephalotus Czech Giant from Michael Szesze the grower and owner of the Carnivorous Plant Nursery in Smithsburg, Maryland (USA).

Cephatolus Czech Giant - large

. As you can see from the picture, all the traps are rather crushed down and laying flat from the packing/shipping process. Does anyone have any experience with this variety and can tell me if and when the traps may become upright so that I can add a little distilled water and begin to feed them? I am growing this plant on an indoor window sill under a TaoTronics Newest LED Grow Light 24W Plant Grow Lights E27 Growing Bulb For Garden Greenhouse and Hydroponic Full Spectrum Growing Lamp in 3 Bands. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014ZZLP8G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00)

Any advice that you can provide on the proper cultivation and feeding would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by rwharold
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Best thing that you can do for the traps is to reposition them and add a little water to them.  Frequently when transplanted Cephs lose the bigger/older pitchers.  If it came in the pot they may recover.  The change in environment may still be enough to cause it to die back before it puts out new growth.

 

Care for Cephs is pretty much the same not matter what label they have.  How are you intending to feed it?  Putting food into the traps can cause them to die off if it is over done.  Small amounts work well, as do dilute appropriate fertilizers when sprayed over the leaves.

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Best thing that you can do for the traps is to reposition them and add a little water to them.  Frequently when transplanted Cephs lose the bigger/older pitchers.  If it came in the pot they may recover.  The change in environment may still be enough to cause it to die back before it puts out new growth.

 

Care for Cephs is pretty much the same not matter what label they have.  How are you intending to feed it?  Putting food into the traps can cause them to die off if it is over done.  Small amounts work well, as do dilute appropriate fertilizers when sprayed over the leaves. Thanks Marcus

Thanks Marcus,

Yes, I had ordered the Ceph already potted. So do you think that the traps will recover and become upright? I am not 100% certain about proper feeding however. I have a Nepenthes x 'Rebecca Soper' that I purchased from California Carnivores and they told me when I received the plant to add a little distilled water to each trap and drop in one Osmocote fertilizer pellet into each pitcher, see:(http://www.californiacarnivores.com/osmocotefertilizerpellets.aspx). The bag of Osmocote pellets is labeled to be used for both Nepenthes AND Cephalotus. I have also fed the Nep. small live meal mealworms and it is growing quite well with good coloration. Peter D'Amato, the owner of California Carnivores, also told me to spray all my CPs with a diluted concentration of the seaweed based fertilizer Maxsea (16-16-16) once or twice a month. Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I most certainly don't want to kill this $160 CP!

Thanks, Richard

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Best thing that you can do for the traps is to reposition them and add a little water to them.  Frequently when transplanted Cephs lose the bigger/older pitchers.  If it came in the pot they may recover.  The change in environment may still be enough to cause it to die back before it puts out new growth.

 

Care for Cephs is pretty much the same not matter what label they have.  How are you intending to feed it?  Putting food into the traps can cause them to die off if it is over done.  Small amounts work well, as do dilute appropriate fertilizers when sprayed over the leaves. Thanks Marcus

 

Edited by rwharold
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Thanks Marcus,

Yes, I had ordered the Ceph already potted. So do you think that the traps will recover and become upright? I am not 100% certain about proper feeding however. I have a Nepenthes x 'Rebecca Soper' that I purchased from California Carnivores and they told me when I received the plant to add a little distilled water to each trap and drop in one Osmocote fertilizer pellet into each pitcher, see:(http://www.californiacarnivores.com/osmocotefertilizerpellets.aspx). The bag of Osmocote pellets is labeled to be used for both Nepenthes AND Cephalotus. I have also fed the Nep. small live meal mealworms and it is growing quite well with good coloration. Peter D'Amato, the owner of California Carnivores, also told me to spray all my CPs with a diluted concentration of the seaweed based fertilizer Maxsea (16-16-16) once or twice a month. Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I most certainly don't want to kill this $160 CP!

Thanks, Richard

 

Greetings Richard, firstly definately do not feed Cephs mealworms.  I have done that in the past as I keep them feeding quails and they are great for Neps. Unless you use the very tiny ones you can over do the feeding.  If you want to try the Osmocote, try a small pellet in the largest trap on the plant, but only one pellet in one trap.  Peter has had plenty of experience at this, but I suggest that you take things carefully.   The fertilizer should help the Ceph recover quicker from the shock of the move,but you don't want to over do it.  Make sure you make the spray dilute.  For what I use I dilute it 1:10 of the recommended dilution for other plants.  Check with Peter what he recommends for the fertilizer he has referred you to.

 

Basically although to a point you can feed Cephs like Neps, you need to be aware that it is better to keep Cephs in drier air, while Neps need humidity.  Neps are bigger and can handle larger meals, while Cephs naturally catch small crawling arthropods. Large insects will cause the traps to rot out, so if you wish to feed them live prey then use something like pinhead or small House Crickets (Chinese/Japanese Crickets).

Thanks Marcus,

Yes, I had ordered the Ceph already potted. So do you think that the traps will recover and become upright? I am not 100% certain about proper feeding however. I have a Nepenthes x 'Rebecca Soper' that I purchased from California Carnivores and they told me when I received the plant to add a little distilled water to each trap and drop in one Osmocote fertilizer pellet into each pitcher, see:(http://www.californiacarnivores.com/osmocotefertilizerpellets.aspx). The bag of Osmocote pellets is labeled to be used for both Nepenthes AND Cephalotus. I have also fed the Nep. small live meal mealworms and it is growing quite well with good coloration. Peter D'Amato, the owner of California Carnivores, also told me to spray all my CPs with a diluted concentration of the seaweed based fertilizer Maxsea (16-16-16) once or twice a month. Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I most certainly don't want to kill this $160 CP!

Thanks, Richard

 

Greetings Richard, firstly definately do not feed Cephs mealworms.  I have done that in the past as I keep them feeding quails and they are great for Neps. Unless you use the very tiny ones you can over do the feeding.  If you want to try the Osmocote, try a small pellet in the largest trap on the plant, but only one pellet in one trap.  Peter has had plenty of experience at this, but I suggest that you take things carefully.   The fertilizer should help the Ceph recover quicker from the shock of the move,but you don't want to over do it.  Make sure you make the spray dilute.  For what I use I dilute it 1:10 of the recommended dilution for other plants.  Check with Peter what he recommends for the fertilizer he has referred you to.

 

Basically although to a point you can feed Cephs like Neps, you need to be aware that it is better to keep Cephs in drier air, while Neps need humidity.  Neps are bigger and can handle larger meals, while Cephs naturally catch small crawling arthropods. Large insects will cause the traps to rot out, so if you wish to feed them live prey then use something like pinhead or small House Crickets (Chinese/Japanese Crickets).

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Greetings Richard, firstly definately do not feed Cephs mealworms.  I have done that in the past as I keep them feeding quails and they are great for Neps. Unless you use the very tiny ones you can over do the feeding.  If you want to try the Osmocote, try a small pellet in the largest trap on the plant, but only one pellet in one trap.  Peter has had plenty of experience at this, but I suggest that you take things carefully.   The fertilizer should help the Ceph recover quicker from the shock of the move,but you don't want to over do it.  Make sure you make the spray dilute.  For what I use I dilute it 1:10 of the recommended dilution for other plants.  Check with Peter what he recommends for the fertilizer he has referred you to.

 

Basically although to a point you can feed Cephs like Neps, you need to be aware that it is better to keep Cephs in drier air, while Neps need humidity.  Neps are bigger and can handle larger meals, while Cephs naturally catch small crawling arthropods. Large insects will cause the traps to rot out, so if you wish to feed them live prey then use something like pinhead or small House Crickets (Chinese/Japanese Crickets).

 

Greetings Richard, firstly definately do not feed Cephs mealworms.  I have done that in the past as I keep them feeding quails and they are great for Neps. Unless you use the very tiny ones you can over do the feeding.  If you want to try the Osmocote, try a small pellet in the largest trap on the plant, but only one pellet in one trap.  Peter has had plenty of experience at this, but I suggest that you take things carefully.   The fertilizer should help the Ceph recover quicker from the shock of the move,but you don't want to over do it.  Make sure you make the spray dilute.  For what I use I dilute it 1:10 of the recommended dilution for other plants.  Check with Peter what he recommends for the fertilizer he has referred you to.

 

Basically although to a point you can feed Cephs like Neps, you need to be aware that it is better to keep Cephs in drier air, while Neps need humidity.  Neps are bigger and can handle larger meals, while Cephs naturally catch small crawling arthropods. Large insects will cause the traps to rot out, so if you wish to feed them live prey then use something like pinhead or small House Crickets (Chinese/Japanese Crickets).

Thanks Marcus,

 

You mention that you feed Cephs: "quails". I am not familiar with that name. Exactly, what is that? Also, you mentioned "pinhead', another name that I am not familiar with. Can you use a more common name?

 

Richard

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He was feeding to his birds (quails either Odontophoridae or Coturnix ) these worms. Pinheads is the smallest size of crickets, just hatched their head is the size of a pinhead.

 

Excalfactoria actually.  They are a lot smaller than our Coturnix species, but well guessed.  In fact they are actually the smallest species of fowl (Pheasant family).

 

Here we get House Crickets in four sizes pinhead (newly hatched), small, medium and large.  I prefer pinheads for Cephs as they are the size of small ants which are a natural prey item for Cephs.

 

Edited by Marcus B
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  • 9 months later...
9 hours ago, Bidde said:

Is the Czech giant a real giant or is czech giant and czech clone the same? 

Good question. I asked the same question already several years without answer... 

 What is Czech Giant? Ummm, probably same as Bulgarian Giant, Portugal Giant, Italian Giant etc. Sorry not sure if there is USA GIant as well...

Edited by dimitar
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This could be. But ive never seen or heard about a czech giant what produces giant pitchers. Me and some friends of me suspect that czech clone and czech giant is the same plant. A friend has both,  czech clone and czech giant. The plants look both the same he always says.

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 Everyone can freely name a randomly chosen plant with the name Czech Giant or Czech.  it looks like a new fashion nowadays "Giant" to be added to each plant.

Would it be possible to ask your friend if there is any chance to share with us pictures of both plants please?

Edited by dimitar
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Hello

I don't think Czech giant and Czech clone are same clone.

Now I don't have Czech giant anymore which was from EU but it was not giant just normal size typical stuffs at least mine and I think Czech giant doesn't make GIANT pitcher.

I've never seen any photos and real plant. anyone has real one ? or can share photos in here CPUK?

Czech giant is mysterious I think.

one of members CPUK has Czech giant so I asked him but his one has not big pitchers just normal size.

and I got some typical cephalotus from Czech last year? or so but one of them is quite huge and vigorous stuff so I labeled just Czech clone to distinguish pots on my collection.

mine is not special. don't get me wrong.

here is my Czech clone.

크기변환_20161003_095158.jpg

크기변환_20161003_095206.jpg

크기변환_20161003_095214.jpg

Edited by jjw
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