D. schizandra soil

[Jcal]

Ever since a member posted pictures of D. schizandra in the wild I have been reconsidering my soil choice for this plant. In the wild they have a vivid green color. My plants are more yellow in color. My plants are planted in live spaghnum in closed containers.


Shortly after seeing these wild plant I tried a peat mix to see how they would fair.
So far so good. I have noticed a shift to a darker green from the plants in the cp mix.



Yesterday I has some free time and an empty kritter keeper and made a larger setup with a half dozen plants or so. I will try to keep this updated on their progress.



What soil you have your plants growing? Would love to know your results.
Next test will be playing with humidity!

 

[Cthulhu138]

I grow all of mine in live lfs and used to keep the humidity extremely high. In these conditions, my plants were a pale, yellowy green as well. One day I accidentally broke the top of the glass container I was keeping them in and never got around to replacing it. After about a month or so I noticed that the plants had gotten darker. Nothing else about their cultivation has changed so, I can only imagine that the extra high humidity had some effect on the plants.

 

[jwalker]

Mine is growing in lfsm as well with a deli container over it I was thinking of putting It in a tall container with no top so it could get higher humidity and some air flow u thank that's a good idea

 

[sflynn]

I have mine with a top layer of live LFS, and underneath dead LFS, it's been gradually increasing in size over the last few weeks since the temps have been down, need to feed it sometime

 

[Cindy]

Phill Mann had the best looking D. schizandra and they are fertilised. They grew in his hot greenhouse floor on top of live sphagnum moss. Whatever his Neps get in term of foliar feed the schizzies get it too. Comparatively, peat has more minerals than LSM....which is probably why the plants in peat is darker green.

I find the species hating ultra humid conditions in my conditions but anything less than 70% makes them grouchy.

 

[DonH]

I grow mine in live sphagnum under high humidity (75%+) with occassional foliar feeding and it's pretty green. It also gets low light from all the Neps shading it.

 

[Jcal]

I grow all of mine in live lfs and used to keep the humidity extremely high. In these conditions, my plants were a pale, yellowy green as well. One day I accidentally broke the top of the glass container I was keeping them in and never got around to replacing it. After about a month or so I noticed that the plants had gotten darker. Nothing else about their cultivation has changed so, I can only imagine that the extra high humidity had some effect on the plants.

Interesting. I wonder if humidity has more to do with it than soil. I thought the extra nutrients and such in the peat was the main reason. Did you ever replace it of are they still growing in lower humidity.

Phill Mann had the best looking D. schizandra and they are fertilised. They grew in his hot greenhouse floor on top of live sphagnum moss. Whatever his Neps get in term of foliar feed the schizzies get it too. Comparatively, peat has more minerals than LSM....which is probably why the plants in peat is darker green.

I find the species hating ultra humid conditions in my conditions but anything less than 70% makes them grouchy.

My thoughts as well Cindy. I will have to add fertilizing to the list. I'll put it to the test after I see how the peat and humidity trials fair.

 

[Jcal]

Update.

They are growing well in the peat mix. They have taken a very nice, dark shade of green. Not sure if it will show in the photos. I transplanted more into the container. I will continue to monitor their progress.

 

[RL7836]

In the wild they have a vivid green color.

I noticed that too as most of mine are a much lighter green. I've periodically planted small plants here & there in the different tanks. Most have not done very well. The one exception lives in the deepest, darkest section of one of my tanks. I really did not think it could grow with that little of light - & instead, it's my largest & darkest D. schizandra.

The 1st pic attempts to show the plant - as you can see, it's a poor quality pic.


The 2nd pic shows more of the habitat (which helps explain the 1st pics poor quality).

The D. schizandra is in the center of the pic toward the bottom. It was originally planted there on a small pile of live LFS. The LFS back there has all died. The LFS in front of it is struggling & light-starved.

 

[Jcal]

Update. I would say the peat makes them darker green.