Has any one else experienced this?

[seedling]

I could not find any gemmae of D.scorpiodes ( My favourite pygmy) last year so I ordered some adult plants this year from a vendor. They came looking healthy and well packaged however they seem to be dying on me. At the same time other pigmies I have grown from gemmae are doing great in the same conditions?

This is the 2nd time I have not had luck with receiving adult pygmies, has any one else had similar experiences?

 

[cephalotus88]

scorpiodes is a rather easy "giant" pygmy to grow, if you have the right conditions. I grow my colony on the windowsill where the humditiy is about 50%. THe soil mix is peat/sand. I keep it on a saucer of water.

THe decline of the health can be due to the root disturbance from the shipping bare-root method. Keep the plants from extreme heat and cold. Make sure there is soil around the roots (im not sure with others, but i have had this prbelm of repotting bare-root plants and not having enough soil around the roots).

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

I suspect it is from having their roots disturbed as Zach mentions.  D. scorpioides has long, very fine roots that are hard to remove from soil without breaking.  I transplanted some from a shallow tray (about ¾" deep) in which I had sprouted their gemmae.  They were less than an inch tall but still had a tap root that was an inch or more long!  These never did grow quite as large or as vigorous as the plants in a 6" pot which had had the gemmae planted directly in it.  They definitely don't like their roots disturbed.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Expect a high mortality rate with any mature pygmy species after disturbing the roots. I never transplant once the plants flower.

This species grows a fairly long stem cloaked with the previous seasons dead leaves, and crowned with new growth. I do not try to bury this stem which could lead to it rotting, nor do I try to remove the dead leaves which act to protect the stem as it elongates.