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new ceph hummers giant

  • #41
i have it under 4 T8 grow lights about 4-6 in away.
thanks guys well ill post some more photos in a few weeks. ill back up the lights to about 10in and see how that does.
While I've found that Cephs are amazingly adaptable to a wide variety of conditions, I've not found that strong, very intense light is a requirement at all. 4-6" away from some very bright, very hot lights - especially when the plant has just been repotted and is at a small size (more susceptible to quick death) places the plant at risk - imho.

I grow Cephs in multiple conditions but most of the hordes I've traded away over the last years have been grown in a 10 gal tank under cheapo shoplights. These lights are far weaker than your array and the distance is considerably more (especially significant when intensity is related to distance via an inverse square relationship). These plants grow well and color up nicely in these conditions (see the plant pics in my growlist labeled as 'Indoor plants' for some examples).
 
  • #42
I know all of that.. I grow mine on 3:2:1:1 peat, perlite, LFS, and sand. I haven't repotted my newest Ceph, just because it's doing so well with what it's in now. I was more just curious of the results people have with growing in straight LFS. I suppose I could leave 1 or 2 of my leaf cuttings that are in LFS as they grow up. Might be a good little comparison experiment.

I have used live sphagnum to root leaf-cuttings but transfer them to other substrates afterwords. I don't know of anyone who is in the habit of growing Cephalotus soley in LFS . . .
 
  • #43
Me either.. that's why I was curious. I really wish I would've written down the day I started my leaf pullings. I can't remember how long they've been potted..
 
  • #44
I don't see any rot in those new pictures. The plant may be a bit hot, but other than that, it looks like it's rebounding.

BUT-- it could be it's last gasp, too, so it's still a good idea to check the crown and roots. Just gently move the soil to one side of the crown and take a peek.
 
  • #45
The crown looks pretty good, (thanks for the better picture...nice camera-work!) but the youngest leaves darkening so suddenly still seems a bit odd to me (yes I know about light exposure and pigment-ing of plants...etc.), but indeed if you were cooking them under the lights, I suppose that could be it.

Some years back I too killed off a Ceph baby someone sent me, which was sad as I had successfully grown them prior to that. Actually, my plant never recovered from shipment, and I watched it do a lot of things similar to what you have experienced, not long after I got it. (Thanks to some very kind people on the forum however, I am back in the swing of things!)

Anyway, my youngest leaves also blackened not long before the crown quickly rotted out, which is why I thought along those lines.

It is true that the plant is likely experiencing a lot of stress, as the environment it has been under seems less than ideal and is constantly changing. It might have been an idea to contact the person you got it from to find out what they had going on, as it might have been easier to duplicate the same conditions that way, and then slowly make changes. It is a little late for that now.

And indeed, trying to check the roots at this point might just stress it more... or may in fact help you determine what to do next, but it all depends on your abilities! (I would, but that doesn't mean you should!) I often forget to take the capabilities and experience of others into consideration when giving advice. Sorry.
It does look better than I expected, in the close up. DO keep am eye on it, and if the small leaves grow it will be a very good sign that it will recover, especially under the conditions as others have advised. (If the growth stops and the "black" areas increase, it is a bad indication!)

One last thought on the subject of growing Cephs in LFS... Like any other plant, they can grow in a variety of conditions, and one variable affects other variables. If the soil mix is loose and coarse, it won't hold a lot of moisture and will need more frequent waterings or higher humidity. That could then also slightly affect the temps or how much light it is exposed to. When you change one variable, others change also, in order to attempt to maintain balance. Once a variable goes too far, it goes beyond the range that the plant can survive in, it then dies.
There is a "mid-range average" of what to shoot for (look at the Ceph info to see what it is), but beyond that there is some variation of what the plant can thrive under. That is why there is some variation in people's advice as to what is "best" or what they are doing to get their plants to thrive.
If someone rarely waters their plant, then a more "water retentive mixture" is needed. It is all common sense.
Also I would like to mention, it is growers like us all who experiment and find new and sometimes better ways of doing things. That is how discoveries are made, by pushing the "variables" I mentioned, to their limit, while altering other variables to find better balances that the plant likes.
Standards of what to shoot for are out there because people have experimented with mixtures and such and found out what works best for them. They become standards when others try it and get good results too.
So while it is good to follow what is tried and true, as it has been shown to work, it is also good to experiment if you are so inclined to do so and have some plants to experiment on.

We might find that glass beads are the ideal planting mix for growing Cephs on (oh, but it must be beads of a specific mixture... of specidic shapes and specific sizes!), who knows!
That is what makes experimenting and growing fun sometimes.
Well, good luck to you all.
Paul

(And I am serious about the glass bead planting mix! Make sure when you have success with it that you give me due credit!) (I myself am still trying to find a bead source that can supply me cheaply enough, that has various shapes and sizes!)
 
  • #46
thank you Lil Stinkpot for your advice

GrowinOld i will keep a close eye on if for the next few weeks and post some new photos so if i mess up more you all can chew me out, so then i can fix the problem. thanks for all your help
 
  • #47
Do you guys have those on straight LFS, or with a little perlite in there? I've been wondering how they would grow in that kind of sub.
I currently grow my Cephalotus in a mix consisting of primarily NZ dried sphagnum moss, with perlite, peat, sharp sand and wood charcoal. It's a very loose mix and they grow well in it.
 
  • #48
Sorry, I am not sure where I "chewed you out". If I did, I apologize.

Some plants are more sensitive to root disturbance than others, especially during their active growing phase, so people often freak out when I suggest looking at a plant to see what condition it is in. And indeed, we all have different capabilities as far as plant care goes, so deciding to un-pot a plant is not a decision to be taken lightly.

As you know, some plants are recommended for experienced growers for a reason. They require a bit more care, understanding and intuition. From what I hear, unlike a lot of the growers here, it took ME many years, reading, listening to people's advice, working for a plantsman, etc. and especially a lot of killed plants and errors... for me to learn how to do things like re-potting a plant without stressing it excessively, or understanding what a plant is "saying" by its response to conditions, etc. Not that I am an expert, as I am ever learning.

Because it took me so long to get that experience and develop what little knowledge I do have, (and realizing why it took as long as it did) I guess I sometimes have difficulty when short-cutting that system of learning is desired and having instant wisdom and success is expected. For example, not being able to figure out how much or often to water a plant (especially one that is recommended for experienced growers), or how much illumination to give it, is information my experience tells me that I should gather before even buying the plant.

Anyway, I am sorry, it really is not you. I have just seen a lot of things here recently that have "gotten to me" concerning this sort of thing, and I guess I am a little "short" about it lately.

I apologize for saying anything to "chew you out". It won't happen again, and if you mess up or not, it is up to you how you chose to "fix" it. I won't bother you again.

In reality I guess it was me who was hoping to short cut the system. I see that am the one guilty of "over-feeding my "plants" this time, so to speak. Fool that I am! (Metaphorically speaking.)
I think I need to get out of here for a while.

Good luck
 
  • #49
GrowinOld Sorry, I am not sure where I "chewed you out". If I did, I apologize.

No need to apologize, I ask for advice because sometimes I run in to unexpected problems. Things that I cant explain. I have been reading on how to care for cephs for almost a year and I think I have most things down but I ask questions so I can cross-references it with what I have read, my common sense, and what you guys tell me. I believe that the new growth will be adjusted to the new environment even if it’s there is more light and more heat. The worst thing that can happen is that I loose a plant but I gain experience. I will just have to get another one, when I evaluate what I did wrong. Then I could consider a new plant. When I said, “chew me out” I was being sarcastic. Once again no need to apologize I’m here to learn.

Jay
 
  • #50
I have learned over the years that Cephalotus do their best when largely ignored and not fussed over too terribly much. I water mine about twice a week, look for any potential problems, and leave them to their own devices . . .
 
  • #51
here is a update...

after a few weeks this is how the ceph looks.

1z2dpgp.jpg



the ceph looks like its going to put out its first picher sence iv had it.
 
  • #52
Congratulations! :clap:
 
  • #53
I see that you've changed the potting mix again.
 
  • #54
I see that you've changed the potting mix again.


hi, mobile

Actually it’s the same soil mix. I just took of the top layer of moss, so I can see how moist the soil is. I really could not tell if the plant needed water with the top layer of dried moss. I added it because I was told it would higher the humidity, but it was harder to monitor the plants water needs.
 
  • #55
I swap my Cephalotus mixes about. Sometimes I use a dried moss/perlite/peat/sand mix and other times I use a peat/perlite/sand mix with no top dressing. I can't say that I've noticed any significant difference in growth rate so, in my conditions, having moss at the surface does not appear to make a difference. I must point out that I use the tray method for watering with tall pots, so the soil is always moist which might help to add to local humidity.
 
  • #56
here is a update, this is my first ceph. i had a hard time when i first got it but i think its doing fine now. here are a few pic's

sb0gvk.jpg


dmpunl.jpg
 
  • #57
I see backup leaves!
 
  • #59
The teardrop shaped ones. Those can be used to produce more plants.
 
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