| Dear Ed,
Aloha.
I have had newly purchased Anthurium scherzerianum drop leaves , etc. I have a 40% shadehouse that is open to the rainfall. When this species is overwatered, I find they tend to defoliate. After they defoliate, it takes a long time to renew growth. Many commercial growers here use a mix very different from mine and they also use fungicides, which I do not use. My solution is to pot the plant in a very well draining mix and to control the water as best I can. Sometimes this means under sizing the pot as I have no control over the weather. I may plant these in baskets as they dry out faster. This species also prefers bright but not
burning light levels. Right now, this species is in active growth and blooming for me. Another threat here are slugs...which spread pathogens simply by biting the new growth...or they completely devour young plants.
I normally do not fertilize my plants, so someone else can advise you on this matter. I am conducting limited experiments with composted steer manure, but the odor is rather strong at first...not so pleasant if you grow things indoors. I also have an opportunity to gather an invasive seaweed from our bay and I will cooperate with a local fishpond to do composting experiments.
I am not familiar with your growing conditions, nor how your plants are planted, so please understand that these
suggestions are from Hawaiian lowland, seasonally wet conditions.
I am not much of a collector of hybrids, but Anthurium wendlingeri X Anthurium scherzerianum, first reported by Dr. Kamemoto, is a spectacular hybrid. It can get four foot long, pendant and broad velvety leaves with a large scarlet spathe and a pig tail spadix that can hangs down a foot in length. I would encourage anyone with both species to re-do this cross, as I have not seen this for years after many Hawaiian collections were destroyed by an Anthurium blight.
Aloha,
Leland --- On Tue, 5/12/09, EGoldfluss@aol.com <EGoldfluss@aol.com> wrote:
From: EGoldfluss@aol.com <EGoldfluss@aol.com>
Subject: [Aroid-l] Help with Anthurium scherzerianum
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Date:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 3:57 PM
I grow a good number of Anthuriums successfully but this one has me pulling
my hair out. Being the stubborn sort I've ordered yet another A.
scherzerianum in the hopes that I can keep this one from immediately turning
yellow, dropping all is leaves and departing for the great garden in the
sky.
Any suggestions for the successful culture of this plant will be greatly
appreciated.
Best regards,
Ed
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