Re: Cyrtosperma growing media suggestions...

Dear All, Pete,

A memory that just popped into my now-sometimes-forgetful ''chemo brain''---  The late Dr. Birdsey used to grow his Aquatics (Typhonodorum, Urospathas, Lasias, etc.) in clay pots in LARGE square concrete ''vats'', maybe 5' X 5' X 3' deep.   There was no water movement in his set-up.  Only the lower petioles of the Urospathas would emerge above the water`s surface, and the pseudo-''trunk'' of the Typhonodorums started just above the water-line.   This way of growing aqatics persists today at the Fairchild Gardens in Miami, last month we observed a local aquatic aroid, Peltandra, being grown with it`s pot completely submerged in the large ''pond''/fish tank to the R. of the entrance of the  main display hall.   Their HUGE Cyrtosperma johnstonii AND a Montrichardia arboria (thorny ''trunks''/rhizomes) used to sit in completely submerged pots in the large fish ''pond'' as you entered the rare plant house near the resturant.   I do believe there was some sort of pump providing some water movement at the Fairchild Gardens set-ups.
What I forgot to mention was that Monroe ''confessed'' to me that he would ''cheat'' by burying one or two (no more!) of the hard, solid tree fertilizer tablets about 4"-5" deep in the sand of the pots, the warning on the fert. tablets said/warned that they were toxic to fish, but Monroe had worked out that just a couple did no harm to his HUGE populations of his beautiful sword-tail and platy fish which he kept and fed in his tanks around his potted plants for the benifit of their waste products as plant food.  The fert. tablets gave his plants an additional ''boost'' in their growth.

Good Growing,

Julius.

From: phymatarum@googlemail.com
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 14:50:17 +0800
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Cyrtosperma growing media suggestions...

Hi Jeremy,

 

VITAL that the water remains fresh, ideally with constant movement.

 

Peter

 

From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Jeremy P
Sent: 07 October 2009 07:09
To: Discussion of aroids
Subject: [Aroid-l] Cyrtosperma growing media suggestions...

 

Hiya Aroid-ers,

Just after some suggestions about Cyrtosperma growing media (for C. johnstonii in particular). I've got them in a heated glasshouse (16C minimum) with high humidity (+85%) and am looking to have said aroid of choice standing in a large cement urn full of water - the growing crown will be above the waterline, but the bulk of the media and pot will be submerged.

Any suggestions welcome, and thanks in advance!

Jeremy
RBG Melbourne
Australia

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