From: <ju-bo at msn.com> on 2009.10.23 at 15:05:42
Dear Dan and fellow aquatic lovers=2C
Dan=2C your method sounds as close to perfect as possible! =3B It incorporates both Enids and my methods of growing these plants! =3B
In reading about the medium in which you pot your aquatics=2C I`d venture to say that your pots in all actuality COULD be completely submersed if needed=2C and the ONLY item in your mix which just MIGHT decay would be the peat moss=2C but this should NOT rot (check it from time to time and report back=2C please!) and smell like a dead rat=2C in commercial "Soil" mixes=2C lots of the material incorporated into them DOES rot=2C smell BAD and kills the plant!
The reason I keep POUNDING this point (and I so appreciate your input!) is as follows---back when I sold Aquatics at the Fairchild IAS shows=2C I`d screen the buyers pretty closely and give advice on HOW to grow them=2C no soil mix BELOW the water line=2C etc.=2C etc.. =3B Well=2C the very next year I` be approached by a past-year buyer who might be pretty irate=2C saying that the expensive plant he purchased had JUST died. =3B I`d question him/her on if they had done as I instructed=2C and some BS would come back at me=2C like--"No=2C you see we decided to experiment and did so-and-so=2C which I knew was GUARENTEED to kill the poor=2C now-irreplacable plant! =3B I`d then go off on a rant=2C saying don`t you recall all the things I TOLD you that you could not do??? =3B Why did you NOT=2C as I strongly suggested=2C grow the plant to blooming/fruiting size UNDER MY PROVEN-TO-BE-SUCCESFUL methods=2C THEN collect and grow the seeds to experiment with=2C and THEN do what YOU might think is a ''better way'' to grow these rare and expensive plants?? =3B I never got a satisfactory reply. =3B MAN--I still get upset just recalling it!!
I agree with you about re-potting=2C leave them be as long as possible=2C but if and when you REALLY need to re-pot (my Urospathas and some Certospermas grew to 6' +!!!)=2C I don`t believe that root breakage is a major concern=2C as in heated water the plants replace these roots VERY quickly!
Do you know how I might contact Dylan Hannon??
The Very Best to you and ALL friends on aroid-l.
Julius
WPB=2C =3B FLORIDA
From: levin@pixar.com
Date: Wed=2C 21 Oct 2009 22:58:36 -0700
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Cyrtosperma growing media suggestions...
Adam=2C
I've been growing aquatic aroids in plastic mesh =3Bpots =3Bset into a pond for =3Bmany years now. =3BThe pond is inside =3Bmy heated greenhouse (in the SF Bay Area) and the water is =3Bfurther heated by a immersion/ aquarium heater and constantly circulated =3Bwith =3Ba =3Bsubmersible =3Bpump with the return to the pond flowing over a =3Bsmall =3Bwaterfall.
As you posited: water/ O2 circulation inside mesh pots does appear better compared with using conventional nursery =3Bpots for this application. =3BI offer this assessment based =3Bupon =3Bfaster growth rates and reduced =3Bdie-back of new growth =3B(i.e. sometimes a new shoot will rot out) in my =3Bgiven =3Bconditions.
The media mix I use in my mesh pots: 4 - washed Monterey sand (#2/12 screen) 2- pumice 1- red lava (5/16" clean) 1- coarse/ chunk peat moss (Sunshine=2C blue grade)
Good light=2C good air circulation and regular fertilization with =3Bmajors =3BAND =3Bminors are also key to good culture.
The one major downside to using mesh pots: Aquatic plant roots are =3Bquite =3Bbrittle- so =3Brepotting is not all that practical=2C since much of the root =3Bsystem will naturally be =3Bgrowing =3Bout through the holes at the sides/ bottom and easily snapped off if you monkey =3Bwith things much. I suppose =3Bone could always cut a mesh pot away from it's denizen =3Band =3Battempt =3Ba =3Bnew/ larger pot but it wouldn't be pretty. =3BEspecially =3Bif =3Bprickles are involved (e.g. Lasia=2C some =3BCyrtosperma=2C etc).
I've personally =3Bopted to not repot my aquatics =3Bat all. I =3Bsimply let them be. =3BMy media is 90% inert anyway and functionally serves only to anchor the plants and act as an Osmocote receptacle once =3Bthe plants reach adult-like sizes. =3BFYI: in my pond I'm =3Busing =3B10" or 12" square pots to hold =3Bplants =3Ba =3Bmeter and more tall.
Finally- in my experience using mesh pots one must still =3Bheed =3BThe Penultimate Boosian Precept of aquatic aroid culture:
<=3B<=3B<=3B Keep the media's surface/ crowns of your plants above the water line at all times-!! >=3B>=3B>=3B
I never submerge =3Bmy pots more than halfway and =3Bstart them out even =3Bhigher... eventually lowering =3Bthe =3Bpots =3Bto =3B their final=2C maximum 50% =3Bdepth =3Bonly after a lot of roots have =3Bgrown =3Bout of them down into the water.
Vertical positioning in my pond is accomplished =3Bby setting =3Bthe =3Bmesh pots =3Bon top of 4" (or bigger) diameter slip =3BABS =3Bcouplings set on end=3B with many large holes drilled =3Bthrough =3Bthe =3Bcoupling's sides to avoid =3Banaerobic water =3Bconditions/ dead zones directly under the plants.
For deeper and variable situations I've =3Bmade pedestals by using two =3Bplastic =3Bdrain grate-to-pipe =3Bfittings set =3Bin a back to back configuration with =3B"x" length of ABS =3Bpipe (holes again=2C please) interconnecting =3Bthem. =3BNo need to =3Bglue things=2C so you can use pipes of differing length to vary the pot =3Bdepth as needed.
=3B =3B-Dan
On Oct 12=2C 2009=2C at 8:22 AM=2C Adam Black wrote: I don't recall if anyone has mentioned it yet=2C but has anyone tried the "mesh" pots for aquatic aroids? I would imagine these would be beneficial to allow for better circulation through the pot and media. I think they are more commonly used for water lilies so would think they would apply perfectly toward aroids. I have a Montrichardia in need of repotting and I am going to give it a try.
=3B
Adam
-----Original Message-----
From: John Criswick
Sent: Oct 9=2C 2009 11:48 AM
To: 'Discussion of aroids'
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Cyrtosperma growing media suggestions...
For some years I have had a Cyrtosperma johnstonii growing just outside my concrete pond=2C which is above ground level by 18 inches (45 cm.) =3BIt used to be grown in another pond=2C with roots totally submerged in water. =3B Here it is in permanently damp soil and the soil is a very heavy=2C intractable clay loam=2C so it would not seem that it needs to be in moss=2C although that might provide the ultimate/optimum of conditions. =3B In the attached photo you can see the Cyrtosperma with a Typhonodourum lindleyi behind it=2C in the same soil=2C and a Musa ornate to the right of it. =3B =3B John. =3B =3B Jeremy=2C =3B I believe the Atlanta Botanical Gardens grew a very large C. johnstonii in what looked like (if I can remember right) a large rock bowl with just moss as the growing medium. =3B Probably keep very moist but not too wet. =3B Just another suggestion. =3B I wouldnt totally submerge the roots though...
Thanks=2C
Michael Mattlage No virus found in this incoming message.
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