Heliamphora browning around opening? Trap Queen outgrew ...
Heliamphora browning around opening?
Trap Queen outgrew her tiny bog so I recently built her a bigger one and got her a roommate. Aelius is a heliamphora and he’s brand new to me (in terms of experience and recency). I hope the #CarnivorousClub can help me make him happy.
TQ was heat stressed before I replanted her, so she’s obviously going through a lot but she’s putting out some new traps. I think she’ll make a fine recovery. (If she doesn’t she was a #GregPlantShop purchase so I can replace her)
Aelius is starting to brown around the opening of his oldest traps. He has one young trap that has yet too open that looks fine.
I have no idea how old his oldest traps might be. I have read these grow very slowly, so it’s possible they are aging out or maybe less resilient to transplant shock.
I have also read that these guys like less water than other #CarnivorousPlants so it’s possible he just won’t do great in a bog. I have seen successful co-plantings of heliamphora and VFT though.
I recently shuffled the planters in this spot so these two will get more light, but they’re in basically the same spot. (The picture of the group is the old arrangement).
Any ideas? Should I take some action or wait and see? #cpclubthursday #cpterrarium
Trap Queen outgrew her tiny bog so I recently built her a bigger one and got her a roommate. Aelius is a heliamphora and he’s brand new to me (in terms of experience and recency). I hope the #CarnivorousClub can help me make him happy.
TQ was heat stressed before I replanted her, so she’s obviously going through a lot but she’s putting out some new traps. I think she’ll make a fine recovery. (If she doesn’t she was a #GregPlantShop purchase so I can replace her)
Aelius is starting to brown around the opening of his oldest traps. He has one young trap that has yet too open that looks fine.
I have no idea how old his oldest traps might be. I have read these grow very slowly, so it’s possible they are aging out or maybe less resilient to transplant shock.
I have also read that these guys like less water than other #CarnivorousPlants so it’s possible he just won’t do great in a bog. I have seen successful co-plantings of heliamphora and VFT though.
I recently shuffled the planters in this spot so these two will get more light, but they’re in basically the same spot. (The picture of the group is the old arrangement).
Any ideas? Should I take some action or wait and see? #cpclubthursday #cpterrarium
1ft to light, indirect
6” pot without drainage
Last watered 1 week ago
8
Hi!
Heliamphora don't like to dry out but they do still need oxygen in their roots. Is there drainage in the pot? Heliamphora also like a lot of humidity. Another thing is that they need lots of light -- just like venus fly traps. I'm not sure how well a vft and a heliamphora would grow together tbh. Heliamphora grow in high elevations on tepuis, while venus fly traps grow in peat bogs/swampy areas in NC & SC (pretty different environments).
And with any carnivorous plant, make sure you're using low mineral water like distilled water, rainwater, or Reverse Osmosis water. :)
Here's a good article:
https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Heliamphora
Maybe @Seymour @LaSiguanaba @JesssJungle or @PleaseLeaf can provide more info/help?
Heliamphora don't like to dry out but they do still need oxygen in their roots. Is there drainage in the pot? Heliamphora also like a lot of humidity. Another thing is that they need lots of light -- just like venus fly traps. I'm not sure how well a vft and a heliamphora would grow together tbh. Heliamphora grow in high elevations on tepuis, while venus fly traps grow in peat bogs/swampy areas in NC & SC (pretty different environments).
And with any carnivorous plant, make sure you're using low mineral water like distilled water, rainwater, or Reverse Osmosis water. :)
Here's a good article:
https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Heliamphora
Maybe @Seymour @LaSiguanaba @JesssJungle or @PleaseLeaf can provide more info/help?
@HeraMonstera I have no experience with Heliamphoras specifically but I think knowing where you got it from and how long you've had it could be beneficial info! If it's not from a reputable source it could be damage from being given nutrients. Another thought is maybe it's own digestive juices may have burned the plant during transit or repotting? We'll have to wait and see if anyone else has one of these! (Commenting to give ideas and to try and bump your post!!!!)
@PleaseLeaf @SunSoilLove picked it up for me at a plant expo in Atlanta. It came from a nursery called Trapped Nursery in Roswell, GA. I have only given it distilled water since it came home. I guess I should reach out to them for some advice.
@Merranda It doesn’t have any drainage since it’s in a bog planter. I have been brainstorming ways to isolate it a bit. Maybe build it a little island to lift it up. It’s in my bathroom that ordinarily stays decently humid but I recently put a hygrometer in there and was shocked how much it varies throughout the day. I would imagine it gets a lot of humidity from the bog though, like a pebble tray.
I intend to move it to the window sill but right now it’s too hot. Everything on my sill suffered some kind of heat stress. 😩🥵
@Merranda It doesn’t have any drainage since it’s in a bog planter. I have been brainstorming ways to isolate it a bit. Maybe build it a little island to lift it up. It’s in my bathroom that ordinarily stays decently humid but I recently put a hygrometer in there and was shocked how much it varies throughout the day. I would imagine it gets a lot of humidity from the bog though, like a pebble tray.
I intend to move it to the window sill but right now it’s too hot. Everything on my sill suffered some kind of heat stress. 😩🥵
@HeraMonstera Well done for having a heliamphora sun pitcher as I am finding them hard to source here and they are said to be very temperamental (but they say that about Cephalotus too and I haven’t found that yet )
@HeraMonstera did you find Trap Queen have a mesh netting surrounding her roots ?
Provided it’s the oldest leaves (traps/pitchers etc as they are all modified leaves in reality ) are browning and not the newer ones I am generally not too concerned as it is a way of the plant conserving energy or jettisoning old used leaves (like us shedding skin)
One thing I would consider for heliamphora would be laying the substrate as I did this with my Cephalotus and I believe that’s one reason they are thriving and not dead as a result of “cephacide” (what is called sudden death syndrome)
I have these CPs on my wanted CP list and you are the only one here I know has one so thanks for sharing, Hera 👍😍😀🤩😊
Provided it’s the oldest leaves (traps/pitchers etc as they are all modified leaves in reality ) are browning and not the newer ones I am generally not too concerned as it is a way of the plant conserving energy or jettisoning old used leaves (like us shedding skin)
One thing I would consider for heliamphora would be laying the substrate as I did this with my Cephalotus and I believe that’s one reason they are thriving and not dead as a result of “cephacide” (what is called sudden death syndrome)
I have these CPs on my wanted CP list and you are the only one here I know has one so thanks for sharing, Hera 👍😍😀🤩😊
@HeraMonstera I did post about these sun pitchers in a #cpclubthursday post some weeks ago so you can find it at the group page if you click the hashtag
@Seymour I can’t remember whether TQ had a mesh net. I want to say she did but I removed it when I put her into the big bog. (That is really fun to say and now I’m going to have to rename this group)
Can you go into more detail what you mean about the substrate? I went to your plant card and looked at the posts that came up. I watched the video but unless I missed it I think he covered everything EXCEPT his medium: temperature, humidity, watering, feeding, pest control, but not how he has them potted.
Can you go into more detail what you mean about the substrate? I went to your plant card and looked at the posts that came up. I watched the video but unless I missed it I think he covered everything EXCEPT his medium: temperature, humidity, watering, feeding, pest control, but not how he has them potted.
@HeraMonstera Hi Hera, hopefully the following can sum up what I am talking about as I consider the substrate (I try to avoid the word soil as its not truly soil
) to differ from what I would normally use for eg bog CPs like sundews and VFTs:
"The current consensus among North American growers is the best long term potting medium for Heliamphora is the one recommended by Butch Tincher: equal parts long fibered Sphagnum, perlite, and aquatic planting medium (or aquatic plant soil). This is based on materials that are available in North America. Aquatic planting medium is a speciality product. It may be difficult to find in some areas. Check with stores specializing in ponds and pond plants. It contains the clay products arcillite(W) and zeolite(W) which hold moisture and nutrients but do not break down. Alternate soil mixes are just long fibered Sphagnum and perlite, long fibered Sphagnum and coarse sand, or the mix I use of equal parts long fibered Sphagnum, coarse sand, and aquatic planting medium"
From
https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Heliamphora#:~:text=The%20current%20consensus%20among%20North,(or%20aquatic%20plant%20soil).
) to differ from what I would normally use for eg bog CPs like sundews and VFTs:
"The current consensus among North American growers is the best long term potting medium for Heliamphora is the one recommended by Butch Tincher: equal parts long fibered Sphagnum, perlite, and aquatic planting medium (or aquatic plant soil). This is based on materials that are available in North America. Aquatic planting medium is a speciality product. It may be difficult to find in some areas. Check with stores specializing in ponds and pond plants. It contains the clay products arcillite(W) and zeolite(W) which hold moisture and nutrients but do not break down. Alternate soil mixes are just long fibered Sphagnum and perlite, long fibered Sphagnum and coarse sand, or the mix I use of equal parts long fibered Sphagnum, coarse sand, and aquatic planting medium"
From
https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Heliamphora#:~:text=The%20current%20consensus%20among%20North,(or%20aquatic%20plant%20soil).
