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Post by canuk1w1 on Dec 27, 2013 2:33:05 GMT -5
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Post by sokkos on Dec 27, 2013 13:08:43 GMT -5
Nice plant! I've had a P. gigantea for about a year potted in a 4.5" pot (peat:perlite 1:1) and it hasn't grown any bigger or shrunken. The plant is still the same size after a year. Can you offer any advice? How do you grow yours?
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Post by hal on Dec 27, 2013 13:11:01 GMT -5
Looks like it's doing very well for you, Greg. It will likely split into 3 or 4 plants on its own and you'll have multiple plants in no time. When you split the plant you will inevitably have a few leaves break off and they sprout quite easily. So you can go from one plant to 3 or 4 plants plus a dozen leaf pullings in no time. I have 4 plants which were split at the same time yours was and 2 of them are dividing now.
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Post by canuk1w1 on Dec 28, 2013 14:14:48 GMT -5
Sokkos, thanks very much! I keep it in a small tray on its own and fill the tray infrequently, even in summer. As for media, I've not re-poted it since I obtained it from Ian. From various threads, I believe he's using an all-mineral mix - it looks to be larger (#14/#12) sand, perlite, vermiculite and perhaps lava rock bits? I have it in an east window.
Thanks Ian. I'm really just keeping it going considering the great start you gave it! I'm reckoning I should wait until it divides, then re-pot correct? FWIW, P. Sumidero II has divided and I put it in a 4" clay azalea pot. P Cyclosecta has divided as well but it is in the same pot in which you put it. They're all in winter rosette form now - evidenced by the occasional incursion by some small flying thingy.
How long 'til this one splits do you reckon? Maybe it won't split until I get it into a bigger pot?
Now, off to Menagerie pet store to pick up some stuffs...
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Post by hal on Dec 28, 2013 18:31:40 GMT -5
Greg, I'd leave it in its current pot and wait for it to divide. No hard and fast rules about when they might divide. Could be in a few months or a year. If you want to get some new plants started you can pull off new leaves from the crown and start leaf pullings. That may even prompt the plant to divide.
Sokkos, I keep my plants in small 2-1/2" pots, even when they are 6" across. My soil mix is only about 20% peat. The rest is perlite, APS and sand.
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Post by lloyd on Dec 28, 2013 22:13:13 GMT -5
Hal, does APS mean aquatic plant soil? I think it's the brown stuff in your ping mix. What brand do you use? I want to buy some.
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Post by hal on Dec 29, 2013 0:14:59 GMT -5
Lloyd, I got a couple of bags of Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil at Plantworld in Etobicoke. Where did you get the coco husk and clay balls in your orchid mix? Bustans?
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Post by sokkos on Dec 29, 2013 10:46:20 GMT -5
I'm going to repot one of them into the 20% peat mix Ian suggested. I've used Turface for some of my sundew media. Will that be alright to use in place of APS?
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Post by hal on Dec 29, 2013 12:49:27 GMT -5
Yes, Turface is pretty much the same as APS
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Post by lloyd on Dec 29, 2013 20:46:31 GMT -5
The clay balls are from a hydroponics place at Dufferin and Dupont. I still have a lot of them in a bag in my basement. The coir husk was from Bustans-I bought a brick of fine and a brick of coarse coir. I still have some of each. The coir is deadly to plants until it is thoroughly desalinated. It took over a week of daily soakings in tap water and finally distilled H2O (or rainwater) to get almost all the salt out. Lee Valley has the sumidero balls which I am using for pings.
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Post by canuk1w1 on Dec 29, 2013 21:33:39 GMT -5
That's probably 'Grow it All' on Geary Avenue? They sell LECA balls in bulk, $1 per litre. I was at Plant World today but didn't see any Schultz APS so I picked up a bag of turface. I'll test it for TDS tomorrow against some APS I have. I'll try both for my next batch of ping soil after rinsing. FWIW, I found medium CHC at Menagerie pet store. They also have coir fibre and LFS. I picked up some interesting Betta food as well - it has daphnia. I'm very curious to test the coir now too. I used it for potting a peace lily and so far so good. I only did one or two rinses. I didn't use quite as much for the bamboo palm but those prefer sandier soils so I'd think it could withstand the salt?
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Post by hal on Dec 29, 2013 23:31:17 GMT -5
Sorry if you went all the way to Plantworld on my recommendation, Greg. I just looked at my bag of APS and the price sticker says "Humber Nurseries". Oops. I might be up that way this week and if I see any I could get some and give it to you at the orchid show.
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Post by lloyd on Dec 29, 2013 23:37:52 GMT -5
It is the hydroponic store on Geary. They have a good range of supplies.
There's probably a range of coir. The batch I bought once almost destroyed some orchids. It was super salty. They actually "wash" the coir in seawater.
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Post by canuk1w1 on Dec 30, 2013 10:37:02 GMT -5
No worries Ian, I'm inventorying all the downtown garden centres now that my usual source is closed until April! If you do go to Humber, yes, please pickup a bag for me, much appreciated.
Thanks for the heads up Lloyd. I think the LECA may be salty - most of the Phals I re-potted with seem a bit stressed and I lost one that was previously healthy-looking. I mixed up some sand and perlite with the coir I bought from Menagerie (house brand) but I will test that first before using it to top-dress the bamboo palm.
I started a thread in the 'Material' forum to report TDS results of my media starting today...
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