Outdoor Ceph Experiment
May 27, 2018 21:33:39 GMT -5
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meizzwang, AudacityOfTheMind, and 1 more like this
Post by alexintx on May 27, 2018 21:33:39 GMT -5
OK, so I’m still planning this, but I thought this would be a good place to document and ask for some advice.
Basically, I’d love to see if I could grow cephs outside, all year, in Austin, TX. My biggest worry isn’t the winter. It’s the summer. The average summer highs in the hottest part of the year around where cephs grow naturally seem to be in the low to mid 80s, with lows in the low 60s or high 50s. Here, our average summer highs are the high 90s, with lows in the low 70s.
I’ve heard that cephs have a tendency to do poorly in the heat, especially without cool nights (much like what I’ve heard about Darlingtonia). We don’t really have those. In an average year here, there are only 12 nights below 70° in all of June, July, and August. 8 of those are in June.
Now, there are several advantages to me growing them outside. It frees up space inside, so I can grow more seedlings or tropical sundews. There’s actually seasons outside, so they aren’t just getting a 16 hr photoperiod all year. I’ve grown cephs for maybe 6 years now, and never gotten a flower. I’ve heard they appreciate a weak dormancy. I don’t think my cephs have been doing as great as they could — they’ve divided a lot, but I’ve never had a pitcher over 1” and they tend to grow irregularly. They’ll also get more intense light outside, and have better coloration.
The downside is that I’ll lose a ceph if it doesn’t take the summer heat. But, I’ve got maybe 10 crowns, so it’s not that big of a loss. Plus, I’ll lose the use of a pot and some media for a while (again, not much of a loss).
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Now, I’ve got a few questions. First, to those with more experience with cephs, is this just gonna be a waste of time (and a plant)?
Second, should I use a full gallon pot, or a smaller one? One crown would be pretty small in a gallon pot, but it would give me some more flexibility with watering (and probably keep the roots cooler).
Third, should I just go with my usual ceph mix (1:2 peat perlite), or should I add in some bark to make it more airy? It’ll go in water trays with my flytraps and sarrs, which I let dry out all the way and sit dry for a day or so (they hold about 2” of what we when they’re full).
Thanks!
Basically, I’d love to see if I could grow cephs outside, all year, in Austin, TX. My biggest worry isn’t the winter. It’s the summer. The average summer highs in the hottest part of the year around where cephs grow naturally seem to be in the low to mid 80s, with lows in the low 60s or high 50s. Here, our average summer highs are the high 90s, with lows in the low 70s.
I’ve heard that cephs have a tendency to do poorly in the heat, especially without cool nights (much like what I’ve heard about Darlingtonia). We don’t really have those. In an average year here, there are only 12 nights below 70° in all of June, July, and August. 8 of those are in June.
Now, there are several advantages to me growing them outside. It frees up space inside, so I can grow more seedlings or tropical sundews. There’s actually seasons outside, so they aren’t just getting a 16 hr photoperiod all year. I’ve grown cephs for maybe 6 years now, and never gotten a flower. I’ve heard they appreciate a weak dormancy. I don’t think my cephs have been doing as great as they could — they’ve divided a lot, but I’ve never had a pitcher over 1” and they tend to grow irregularly. They’ll also get more intense light outside, and have better coloration.
The downside is that I’ll lose a ceph if it doesn’t take the summer heat. But, I’ve got maybe 10 crowns, so it’s not that big of a loss. Plus, I’ll lose the use of a pot and some media for a while (again, not much of a loss).
-----
Now, I’ve got a few questions. First, to those with more experience with cephs, is this just gonna be a waste of time (and a plant)?
Second, should I use a full gallon pot, or a smaller one? One crown would be pretty small in a gallon pot, but it would give me some more flexibility with watering (and probably keep the roots cooler).
Third, should I just go with my usual ceph mix (1:2 peat perlite), or should I add in some bark to make it more airy? It’ll go in water trays with my flytraps and sarrs, which I let dry out all the way and sit dry for a day or so (they hold about 2” of what we when they’re full).
Thanks!