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Jan told me I'm required to talk. Since my aquariums are all using a soil substrate, my talk should fit right in.
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Sure, Sean - we won't let you go without hearing some of your experiences!
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I did get my permits in order to bring plants home, but the nature of the exchange is that you 'exchange'. I am showing up like a beggar because we don't keep the plants the way they do. I have nothing they want, and that is a very odd position for me.
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Well, you have at least one usteriana which runners you could offer.
However, Jan would (possibly
) beat you with a stick if you really were to do so - make sure to distribute any surplus in NA!
Truth to be told, there are actually super-rare crypts (those with only a few specimens in cultivation) changing hands at ECS meetings but this is based on private contacts among the core growers and the recipient is probably the most likely person within Europe to keep that given species alive and possibly propagate it. However, the main event is based on more numerous plants (usually surplus provided by people lucky enough to have decent greenhouse space) so the general approach is more like an early christmas party than a tit-for-tat exchange. Basically, you receive precious plants and you reciprocate by taking over the responsibility to keep that strain going and distribute any surplus runners (complete with data) as well as sharing experiences gained during your growing attempts with your peers.
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Knowing that, I won't be able to help but be shy about getting plants, it's just my nature.
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Nah, just grab the opportunity and "pay back" with your commitment!
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The only thing going for me is that I have filled up many buckets for people who come to my house, I'm praying for karma to work for me.
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Yup, that's the spirit!
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The ECS focus is the emmersed growth version of the plant,
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Nah, you're perfectly free how to keep your crypts alive (and eventually make them flower). Of course, when freshly collected plants come in, there is a friendly competition who will be the first to get an inflorescence to verify the identification. However, the final arbiter of success is that you keep those crypt strains alive and distribute them to other interested folks - if you're better in submersed culture just go for it!
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identifiable to location of collection. Anyone who gets plants from me when I come back is going to have to promise to maintain that idea of keeping the identification information with the plant.
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That really is important and possibly needs educating fellow crypt nuts.
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I'm currently cleaning up my workspace at home to accommodate some emmersed setups.
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You'll bring back a whole variety of crypts. Make sure you can provide suitable growing conditions to blackwater crypts (collect acid leafmould!), crypts from limestone areas (affinis, hudoroi, etc.), river crypts adapted to monsoon climate (e. g. crispatula), etc.! Some crypts will prefer emersed culture while others may easily adapt to planted aquaria filled with tapwater...
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