[Aaron]

Here is the deal, I was given a C. cordata rosaenervig about 5 years ago and it has done pretty much absoutely nothing in that time (sent out one measly little runner) About 6 months ago, I decided to take it out of the aquarium and grow it emersed. The plant punshed me for doing so and melted.

the plant has since come back (only one of them actually) and is safely(?) growing emersed in a mix of flourite and peatmoss. The plant is small and it no longer has its bright pink veins, it is now just white and essentially looks like crap. Now I hear the word from the AGA is if it doesnt flower in a couple of months, change what you are doing. So what and how do I change? I really don't want to upset this plant again as it is impossible to get (this is a very different plant from what Dr. Prescott has)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HeyPK]

If you have been fertilizing, you have to consider the possibility that there may be an excess of fertilizer that has built up and is harming the plant. If you think that might be the case, submerge the pot in water with the leaves still emersed, or right at the surface, for a week or two to allow the excess of fertilizer to diffuse out. If you have not been fertilizing, start pushing ferts. Make sure to include frequent iron additions in your fertilizer regimen.

 

[SCMurphy]

If you are growing this plant emersed try soil, flourite and peatmoss has nothing for the plant except acidic root conditions.

 

[Aaron]

Well, I guess the plant is doing well as it has produced several new leaves (albeit small ones) My question now is: How does one go about using Beech leaves in a potting substrate for crypts? I have heard from many sources in Europe that this the is magic ingredient to successful crypt propogation. What do you folks think? I really want produce more of this plant this year (along with a few other crypts) so I'm game for throwing in any "secret sauce" into the mix here.

 

[HeyPK]

I don't think that there is anything magic about beech leaves. Just about any tree leaves should do. Prepare a compost of soil and leaves. By volume, it could be anywhere from 50% leaves to 25% leaves. Let this mixture compost in a covered container (so that the mixture does not dry out) for three to four weeks and then it is ready to be used. Soileat and soil:cow manure mixes seem to work quite well, too. These mixes mimic the conditions where many crypt species are found growing in marshes or slowly moving parts of streams where tree leaves collect. They don't have beech trees in Sri Lanka or Borneo!

I think that in a lot of Europe, Germany, etc., beech trees are the most abundant trees in the woods, and that is why they use the beech leaf mold. According to Kasselmann, Jacobsen, 1992, reported success using beech leaf mold with otherwise difficult forms that grow in acidic locations. I don't know if he tried leaf molds from other kinds of trees.

 

[fishfry]

Wow, how in the world did you get that plant, it costs $$$ too. Good luck with that plant it is a gorgeous plant.

 

[Aaron]

"They don't have beech trees in Sri Lanka or Borneo!"

Thats too funny! never thought of that. I went ahead and prepared two different mixes, one using Cattapa leaves and one using Lychee leaves. These are readily available to me and since I use both a lot in my breeding setups, i figure they are at the least not toxic to both plants and fish. Besides, these two trees ARE found in SE Asia.
I have added a few more spp. to the experiment (griffithi, cordata siamensis, nurii, and gasseri) and have committed myself to building a new tank for this endeavor. Once it is built, and this site gets back to normal, I'll post some pics.

fishfry, The plant came to me about 6 years ago as a gift from a good friend who either got it from Dr. Gasser, or picked it up in Germany. I should probably ask him as this bit of history is important if I ever get the chance to spread it around. (How's that for wishful thinking!) The interesting thing about this plant is that Oriental has/had it on their list for pretty cheap, but I have yet to see one in the flesh from them. Has anyone gotten this plant from Oriental and does it actually look like the real thing?

 

[HeyPK]

I don't think you have to worry about toxicity of leaves if you compost them in soil for two or three weeks. Toxic comounds should be broken down during that time. As a precaution, and also to remove excess nitrate or other nutrients that might have built up during the composting process, give the compost a rinse before using. There are various ways to rinse. I cut the bottom out of a 2 liter pop bottle, remove the cap, and cover the top opening (formerly covered with the cap) with a couple of layers of plastic wrap tightly held with several rubber bands. Then I fill it 3/4 full with the compost and SLOWLY siphon in water until the surface of the compost is covered with several inches of water. I fill slowly to minimize how much mud gets stirred into the water. I let it sit overnight so that stuff can diffuse into the water, and then, the next day, I punch some holes in the plastic wrap with a pin to start the draining. After it is all drained out, the compost is ready to use.

 

[Aaron]

Here's a poor shot of it:

I am not sure what to do in regards to bringing back the pink in the veining. It is being grown emersed in a tank residing on my patio. It gets about 2 hours of direct sunlight, then in shade for the rest of the day. Perhaps more light is in order?

 

[HeyPK]

is it growing any better than before, or is it just staying the same size? My guess is that it is just holding its own.

Perhaps a bit of fertilizer would help. Try a small amount of miracle-gro solution. Dissolve 1 tablespoon per quart and put about a teaspoon of the solution on the surface of the gravel and wait a month before adding any more. If you get a good growth response (larger leaves), then add more. If no growth response occurs, don't bother with any more miracle gro.

Perhaps more sun light would help. Two hours is good. Maybe more would be better.

We are all "rooting" for your plant. Come on rosaenervig!!