[MiamiAG]

Who's been flowering theirs?

 

[Jay Reeves]

Who's been flowering theirs?

Art, I recently set up a tank for emersed growth for the flowering potential. This is something I have wanted to do for quite a few years but always thought it was real difficult (from reading German accounts in the 80's). After reading on this forum how others are doing emersed growth without any real difficulty I jumped in. This seems like it has the potential to be a lot of fun

How long does it generally take before a crypt flowers?

Regards,
Jay Reeves

 

[Sir_BlackhOle]

Yes please share some tips on getting crypts to flower

 

[HeyPK]

They should be emersed, or at least in shallow water. There are a few, such as C. pontederiifolia that will even try to bloom underwater, although they don't have any mechanism to get their flower to the surface. Some of the normally submersed crypts, such as C. aponogetifolia, bloom normally submersed and are able to get their flowers to the surface. Daylength is important. Experiment at around 12 to 9 hours of light. My limited experience is that I usually get flowers in the spring or the fall. If all else fails, try small amounts of gibberellic acid. See

Davis, Greg and Mike Kane, Inducing Flowering in Cryptocoryne Species, TAG, V8#5 Sept-Oct 1995

 

[Phil Edwards]

I'm trying Art!

I've had C. wendtii and walkeri flower underwater but have never really tried growing Crypts emersed until now. I'll be able to put the plants outside in a few weeks so a summer of sun should encourage flowering.

Aside from Giberellin I've found that Phosphate encourages flowering as well. Increasing PO4 dosing, or daily small doses (what I did), encouraged my submersed crypts as well as some pond plants I was having trouble getting to bloom.

I know there are other specifics involved, but in general plants need more Phosphorus to form flowers. A diet low in P gives good stem and foliage growth while a diet higher in P encourages the plant to flower. Give it a try you guys and see what happens!

Best,
Phil

 

[Svante]

Flowering crypts have never been any problem for me, as long as you keep the plant you intend to flower in as high lighting as possible (too much lighting probably isn't good, but keep it as light as you dare). And then it's basically just a waiting game, this has worked for most of my easier-to-bloom crypts, such as C. cordata, undulata, wendti, pontederifoliae and usteriana.

The thing written about phosphor is really interesting, I am going to try experimenting with that this summer in my greenhouse, but at the moment it is about 0 degrees celsius outside so it will have to wait at least a month, maybe two.

 

[oh-yeah]

emerse crypts and CO2

Does anyone use CO2 with emerse crypts and if so how do dose emerse with CO2. Thanks, you guys are good! Jack

 

[Sir_BlackhOle]

I wouldnt think that it would be necessary. They should be able to get all the co2 they need from the air. Right?

 

[MiamiAG]

Actually, I used to supplement CO2 to my emersed plants. There are several ways to do it. You can simply run a yeast generator to the aquarium or container you house the plants in. This is a crude way of increasing, albeit slightly, the CO2. Alternatively, commercials growers use sophisticated CO2 monitoring systems that use butane (I think) and maintain an elevated CO2 level in the greenhouse.

That being said, I don't think it is necessary. Oh, and I remember Paul (HeyPK) sprinckles a few flakes of oatmeal every once in a while in order to get a little supplemental CO2.

 

[Justin Fournier]

If the air gets exchanged frequently, you will not need C02 supplementation. However if the air is quite sealed, your going to need to add C02 to maintain optimal growth rates.

 

[Sir_BlackhOle]

Is there anywhere I can read this article other than the mag?
Davis, Greg and Mike Kane, Inducing Flowering in Cryptocoryne Species, TAG, V8#5 Sept-Oct 1995

Thanks

 

[hubbahubbahehe]

Art, could you describe your emersed tank setup more in detail, por favor.

I'm really interested in duplicating such a tank...it looks awesome...and i notice you got pots going?

 

[oh-yeah]

dosing emerse crypts with co2

Actually I was thinking that maybe dosing some of the difficult ones(for me) such as C.tonkinensis which I can't grow in any environment. Would it be better to run co2 into a container of water using a airstone.Anyway I'm going to try it. Anybody have luck with tonkeninsis? Above or below water? Jack

 

[MiamiAG]

To be honest. That is not my setup. Although, it is similar.

My standard setup is clay pot with peat/sand. Two flourescent bulbs with water level 2 inches below rim of clay pot. I use an airstone for water movement.

 

[Jay Reeves]

If the air gets exchanged frequently, you will not need C02 supplementation. However if the air is quite sealed, your going to need to add C02 to maintain optimal growth rates.

I have set up for emersed growth in a 15 gallon tank with a glass canopy and a Lee's wood airstone running. Should I take the top off the tank? The airstone doesn't do much for the humidity. The only light the tank gets is from a overhead MH in a growing room. It is also at an angle. The plants are rather puny - probly need more light.

Jay Reeves

 

[HeyPK]

I had some crypt flowers, but, unfortunately, they collapsed before I was able to get the time to photograph them. The flowers supported my belief that the plants were C. walkeri, based on their long, rather narrow leaves. The flowers were a reddish brown, and the collar was not different in color from the limb, only slightly lighter colored. The throat was more a light red. On Jan Bastmeijer's Crypt pages, there are pictures of C. walkeri flowers ranging from light green to yellow, to brown. Mine was most like the brown one, but the collar in Jan's picture is more distinctly lighter colored, than in my flowers. C. wendtii and C. beckettii flowers mostly have a distinctly darker collar than the limb or throat.

The plants were grown emersed in a covered gallon jar on an east-facing windowsill. they were crowded and looked a bit nitrogen deficient.