caapi questions

[MOT]

High all

Just few questions on growing using caapi, i know native to tropics but round what min temp would they start dying off, have currently got my seedling indoors in hot box but would like to move it outside but still quite cold se qld. Also what age would be good time to get a useful harvest?

[Chiral]

I'd imagine it could live quite happily outdoors all year round where you are...if it's indoors now better to keep it there and introduce outside when spring comes and the days are longer...Caapi is a fast grower sometimes 15-30cm a day in the right conditions...a mature vine would probably be around the 5 years and up mark.

H.

[Hedonix]

i'm a little worried about my caapi also..i have it in a mini greenhouse with some foam under there to keep a bit warmer.. the leaves are half brown - the ends being crispy brown and flake off when touched.

would it be a good idea to fertilize now? or spring.. I picked up a bag of rooster booster organic pellets from bunnings would these be suitable?

the other reason why i'm worried about the health of the caapi is becuase i have iboga growing nicely in the same greenhouse.. new shoots coming up.. I would have thought that the iboga might die of sooner in my area.

cheers.

[t st tantra]

tips of the leaves turning brown is usually too much salts either from ferts or water.......

try flushing with rain water only, if you have it.

t s t .

[apothecary]

There is a simple refrain when it comes to caapi:

High humidity microclimate means the caapi vine can handle high amounts of sun-light.

Low humidity microclimate means the caapi should be kept out of the sun.

Please be careful with your caapi as approaching the kind of climate where it can become a rampant invasive weed! Obviously yours will be a few years away from that sort of size but a good thing to keep in mind.

Hedonix, I'm assuming those are the leaves it was delivered with rather than new growth? The old leaves might be used to a different climate so they will probably die off to give energy to new leaves which are used to your area. I never had any problems growing caapi in Sydney but we kept it in the ground, warm and sunny microclimate all year.

[Stonehenge]

Young plants prefer shade but can take full sun as they get older. Freezing will burn them but a mature large plant will just lose some leaves and keep on trucking with a light freeze. My outdoor caapi have taken several freezes and bounce right back. Fert them when the leaves get pale, water when they wilt. It's fairly simple. They like to climb but will grow like a bush. I have one that is about 4 meters x 4 by almost 2 high. Don't get in the middle of it or the branches will wrap around you and you will never be seen again.