8 replies to this topic

[DreamTimeBliss]

At the start of May i was up in Nimbin for Mardi Grass.
While i was up there i picked up a banisteriopsis caapi cutting.
Ive kept it inside threw winter to try and avoid frost damaged.
Its not looking very happy at the moment so i thought id post some pics and see if i can get some advice.



Some of the leaves on the smaller branch have dried up and gone crunchy so i pulled them off

[Amazonian]

The soil looks a little dry ?. When i take a cutting, i cut back most of the leaves so most of the energy is put into forming roots. But apart from the shriveled leaves, the plant doesn't look too bad.

[space cadet swami]

Gotta say I agree with AMZ on this one...plant looks ok to me.

[whitewind]

Tis dried out some. You have a strong looking cutting, should be okay but when you water make sure the soil hasn't become hydrophobic - it might mean the water runs down the putside of the rootball or only waters the top couple of mms, would suggest putting it in a big saucer and filling the saucer with water, let the soil drink up from below.

I have a caapi which survived a Sydney winter in a pot that was too large on an automated dripper in deep shade, then survived Blue Mountains winter though was sheltered from the worst winds and frost, and it did this thing where all the veins turned white and I thought it was variegated or mutated, and now it's third year once again in the same pot and no shade, put on some nice green growth last year and did okay.

[DreamTimeBliss]

Thanks for all the advice.

I decided to upgrade her pot so she has more space to grow and gave her a stake so she doesn't get blown around as much.

[DreamTimeBliss]

opps

Edited by DreamTimeBliss, 04 August 2012 - 08:14 PM.

[apothecary]

Hello,

Your new friend is adjusting to the significant reduction in humidity and temperatures compared to its original home and leaves which have grown in the previous home will suffer some damage or even be lost. This is to be expected.

It may continue to recede back into its stem as Winter progresses (so don't throw it away automatically thinking it's dead), but the main stem looks thick enough that some energy should be stored letting it re-sprout in Spring. If you can keep the local humidity up then the plant can stand significantly more sunlight, if not then best to keep it relatively shady.

Good luck.

Edited by apothecary, 06 August 2012 - 12:48 AM.

[Savage Gardener]

Looks okay...

If it is hydrophobic you can dunk the pot in a bucket of water and hold under until bubbles cease...the soil will be nice and wet and the roots will be getting the moisture rather than t running down the inner edges of the pot.

[Halif]

^good advice. A good submersion soaking can do wonders.

It's tough trying to establish caapi and other tropicals in such foreign climates. I had a beautiful plant (purchased from the SAB store) which I made every effort to protect. Every winter it would drop its leaves and then in spring come back with a vengeance, but on the third winter it dropped its leaves and never grew them back. I've actually left it there in its big pot in the hope that it'll make a miraculous recovery, but the last leaf I saw on it was two years ago! I think it's expired.

Oh, to have an ambience controlled walk-in greenhouse.... one day...one day...