Khala Posted October 11, 2012 Hello! Some time ago I received and germinated some planthelper strain Catha edulis seeds. I only successfully germinated one and this is the plant today. However, it is relatively slow growing. I have been keeping it in sandy seed raising mix and it has been repotted once. Originally it was in partial sunlight with no exposure to rain and recieved occasional watering, but I have since moved it to full sunlight and daily watering (as it is heating up). It, as I have read is common, grew out sideways/fallen over but I just propped it up using a skewer and some string, and covered up the bare roots as are visible in the photo. It is not rootbound. So what am I doing wrong? What should I do? It is growing very slowly and I was curious. Thankyou! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 11, 2012 maybe the daily watering? i've read that this plant doesn't like alot ov water. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fydesvindico Posted October 11, 2012 yeah, what nabraxas said; less water! let them dry out a bit in between waterings. Also, is that the catha's roots on the soil surface in that pic? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khala Posted October 11, 2012 Hey guys, thanks for the advice. Yes the roots are visible but that was remedied within minutes of taking the photo and was due to recent winds, don't worry about that. It is exhibiting new growth but not at the rate I'd expect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fydesvindico Posted October 11, 2012 yeah they can be quite slow to start off with but they pick up after about a month.. I found the less you take care of them the better they grow too.. heres about a 2 month old seedling I barely took care of, almost never watered it except for the occasional in between rains. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khala Posted October 11, 2012 Okay, I'll cut down the watering, maybe down to once or twice a week. Thanks guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BentoSpawn Posted October 11, 2012 Jelous i wanna try growing one of these. Do they grow well in a greenhouse ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted October 11, 2012 Jelous i wanna try growing one of these. Do they grow well in a greenhouse ? You are in the right state to be able to acquire a red catha you just might have to hang in there for another month or so. I hear they can be found in limited numbers at the some of the WA meets Cheers Got 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerbil Posted October 11, 2012 (edited) yep, that to me is a classic overwatering, curled/drooping leaves with yellowing from the oldest leaves up, leads to roots inability to breathe, root rot, lockout of/inability to uptake nutrients and potentially pH problems = a stunted plant. I'd do as suggested and ease up on the watering to allow the roots to heal, breathe and uptake nutrients, i'd also start lightly feeding it when you see some recovery. If you are not good at guaging wet and dry, get a moisture meter, the top can seem dry so people will water heavy, whilst the guts are still quite wet, but you don't want the other extreme of it drying out completely. Edited October 11, 2012 by gerbil 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
