FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi guys,

A few weeks ago I got my first cephalotus with seven growth points from Triffid park and I am unsure how to care for it well and I've heard it need to grow in a specific type of environment. I am growing it in full sun (Its summer in Australia and it reaches 35C or 95F everyday) for some time but a few leaves turned yellow and fell off. One pitcher that was green when I received it, remained mainly green even in full sun. I also water it with collected rainwater everyday until the top of the soil (60% sand, 40% peat with a top layer of sand) looks moist. What should I do to take care of it and am I doing anything wrong?

Thanks in Advance,
Callum

Hi
I would suggest less water. Also make sure the sand is silica sand and not sand that can release minerals into the soil. If you’re not sure go with perlite instead.
My cephs sometimes have the top of the soil dry out before I water again
It looks like you have the right amount of light since they haven’t turned completely red


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Here is what the cephalotus pitcher looks like indoors.

Callum wrote:Here is what the cephalotus pitcher looks like indoors.

Got a top view


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Here is what they look like from above:

I can't provide any help, other than point out that I thought this was a taco of sorts lol

By full sun, you mean full sun outdoor correct? I only ask because the pics look like it's indoors. I realize it could have been taken inside for pictures, but I've had countless people tell me their plants are in "full sun" but they are actually in "full windowsill sun"

Assuming it's outside: The heat may be too intense for it. I have always grown my ceph's indoors under lights so that they never get hotter than 75*F.

I also think you may be overwatering if it's getting watered everyday. I know sand can hold on to water pretty well due to the particle size, but since I've never used sand in any of my mixes it's hard to tell the dynamics of it by just guessing. Is there a need for you to be watering every day? How do you know the soil moisture level with the layer of sand being on top?

Callum wrote:Hi guys,

A few weeks ago I got my first cephalotus with seven growth points from Triffid park and I am unsure how to care for it well and I've heard it need to grow in a specific type of environment. I am growing it in full sun (Its summer in Australia and it reaches 35C or 95F everyday) for some time but a few leaves turned yellow and fell off. One pitcher that was green when I received it, remained mainly green even in full sun. I also water it with collected rainwater everyday until the top of the soil (60% sand, 40% peat with a top layer of sand) looks moist. What should I do to take care of it and am I doing anything wrong?

Thanks in Advance,
Callum

From my experience, Cephalotus doe not like to have its conditions changed.
They like to sulk for a while until they feel at home.
When you get a new plant, it needs more time than the average CP to acclimate to its new home.
I give mine plenty of light but keep them out of full sun for 4 - 6 weeks upon arrival.
I also dome or bag them until the roots are settled in to their new pot and media.

But take this with a grain of salt, I'm not a Cephalotus expert.
This is just my 02¢ worth.
Mike

I agree with Mike, after repotting my cephs can take up to three months to start growing again. Also, it might be too hot. My cephs start to get squishy when the temp rises above 90. I would wait a few weeks and see how it's doing then.

SundewWolf wrote: I also think you may be overwatering if it's getting watered everyday. I know sand can hold on to water pretty well due to the particle size, but since I've never used sand in any of my mixes it's hard to tell the dynamics of it by just guessing. Is there a need for you to be watering every day? How do you know the soil moisture level with the layer of sand being on top?

I water the cephalotus everyday because the soil dries out from the heat because I grow it outdoors. I also use the same soil mix with some other CPs like Vfts (I'm trying new mixes on a clone to see which works best) and I can check the soil moisture of my cephalotus by looking at the soil in the Venus flytrap which does not have a layer of sand (I water them at the same time). Should I use a pure sphagnum mix instead so it retains more water the next time I re-pot it?

Shadowtski wrote:
When you get a new plant, it needs more time than the average CP to acclimate to its new home.
I give mine plenty of light but keep them out of full sun for 4 - 6 weeks upon arrival.
I also dome or bag them until the roots are settled in to their new pot and media.

Can I still acclimate the plant by bringing it in even though it was outdoors for a few weeks already or should I leave it outside? If can, should I put it in a bright windowsill with high humidity for a few more weeks?

Thanks for the advice!

Can I still acclimate the plant by bringing it in even though it was outdoors for a few weeks already or should I leave it outside? If can, should I put it in a bright windowsill with high humidity for a few more weeks?

It should be OK to bring it inside for acclimation.
You have more control over environmental factors, inside.
But a word of advice, even if you put it in a window, add some supplementary lighting, especially if you're planning to move it outside later.
You can get an LED 48inch shoplight for about $20 (on sale) that puts out 5000 lumens. I bought a couple of them from my local Harbor Freight for "Just in case"

What kind of sand is that?

I think the sand has been screened and washed (according to the packaging) and I washed it again with distilled water just to be sure. It also is crystalline silica sand (according to the packaging) but I'm not sure how fine it is.

Callum wrote:I think the sand has been screened and washed (according to the packaging) and I washed it again with distilled water just to be sure. It also is crystalline silica sand (according to the packaging) but I'm not sure how fine it is.

Just never seen silica sand that color. It's always solid white when I buy it. If there are minerals in that sand it could be detrimental to your plants health. A good place to get silica sand really cheap is pool supply stores. It's sold as pool filter sand and costs around $10 for a 50lb bag.