FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

hi there people,

a few of my plants seem to get white fungus on top of the soil.. i scrape it off when i can but am trying to prevent it from coming rather then just removing.

i heard neem oil was good at stopping this? (diluted)

was aslo thinking of adding a layer on sand on top of the soil so it would not grow.. anyones views on this? am i right in saying this should be silica sand? or is there an alternative?
one issue i might have is not being sure how damp the soil is.. especially in winter and might over water?

i also heard that Cephalotus actually does better with a thin layer?

thanks for sharing your experience..

Ashnewto wrote:i heard neem oil was good at stopping this? (diluted)

I've never used neem oil. I use daconil, now called Ortho max Garden Disease Control, for stopping mold and fungus:

Ashnewto wrote:was aslo thinking of adding a layer on sand on top of the soil so it would not grow.. anyones views on this? am i right in saying this should be silica sand?

That certainly could help. And yes, it should be silica sand.

Ashnewto wrote:ne issue i might have is not being sure how damp the soil is.. especially in winter and might over water?

Yeah, if you cut back on the water, give the plant more light and better air movement, the white fungal problem should go away.

Ashnewto wrote:i also heard that Cephalotus actually does better with a thin layer?

A thin layer of what? Sand? I too have heard this, but I don't know how much truth there is to it. I don't use a layer of sand on top of the pots of my Cephalotus and they grow very, very well. You can see some photos of them here:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/cepha ... t9086.html

those plants look so good!! well done!

i got one in december so its not changed much yet.. i'm guessing it slows down in winter anyway?
its pitchers are all really small with one about the size of my little finger nail. do you keep it in sun?
i.ve heard mixed advice about this but heard its not easiest to grow.

would perlite or verminculite or a mix be ok to top soil with? ( i dont even know what they are really but was looking at all diff sites on net)

yeah i read about ventilation and less watering! its just winter i dont wanna open windows and freeze the house out! lol

just ordered some neem oil! ha ha, i'l try that first!

Perlite or vermiculaite will be perfect for the job,and yes,they love sun,ventilation is an important factor for them,you don't need too much,just put it somewhere where it will get a light breeze every so often

Good luck!

Ashnewto wrote:those plants look so good!! well done!

Thanks!

Ashnewto wrote:i'm guessing it slows down in winter anyway?

Yeah, they'll slow down in growth when the days get shorter and cooler, just like all plants.

Ashnewto wrote:do you keep it in sun?

No, I grow all of my Cephalotus in a terrarium. You can read more about my setup in this post:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/cepha ... tml#p84458

Ashnewto wrote:would perlite or verminculite or a mix be ok to top soil with? ( i dont even know what they are really but was looking at all diff sites on net)

Sure, that would be fine.

thanks for advice guys... saw a perlite verminculite mix on ebay might buy it then

i read a guide that said they like a cooler room out of full sun, but may be more colourful with a bit more sun

i like them and all but wouldnt buy a terranium, thats for the seasoned pro! i'd just make do with the best habitat i could find around the house

yeah i ended up reading that post when i went back to look at the plants! then went to look at my sorry excuse for one! ha ha

mine has loads of tiny pitchers, its like a carpet of them (it can prob be seperated to loads when it gets a little bigger) and the one "big one" which is a little bigger then i said at first but not much.

When i first got mine,it had tonnes of pitchers,now i've found out that it was about 6 plants,i've divided two but i'm keeping the rest together,i don't reccomend dividing until you relly get a feel for the plants,as the shock the plant can go through is a little hard to get over
Anyway,good luck with your ceph!