# Guess that plant



## brolloks

Hi Everyone,

I have something special that germinated recently, and will hopefully grow big and strong without to much hassle.

Can anyone guess what it is?


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## JumpingSpiderLady

Hummingbird vine?


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## brolloks

JumpingSpiderLady said:


> Hummingbird vine?


Nope


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## schmiggle

Roridula?  If so, I'd like to be updated...


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## brolloks

schmiggle said:


> Roridula?  If so, I'd like to be updated...


Haha, spot on. It's Roridula gorgonias


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## schmiggle

Wow!!!  I will be very impressed if you're able to care for it.  Where do you live/are you keeping it outside?


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## brolloks

I stay in S Africa, but not in the Cape Province where they grow naturally. I do grow mine outside in direct sun. They get morning to early afternoon sun. Need to move them to another spot that gets better air flow as they do tend to rot easily I have read.

This is my first attempt at growing Roridula, so will see how it goes


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## schmiggle

Good luck!  Living in south africa has to help at least a little bit

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## brolloks

schmiggle said:


> Good luck!  Living in south africa has to help at least a little bit


Thanks, lets hope it does


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## Tleilaxu

If you can you should catch the bugs that live on them in the wild. Since all these plants is catch bugs but rely on the little assassin's to do the digesting for them.

That said those little assassin's should be raised and sold to others who own this plant

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## brolloks

Tleilaxu said:


> If you can you should catch the bugs that live on them in the wild. Since all these plants is catch bugs but rely on the little assassin's to do the digesting for them.
> 
> That said those little assassin's should be raised and sold to others who own this plant


That would be a nice ultimate goal. Lets see how they grow first


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## Tleilaxu

The fact you got them to germinate is impressive in and of its self. As for care according to Peter D Amato they do best if potted in a substrate meant for dewy pines (Drosophyllum lusitanicum) and cared for in a similar fashion.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phillipthephiddipus

As someone who cultivates CP, never have I been able to cultivate this plant let alone even have one. What soil? peat moss, perlite etc.


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## brolloks

phillipthephiddipus said:


> As someone who cultivates CP, never have I been able to cultivate this plant let alone even have one. What soil? peat moss, perlite etc.


I have got them in a mixture of sphagnum peat, silica sand and perlite. I have planted the peat pots into larger terracotta pots. They are really tiny compared to the pots they are in now , but this will be their final transplant and hopefully they will grow well.

I only top water now and don't leave them standing in water at all. I water until it drains through and then only water again once the substrate starts to dry.

Will take some pictures of the new pots and post it.


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## phillipthephiddipus

Must be a lot of work! Cool plant noneless though.


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## brolloks

phillipthephiddipus said:


> Must be a lot of work! Cool plant noneless though.


It just forms part of my daily routine of watering and caring for all my CP's. I always seem to just add more and more plants to my collection without considering the work that will go into caring for it all


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## phillipthephiddipus

brolloks said:


> It just forms part of my daily routine of watering and caring for all my CP's. I always seem to just add more and more plants to my collection without considering the work that will go into caring for it all


Once I got into orchids, my life was all about my plants.


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## schmiggle

phillipthephiddipus said:


> Once I got into orchids, my life was all about my plants.


Just ordered my first orchid...we shall see what happens now


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## The Snark

schmiggle said:


> Just ordered my first orchid...we shall see what happens now


Fingers crossed. No direct sunlight. Loves water, assuming the roots have plenty of air.


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## brolloks

Got some snaps of the plants in their new pots. They really do look silly in the large pots

Reactions: Like 2


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## schmiggle

Naw, they look cute that way!   Is there a reason you put them together?  Also, are you fertilizing or using Parameridea?


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## brolloks

schmiggle said:


> Naw, they look cute that way!   Is there a reason you put them together?  Also, are you fertilizing or using Parameridea?


Thanks. 
I put 3 seeds together in 2 small peat pots. I did not expect that the majority of the seeds would even germinate but I got 5 plants and did not want to take them out of the substrate so I just placed them in larger pots as is.

Not using any fertiliser yet, I will use something like diluted Maxsea fertiliser to foliar fertiliser them once they have grown a bit.
Will have to see once they have grown enough if I can find Pameridea, that would be awesome.


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## schmiggle

I would be most impressed if you found paramidea.  I wonder if you can collect them from the wild (I would usually never advocate wild collection, but if they are more numerous in the wild than Roridula are, it might be fine).  How far do you live from the natural habitat of Roridula?


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## brolloks

schmiggle said:


> I would be most impressed if you found paramidea.  I wonder if you can collect them from the wild (I would usually never advocate wild collection, but if they are more numerous in the wild than Roridula are, it might be fine).  How far do you live from the natural habitat of Roridula?


I have no idea what their population is like in the wild, but I am guessing they are just as rare as the plants they call home.

Stay about 890 miles from their habitat  So it won't be a casual ride to go and have a quick peek.
I definitely will make a plan and go and see Roridula and a few other Cape plants in their natural habitat. Would be awesome to witness.

Reactions: Like 2


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## brolloks

Hi everyone,

Thought I would give an update on the plants.

They are all still alive  and have grown a bit!
I have started giving a single plant some diluted water soluble fertiliser high in nitrogen, which I spray onto the leaves. If this single plant does well, then I will fertilise the rest as well.

Here are some photos:

Reactions: Like 1


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## phillipthephiddipus

Nice! That's amazing how good they're doing!

Reactions: Like 1


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## brolloks

Thanks. Lets hope they stay this healthy


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## schmiggle

They're doing great! Glad to see someone growing this plant effectively. 

Also jealous of your weather.


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## brolloks

schmiggle said:


> They're doing great! Glad to see someone growing this plant effectively.
> 
> Also jealous of your weather.


Thanks. 
Yes, the weather is definitely a major factor.


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## Benurmanii

Looks great! I should look into getting some, but in the US they are kind of hard to come by. I have a friend who actually over-winters his on a windowsill. Like me, he lives in Oregon, so not a lot of direct sun during winter, but it seems to do fine. I have strong lighting for it fortunately.

Only issue is I would wish that I had paramidea to put on them!


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## MantidMaster

This would make a very good communal assassin bug enclosure. Keep up the good work!


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## schmiggle

Any news on these?


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## brolloks

@schmiggle
Wow, it's been a while since I posted some photos of them. They have really grown up quite a bit  I really hope they will flower when spring comes.
These are insect death traps! haha

Reactions: Like 1 | Award 1


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## schmiggle

You really have done an excellent job--they look gorgeous, and they've gotten huge in such a short time! Are you fertilizing them, or did you somehow find capsid bugs?


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## brolloks

Thanks a lot! I am also very pleased with how they have developed. I do Foliar-Fertilization on the pot containing the 3 plants, to try and see if it has any benefit over the plants I don't fertilize, so far it does not seem to have any effect. I use a diluted, water soluble fertilizer high in nitrogen. I also spray it on a lot of my other carnivorous plants. I think the mixture is a little weak though, only 60ppm if I am not mistaken. The next batch will be a bit stronger.


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## Tleilaxu

Alrighty no more stalling, it's time to get the bugs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## brolloks

Tleilaxu said:


> Alrighty no more stalling, it's time to get the bugs.


Haha, would love that. Time is unfortunately not on my side to do a trip into the Cape region at the moment.


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## brolloks

Hi Guys,

Snapped this photo on Friday.

Fly carnage!

Reactions: Like 2


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## brolloks

Tleilaxu said:


> Alrighty no more stalling, it's time to get the bugs.


I found someone else that is growing Roridula. He said he might actually be able to get some Pameridea for me. Holding thumbs.

Reactions: Optimistic 2


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## Tleilaxu

brolloks said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Snapped this photo on Friday.
> 
> Fly carnage!


Yea it's time to get those critters, hopefully the guy can deliver.


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## brolloks

Flower power! (With a crappy phone camera )

Reactions: Like 2 | Award 2


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## schmiggle

Huzzah! Maybe you'll get viable seeds

Reactions: Like 1


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## The Snark

@brolloks Speaking as someone who is pretty much limited to growing mold on a shower curtain, that plant is amazing. I've heard how hard they can be to grow. You're sure doing something right.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## brolloks

Thanks everyone. I did not really expect them to grow this well, since they are notorious for stem rot.
I have actually sowed a few more seeds into small peat pots to see if I can germinate a few more plants, and soon I shall have an army of Roridula!

Reactions: Like 1


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## schmiggle

brolloks said:


> Thanks everyone. I did not really expect them to grow this well, since they are notorious for stem rot.
> I have actually sowed a few more seeds into small peat pots to see if I can germinate a few more plants, and soon I shall have an army of Roridula!


Those bugs won't even know what hit 'em.

I will say, if anyone was going to be able to grow these, it would be someone in South Africa.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tleilaxu

I'm glad they are doing well, but you need to get on getting the assassin bugs that these plants need.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## schmiggle

Tleilaxu said:


> I'm glad they are doing well, but you need to get on getting the assassin bugs that these plants need.


While I agree with you, the bugs on these plants are mirid, rather than reduviid (assassin) bugs.


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## Tleilaxu

schmiggle said:


> While I agree with you, the bugs on these plants are mirid, rather than reduviid (assassin) bugs.


I present you the words of a wise droid:

"Don't get technical with me."

Reactions: Funny 1


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## brolloks

Hi All,

I have got a few new additions!
Looking at the leave structure, I believe these are dentata.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## schmiggle

No doubt about it. Good luck with those--dentata is much nicer, IMO, but also known for being harder (then again, after how well round 1 went, maybe you need a challenge  )

Reactions: Like 1


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## brolloks

@schmiggle thanks! I actually thought they were going to be gorgonias as the previous seeds that were labeled dentata turned out to be gorgonias.
I planted 8 seeds on the 21st of May and so far 6 of them have germinated.

I also have another new "surprise" plant that germinated recently. Will post some photos soon

Reactions: Like 1


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## brolloks

Hi all,

gorgonias flowers and seed.

Reactions: Like 1


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## pirminiamac

Tleilaxu said:


> If you can you should catch the bugs that live on them in the wild. Since all these plants is catch bugs but rely on the little assassin's to do the digesting for them.


It's a symbiotic relationship you can you have one without the other?? It would be brilliant to be able to see this happening, you are lucky!


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