Difficult platyceriums in the Tropics...

[lchsu]

A few platy species have proven to be a little difficult for us here in the equatorial tropics - hoping that the advanced platycerium growers can give us some pointers!   

[lchsu]

The most difficult I think would be P. madagascariensis.....

I start them like this....



...and they end up like this....



The only one I have left is still OK, and I think recovering a little from the recent hot, dry weather we have been having.  K. Wanna..... this is the one I got last May.....



I read that they need to have moist conditions, but sometimes it can get too moist and then rot sets in ..... gonna try something different - keep moist but maybe try some fungicide to keep fungal infections at bay....

Might also try a different mounting - but will need to get more plants for that display 

Also hear that they don't like it too hot......but there's nothing much we can do about it here, unless we spend a lot of money building a cool house!

[lchsu]

Then there is P. Andinium...... Another cooler weather platy that grows s..l..o..w..l..y.....!!!!

So far mine have been OK. Growing slowly but just not flourishing....

Original in Sept 2009



November 2009



Now...



Even the stemmaria pup next to it has grown much faster!  The beautiful shield fronds also tend to dry up relatively quickly.....

I think the problem here may be the lack of night time cooling, or rather a higher temp difference between day and night - our temps here tend to vary only by a few degrees up/down.....

[lchsu]

P. Superbum has also been difficult for us to grow here.  Most growers that I know of have had theirs die.....and they grow EXTREMELY slowly!!!

This is my original in April 2009 from K. Pitak.  He was initially reluctant to sell it as it was small although it had been grown already for 3 years!



June 2009..


Nov 2010....had a bit of a set back but grew back.......


Currently....finally a bit of a fertile frond....


Of course....this is the nicer one - still have 3 others that range from "looking like it might die" to decently growing.....

Still not sure what the right conditions would be for them - of course a cooler weather would help, but that's difficult to do here; am I right to say that they should not be kept to wet? 

Any advice from the Advanced Platy growers?? 

[matthew_platy]

hi there, i have killed plenty of madagascariensis (those i got from wanna & friends who manage to germinate them via lab).
so i am kind of wash my hand on it................

superbum is another one that i have killed. think we both buy from our dear friend Ronnie. I have also killed 1 that i have bought from wanna. now i only left 1 but it is not growing......... my heart is bouncing upon the time that it has to depart from me......
 

[wanna]

I've killed many P. madagascariense I think they are more than hundred.    this species is difficult to grow in the tropical area and many kinds of pest love to eat it. I found that its bud was eaten by tiny worms if I didn't notice it I could not know. one of my friend keeps the mother plant in his nursery, he told me he has to spray insecticide every month,if not it will die.  It is not only insects but also easily get rotten by fungi cause hot and humid climate. I notice that my P. mada look nice when the temperature is not more than 25 celsius so it is very hard for our area.
this is mine, I hope  Mr. Gecko frighten insects

[wanna]

Ichsu, your P. superbum still look healthy. I no have the one with fertile fronds. this species also quite hard to keep and very slow growing.

[wanna]

as for P. andinum, I think it is easier to keep then P. mada and superbum. i I always leave it drys out before watering and I notice that this species like air movement a lot too. now a couple of mine are forming pups. their fronds are very lovely and snowy. I will take some photos soon.

[wanna]

     lovely and snowy 

[wanna]

 

[wanna]

don't eat me naaa... pleaseee

[lchsu]

K Wanna...your andinium looks beautiful!    I think they look nice when they are large, but for me so far they are slow growing.  I, too, like the furry snowy look of their fronds especially when they are newly emerged....So far I have not killed any but am getting some parasites - same things that more or less killed my wallichii....




Trying out some white summer oil on them - think it looks like it's working; just hope it doesn't kill the plant too! 

[lchsu]

I've killed many P. madagascariense I think they are more than hundred.    this species is difficult to grow in the tropical area and many kinds of pest love to eat it. I found that its bud was eaten by tiny worms if I didn't notice it I could not know. one of my friend keeps the mother plant in his nursery, he told me he has to spray insecticide every month,if not it will die.  It is not only insects but also easily get rotten by fungi cause hot and humid climate. I notice that my P. mada look nice when the temperature is not more than 25 celsius so it is very hard for our area.
this is mine, I hope  Mr. Gecko frighten insects

Mr Gecko is cute! but why is he being strangled!

I want to try a new mounting method and maybe more regular fungicide/insecticide use - if that doesn't work, then I 

[matthew_platy]

   lovely and snowy 

your andinums are lovely...... looking forward to buy them. 

[matthew_platy]

K Wanna...your andinium looks beautiful!    I think they look nice when they are large, but for me so far they are slow growing.  I, too, like the furry snowy look of their fronds especially when they are newly emerged....So far I have not killed any but am getting some parasites - same things that more or less killed my wallichii....




Trying out some white summer oil on them - think it looks like it's working; just hope it doesn't kill the plant too! 

i spray my ridleyi with pesticide as i fear slug once to twice a week as i fear slug will attack them. so far the pesticide didnt do any harm to them.