Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
treefern_gw

Leaf fertilization - A.titanum 'ghost'

treefern
18 years ago

A friend of me and I growed some A.titanum from seeds.

Both of us have one pale (he) and nearly pale (I) plant.

Both plants are about to unfolding dear leafes now.

But due to the (nearly) completely missing of any green pigmentation probably the photosynthesis wouldn't take effect. (I hope this is still english? ;-) )

How can we avoid that these plants are dying?

My first guess, was fertilization with a fertilizer with low NPK but high trace elements (eg: ferric elements). But I think to get those over the root system, the plant would need a running photosynthesis.

My 2nd thought was to do some direct leaf fertilization.

Could this work?

Had anyone ever tried to do leaf fertilization on Amorphs (or close related other aroids)?

thanks

Peter

PS. What is latin for ghost? spiritus? Would be Amorphophallus titanum spiritus :-))

Comments (14)

  • arumgrande
    18 years ago

    Hi Peter,
    Unfortunately I can't help you to solve your problem, sorry. But I found a nice German-Latin-translator-site:
    http://cu-here.de/dic.php3?german=geist&type=german
    For 'Ghost' would be the best choice 'Phasma', I suppose. 'Spiritus' has a more intellectual, clerical meaning
    Good luck with your Titan Arum-seedlings!
    Bye
    hermann

  • treefern
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    **vbg***
    I think I will stay on Amorphophallus titanum var. spiritus

    I love the idea of a clerical penis

    greetings
    Peter

  • treefern
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Here are some pics of my white beauty:
    http://www.baumfarn.at/gal_Aro.php?treefern=49
    Page to the right, there are 3 pics

    greetings
    Peter

  • konjacking
    18 years ago

    Peter,
    Your titanum is BEAUTIFUL! I say "A.Titanum Spiritus" sounds good to me! Pale to nearly pale isn't saying enough! Your pictures look PRUE WHITE TO ME! Its beautiful! I don't think you can put this plant in any sun, and I am JUST GUESSING... but plant food in water only... nothing on the foliage?!?!?!?! JUST A GUESS!
    Get us more pictures as you can!
    Hope it grows well for you!
    DAVID

  • treefern
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Currently I spray the 'trunk' one time a day with water added a very low amout of organic fertilizer:
    The same water/fertilizer I use for my treeferns and some orchids.
    N 1,5 %
    P205 0,6 %
    K20 4,1 %
    MgO 4,4 %
    Cu 0,06 %
    Zn 0,04 %
    Mn 0,05 %
    Fe 0,16 %
    Mo 0,006 %

    But some components like ferum are sulfatic no chelate.

    greetings
    Peter

  • Seaninoro
    18 years ago

    That is cool! I hope you do post more pics, I would love to see them.

    I just recently smelled my first stinky one this spring Draculus vulgaris. It's a beauty but stinks to high heaven. My bulb company wasn't quite truthful about it being a "unique" smell. It had flies for visitors plus some other things.

    Here's a blood red one to go with the white.

    http://plumeriatc.org/morestuff/DraculusVulgaris.html

  • argus
    18 years ago

    Whoa! Is that unique or are there any more of this cultivar floating around?

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Treefern - absolutely STUNNING! Good luck with it.

    I don't have any amorphs right now, but that gorgeous white puts the black ones to shame!

    Susan

  • klavier
    18 years ago

    I would imagine something like that will not live long. Take as many pictures as you can! Where did the seeds come from? That is really strange.

  • night_breed
    18 years ago

    Hi all

    Those all came from a batch of seeds I collected from a lowland titanum, about 6 months ago.
    I too ended up with a HEAP of white seedlings, that I was afraid would all die.
    The good news is that while mine did all lose their first petioles after about 2 months, they are now growing a second, normal petiole with green pigment.
    I hope Peter and his friends are getting the same results.

    Cheers, Troy.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Seaninaro - yes, the draconium vulgaris is pollinated by flies. It seems that anything that smells like dead meat attracts flies rather than other pollinators like bees.

    Susan

  • franky_
    18 years ago

    Hi Troy,
    two of this seedlings produce a white leaf again without loosing the first leaf. I hope that the other (2) white seedlings, that lost the petiole completely, make it like yours.

    Frank

  • night_breed
    18 years ago

    Hi Frank

    If they don't produce a normal leaf and die, please email me.

    Cheers, Troy.

  • mygweb
    18 years ago

    Hi all, I too have one white titanum seedling amongst the green ones. And yes I got it from Troy about 6 months ago. Hopefully it will survive. I'm not optimistic that it will survive given that there's no chlorophyll. Hopefully it grows a green leaf like Troy's seedlings do. Troy, did all your white ones produce a green leaf? Or some didn't and died? Mine still has one white petiole and not doing much. I find A. peaoniifolius rather difficult to grow. The roots rot easily.

    Mygweb