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Question
I keep my Cephalotus in a African Voilet pot on my windowsill under light at 77 degress.I know that the tempature is suppose to be lower at night if the tempature does not drop is it alright to water the plant at night from the top using water that's been in the refrigator like you do with Cobra Plants.The plant looks like it's growing but some leaves are yellow.
Hello Sammy,
The main thing is, does the temperature drop at night appreciably? Cephalotus do like slightly lower nightly temperatures. I would say that you could try chilled water and just water the plant at night, but since Cephalotus do not like their soil wet all the time, you should be careful not to overwater the plant. Another option is to simply place a couple of iced bottles of water near the pot enough so that the pot cools down to about 60-70 degrees. Place a thermometer on the pot and keep an eye on it so you can guage how many bottles you need and how far to place them from the pot the first time or two to keep that temperature for a few hours at least. That works well for overwintering North American plants indoors too if you use enough bottles and place them right against the pots in an ice chest.
You might want to ask this question of Sarracenia Northwest as well as I have limited experience with Cephalotus.
Christopher
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Answers by Expert:
Christopher Littrell
Expertise
I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.
Experience
I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.
Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.
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