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[happyconcacti]

I've always done the "Hcc's verticle" approach w/ great success.

I really shouldn't have named that approach after myself 

 
Hcc

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[gator]

LOL It sounds like a good name to me! The first faq I ever read on Viridis propagation was by Wyrm on the Nexus. I've always called that the Wyrm method, which is what I see most people doing (verticle).
HCC, I love the scientific approach to your experiments. That is how we truly learn and pass on the knowledge to future experimenters!

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[Tzabaoth]

I am very happy with this little rooter.  I put a small piece of leaf in the cloner and in just over a week I have some nice little roots.  This is a homemade cloner in a 3.5 gal bucket with a small sprinkle inside.

Thanks,

.: Tzabaoth

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[happyconcacti]

Is it common for P. viridis to develop woody-looking "trunks" once they get about a foot tall? Or do they have a disease? I can take photos soon if needed.

Also, some of the crown leaves are starting to look slightly "spotty" in the parts of the leaves between the veins. Is this a lack of nutrients? If so, how do I attempt to amend this?

Thank you,
Hcc

[TBM]

Not really sure what to say about the woody trunks you speak of without seeing a picture, it's my understanding that the stem should get a bit more woody once it gets older, but then my viridis never got big enough for me to see that in person   Oh well I have my P. nexus plants now and they're doing great (not quite a foot tall yet).


What colors are these spots? Yellow? Without seeing any pictures, my three top guesses to spots would be:

• Lack of nutrients (most likely nitrogen)
• Possibly the soil pH is too alkaline
• might be rootbound?

This is all speculation without pictures.

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[Bach]

Heck yeah! Woody trunks are a good sign the plant is maturing. You'll find they do get a little hardier and more able to withstand less than ideal conditions as they get older.

You have reached a major milestone there Hcc! 

I agree about the spots, probably a nutrient deficiency, probably nitrogen.

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[happyconcacti]

Thanks Bach! I was getting worried but that's turned into joy!

I'll get some nigh-nitrogen nutes asap.

Hcc

[Shrub]

Hello



i have a plant that after a long time trying to get them to grow finally took hold, now its getting close to 2 feet tall.

some of the newer leaves are less dark green then the lower ones, is this a problem?

i have close to a dozen leaves from it taking roots in a pot nearby, although i cant see them directly i know their growing very strong.

im worried about fungi and if i should do anything, one is a white fungi which has appeared on the main plant in fluffy blotches, i just have outright removed it when i see it but should i be worried about it?

and in the pot with the leaves taking root i have notices that either a green fungi or algea is forming a layer in there, im not sure if i should worry about it either (i would presume that within limitedextenst it would be helping with the roots getting nutrients)

do i need to remove either or both and if so what is a good way to go about this?

and finally given all the leaves taking root, i am curious about proper method to transport them to keep them alive, i want to find other people to exchange leaves, rooted leaves and saplings so as to increase the genetic diversity i have and i dont know the best way to do this.

and finally, how do viridis produce seeds? do their need to be multiple plants or can they reproduce asexually?

thank you.

[TBM]

I think the slight gradient in dark green with your 2 ft plant is probably normal; the leaves on the bottom being the oldest have had the longest to mature so it makes sense they would be darker, although it wouldn't hurt to post a picture to make sure.

I have had fungus/molds on the surface of the soil with Psychotria before, some fungi are beneficial to the soil like Mycorrhiza which is white in color. I have an organic fertilizer which has Mycorrhiza and when I added it to the soil with my P. nexus the one pot ended up being completely covered on the top briefly by white fuzz, but the mycelium never tried to eat the sprouts.

I always tried to remove green molds out of the soil if I ever see it, but I haven't seen that with my Psychotria. I generally associate green mold with not enough air flow, try increasing the amount of fresh air exchange in the pot with the green mold. If the problem continues it might be your using soil that's retaining to much water, either from improper soil mix, over-watering, or the water can't drain from the bottom properly.

Whenever I have sent any Psychotria through the mail, it was only rooted leaves, some with sprouts a few inches tall. What I did to keep them alive in transit was to take it out of the soil, rinse off with water, then I wrapped the roots in a moist paper towel (soaked paper towel full, then wrung out until it no longer dripped). I then placed that into a plastic bag and before closing it I would exhale into the bag to give it moisture and CO2. Put that into a box with crumbled up newspaper or bubble wrap and its ready to ship.

[Ian Morris]

The psychotria I was given from a generous member here was shipped unrooted as the plain leaf.

The leaves were packed into a folded coffee filter that was soaked and put into a plastic bag and sealed.  The wet filter only covered about half of the leaf from the stem side.  I made the two leaves into four cuttings and the ones with the stem have already rooted, I am sure the leaf tips will follow.

[marshmellow]

I had some fungus in my Psychotria alba when I brought them in for winter. I thought it was kinda cool because I'm a mushroom grower aswell . even though I didn'tgrow this one, I do grow mushrooms in some plants that have the same environment just for fun.

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[Shrub]

thank you for all the replies tbm, i have just been worried the lighter colour may be from lack of nitrogen, the thing is taking over a fairly large pot full with thin roots.

the potted leaves are sitting in a long soil pot with a specialized bottom (basicly just a thatching that allows for an actual water pool to collect) that i have left open to drain, soil wise its just a mixture of potting soil which i shifted for clay (which already has allot of coir in it) combined with sand which i cleaned with water incase their was any salt or odd undesirables which would not normally be there because of its source.

their outside and the leaves do get some sun (not all day) and allot of ventilation. the green stuff im not sure if it is algae or fungi, but im hard pressed to reduce the amount of water because i dont want the leaves to dry out and if i have to pull them out and move them to new soil i dont know what a good alternative would be (i do have some vine bark which has been shredded i could use an alternative, i do know their sprouting roots like mad though as it is so i dont know if its something to worry about).

i seriously think part in parcel to my green thumb was cause by getting the birds to fly to my house, their droppings carried fungi and its actually the fungi caring for the plants and not me.

as for shipping thank you to both tbm and ian, i had an inclination i could just take some leaves off, put them in a bag of wet bark with a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide and then just move them around, the leaves are remarkably hard if slow growing. its rather odd as well because stems seem to be very stubborn in my experience, to take root but the leaves you just have to pretend they were knocked off in a monsoon (hit the plant with a fair amount of water, wait a bit, take off the leaves after a few hours, let them soak overnight in some water as of they were carried in a river crack the stem, let them soak for another hour then put them in soil and if you come back three days later every crack is producing stems), yep the monsoon simulation may be a bit contrived but it seemed like the natural situation leaves would be knock out in and they respond very well once put into soil.)

and just to ask again, anyone have an idea about how they reproduce?

thank you everyone

[Bach]

In nature they reproduce by seed.  And maybe leaf cloning.

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[Frog Pajamas]

Little bump to this thread with a quick (getting longer daily... sorry) synopsis of the most salient info, for any new viridis growers ...

For soil, use the "Bach mix", which is about 1:1:1 potting soil: perlite:vermiculite. They can go a little heavier on soil as they mature, but the lighter mix is good for rooting. They run the risk of transplant shock, so any changes in soil should be done gradually.

Leaf orientation: People have had success with planting the leaves horizontal, vertical or vertical with much of the leaf buried (see image below, courtesy of hcc). Each seems to root successfully, though it is more likely to have sprouts growing above the soil line with vertical. You can also snap the main stem in several places of the below soil part (accordion method) for any leaf orientation to promote shoots in each spot. You dont't tear it apart completely, just snap the stem and plant same as otherwise.

Humidity is key. You want near 100% humidity because this is going to take awhile and the leaf needs to stay moist to stay alive. Anything from putting the pots into large ziplocks, covering with glass jars, plastic 2-liters, up to more complicated humidity chambers should suffice.

Supply fresh air daily or so (though they've been left to go longer without issue) by opening up your chamber for a few minutes.

Water thoroughly, and keep them moist throughout rooting. Don't let them dry out between waterings, though with the high humidity you may not need to water very often at all.

As for light, PV are understory plants. They are highly susceptible to burn with too intense of lights. They do fine near a window (I'm using an East-facing window) or on the outskirts of an indoor light setup. Outside as they get older, they'll do best under a tree so they get a couple hours of indirect light early or late and are shaded during the high-light hours of the day or under a partial shade cloth.

Temps in the high 70's to 80's are preferable, I believe, but attaching a heat mat or heater to the chamber was unsuccessful for TBM and fried them. I rooted a leaf bit my cat left after he munched a pv in downright cold weather (indoors, but drafty and well below their preferred temps), and it has finally sprouted despite the colder temps.

Then wait. And wait. And wait a little longer. And wait just a bit longer, and... sprouts! 

Let me know if anybody sees anything I've missed or should be amended. Thanks!

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[MirlitonVine]

Thanks, I got mine planted today. Check it out.

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