Print

[Kaktus]

Greetings all of you! So i am extremely new to growing plants, i grew 4 pepper plants last summer but this is the first time ive gone beyond that and everhthing is currently inside by a window because it gets too cold still some days out side. Right now i have mostly caapi and cactus but one psychotria viridis as well.

What im primarily concerned with right now is that i havent been adding enough materials for proper drainage in any of my plants, i added a lot of perlite to the soil of all my cactuses with higher concentrations at the bottom of the pot but overall a 33/33/33 mix perlite sand and compost, and im wondering if i should be adding perlite or pumice to my caapi plants as well? Right now they reside inside of a mix of 50% compost/50% sphagum moss in the case of psychotria viridis and my 2 bigger caapi cuttings, but the small ones are about 70% compost/20% sphagum and 10% sand. I believe the small ones were grown from seed as opposed to being cuttings if it makes a difference.

The only caapi plant that ive seen actually grow is a baby cielo vine that is in the 70/20/10 mix, the other two baby vines i got at the same time and they have not changed at all both with some leaves that are yellowish and ranging to droopy, ive had them maybe a month i repotted them into this mix 2 weeks ago from what looked like a mix of bark and garden soil, theyre roots filled up the whole previous pots and seemed healthy when i was moving them out but they have yet to grow new leaves as the cielo has. The other caapi plants came in just last week im hoping they will perk up soon.

The first picture is all of the plants of course, the next 2 is the baby vines that have me most worried, and then theyre friend who seems to be doing fine. Last is just more of my cactuses for fun this altogether is my whole collection so far

[Kaktus]

One thing i forgot to add that may be of importance is my compost pile is a mix of primarily cow manure, coffee grounds, and then just dirt from my backyards, though there is a lot more of a variety that goes in those are the biggest contributers.

[ONandONandON]

Been growing my caapis with no problems in plain potting soil from store, and/or sandy soil from yard, in plastic pots.
Ceramic pots should drain faster than plastic ones, your mix sounds good.. i'd say it looks like you're good all around.

[Kaktus]

Thats great to hear! Im very excited to be growing such wonderful plants i really want the caapi to do well, from what ive read it seems like you can harden them up to a variety of climates im hoping to keep most of them in large pots as they get older but to try and put at least a couple in the ground if i can. I live in north texas zone 8a/8b so i think its possible though it might not be the perfect place for it. I already have a 10x10 greenhouse i just need to set up so hopefully that will help to keep them happy once summer comes.