Titan Update September 2, 2005
Height: 44 inches (112 cm)
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44 inches (112 cm)
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Close-up
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| We are getting so close. I can’t believe it hasn’t opened yet. Each time I visit the bloom it looks like it’s beginning to open. Then I return to the prior day’s photos and realize it hasn’t changed much at all. There is additional coloration of the spathe and it has yet to fully change from green to maroon. If it doesn’t open tomorrow, I fear it may not. I have read on the web about some that have gotten this far only to collapse without opening. Or, as was the case in Atlanta last year, they sometimes open at night and by the next morning have closed up. Although I would think there would be a noticeable difference. At least we would still have the time-lapse photography so we could see it opened, but what a loss for our guests. I’ve been asked to comment on our culture for our titans. Our culture is based on Craig Allen’s titan culture that he developed while at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. We produce these in our tropical greenhouse at the Walt Disney World Tree Farm and Nursery. The temperature in the greenhouse runs 70o to 85o Fahrenheit (21o to 29o C) year round. We use a Canadian peat moss professional growers mix (Pro Mix). We first place coarse charcoal in the bottom of the pot for drainage, then we begin adding the peat moss along with composted cow manure, bone meal, and Nutricote (20-20-20). About 3 parts pro mix to 1 part cow manure make up the bulk of the mix. We would incorporate about 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) bone meal and 1 cup (240 ml) of Nutricote per 4 bags of Pro Mix. We fill the pot half full with this combination then we will add a layer 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of just plain Pro Mix. We don’t want any of the fertilizer or cow manure to come in contact with the tuber as this could encourage rot. We then center the tuber in the pot and fill in the remaining space with Pro Mix. We then water every third day or so. If it’s a flower, we will continue watering every third day, and if it’s a leaf then it may require more frequent watering. Once a week we will liquid feed with Daniel’s organic fertilizer. This regiment has given us as much as 40 lbs. (18 kg) of growth on the some tubers per growing season. |
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This page was created by Scott Hyndman for the I.A.S. on September 7, 2005.
