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[APD] Re: Anubias gilbertii?



Michael:

I don't know of any plant with the Latin name of Anubias gilbertii, but I'd 
sure like to have one if it exists. If you don't mind my asking, where did you 
get yours? Does it have a sister?

Just in case you meant Anubias gilletii, or in any case actually(:0)),  most 
Anubias and other aquatic Aroids respond quite well to the following protocol 
which I've used successfully on many, many examples of Urospatha, Cyrtosperma, 
and on all my other Lasoids like Lasiomorpha senegalensis, various forms of 
Lasia spinosa, etc....

Try to get those black, sturdy, PVC plastic pots that are wider than they are 
deep. You can locate these at some agricultural supply houses. They are hard 
to find especially in smaller sizes and I wish I could give you a name or an 
on-line source but I can't as I seem to have lost it. Besides, I'm leaving for 
the AGA convention in a few hours and just don't have time to look right now. 
Heck, I still have to pack...

Anyway, fill the bottom third of the container you're going to use with lava 
rock with maybe a sprinkling of pea gravel toward the top to fill in any large 
gaps as transition to the more consolidated substrate to follow. The upper 
two-thirds or remainder of the pots should be a 50/50 mix of clean, course, 
sterile sand (such as builder's, leveling or "play" sand) the other half being 
decomposed sphagnum peat fiber. Lambert's is one brand typically sold at the 
Depot in compressed bales. 

Don't add any other organic matter to this mix! No bird, bat, cow or any 
other type of poop or anything else that will rot or cause rot in the water soaked 
environment your plant's roots will be living in from now on.

Throw a little trace element powder into your sand/peat mix as you homogenize 
it (provided you have any) and then pot up your plant with its roots draped 
over a mound of this mix in the center area of the pot such that it puts the 
rhizome centered about an inch below the top of your container at soil level. 
Remember, don't bury the rhizome if it has one -- just the roots. Better too 
high than too low. Take note of the direction of growth and try to allow for this 
when initially potting/planting things so that you need to re-pot or disturb 
the plant as little as possible for as long as possible.

Throw some resin coated, time release fertilizer in a balanced formula on the 
surface of the soil if you want to. You could have mixed some into the upper 
third of the sand/peat in a very conservative proportion as referenced from 
the fertilizer manufacturer's instructions.

Place your plant into it's tank with the water at a level just below the 
soil's level within the pot. This is most important: Do NOT submerge any of the 
peat/sand mix you made up! You want the water to wick up into this substrate 
through the lava rock -- which it will. 

Now then, don't water your plant from the top, as would be normal procedure, 
until you see roots growing out of the drain holes in the bottom of the pot 
you used. That's right -- don't wet the soil from the top except for liquid 
fertilization at half the recommended rate once a week. I recommend and myself use 
Dyna-gro growth formula during the recovery/growth phase of emergent culture. 
It is relatively expensive product compared to Miracle Grow or Peter's but 
worth it IMHO. Notice the nutrient sources listed on the label - I have yet to 
see a better pedigree or get better results from another brand. If someone 
thinks they do -- please let us know so we can try out and evaluate that product.

Remove the potted plant from to do your liquid fertilizing and allow all the 
liquid fertilizer to drain well before placing your plant back into the tank. 
Change tank water every week, after fertilizing would be as good a time as 
usual. 

That's all there is to it basically.

Good luck,

Bob Olesen
in West Palm Beach, FL
Does anyone have any cultural recommendations for this plant?  I am growing 
mine in  a peat and sand mix, partly submerged in a 10 gallon aquarium with 
water temps at 82 degrees.  The plant is in a 4 inch pot and is submersed 
about 
1/3 of the way down (the pot).  The aquarium is not in full or bright sun but 
rather relative shade, (I cant bring the aquarium any closer to the window)   
the plant has lost a leaf and seems to be losing another quickly, (it only 
has 
one more left!)  Id hate to lose this rarity, can anyone help?  Thanks so 
much,  Michael Mattlage
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