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ogg130
Stranger
Registered: 11/27/11
Posts: 2
Last seen: 12 years, 2 months
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Calea Z not looking so hot after a couple of months....
#15430292 - 11/27/11 11:28 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Someone I know picked up a decent Calea Z cutting a couple of months back. This is the plant shortly after arrival and transplant, nice green and vibrant:

My friend hasn't been able to find a lot of Calea growing information and went into this as a newbie plant tender as well. Firstly, when the plant was originally transplanted, a mix of whatever random organic potting soil that was on hand and perlite was used as a grow medium. From reading online, my friend understood that Calea Z prefers a potting medium that most plants wouldn't thrive in. Low in nutrients, regular dirt works, etc, etc.
The transplant started out in an outdoor greenhouse, temperature controlled to 70~ degrees at all times. A few weeks after transplant, the plant was placed outside in full Arizona sun (when the temperature was starting to lower for the winter) during the day and back into the greenhouse at night, as the information out there says that this plant eats up sun, the more the better... The routine turned into taking it outside for full sun during the day, and back into the greenhouse at night for about a month. It's now staying in the greenhouse at all times.
This is what it looks like now:




It has become very rigid in the stem and parts of the stem leading to leaves. Some of the 'side-stems' and their leaves are bending downwards. It hasn't grown in height or size much since it was obtained. All of the greenness in the stem has been replaced with purple/red, a few of the leaves have purple scaling, but from reading here, that may just be sunburn. The plant is watered with tap water every couple of days.
Should this plant get transplanted into a different medium? Should it be outdoors or in the greenhouse? Most of the pictures of Calea that my friend has seen online have been fully green and ive heard that this plant doesn't need much to grow. What is my friend doing wrong?
There is new growth, and its mostly green w/ a little purple and hanging in there so all hope may not be lost, but my friend would appreciate any help anyone can provide.
Thank you!
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RourkeAnderson
<3 <3 <3



Registered: 03/18/11
Posts: 608
Loc: Surrey, BC, Canada
Last seen: 10 years, 3 months
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Re: Calea Z not looking so hot after a couple of months.... [Re: ogg130]
#15430438 - 11/27/11 12:02 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Looks like sunburn to me, Calea is pretty resilient, so I wouldn't worry too much about him dying; but keep it in some shade for a bit. Mines in 50% sun all the time and is growing pretty happily.
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ogg130
Stranger
Registered: 11/27/11
Posts: 2
Last seen: 12 years, 2 months
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Re: Calea Z not looking so hot after a couple of months.... [Re: RourkeAnderson]
#15430467 - 11/27/11 12:13 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Awesome, glad to hear that shes not toast. Thank you sir, will have the plant moved to the partial shade side of the greenhouse.
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