Our Adventure With Victoria 2002

Because V. cruziana is the biggest puzzle of the Victorias for us, we are planning to track our first installed for 2002 with regular pictures and a journal of progress and problems. Check in here the first and middle of each month to track "C47B" with us.

The plant is one that was started in the fall from Paraguayan seeds (See 2001 Seeds of the Century) and struggled through the winter with 6-8" pads in a heated tank. It was subjected to trials and errors and we almost lost it several times. Once we balanced its nutrients, it got pretty happy but became pot-bound before we were ready to plant it, stalling at 10-12" pads.

5/29/02	The middle of May we planted it in a built-in pot in "Victoria" (See Garden Diagram). At the time it had five pads, the largest of which was 12". Two weeks later it has six pads, 10", 12", 14", 16", 22" and 26". Though caterpillars are rampant and eating holes in the pads quicker than we can hand-pick them off, the plant is otherwise healthy and growing rapidly.
6/14/02	By mid-June we are delighted with the growth rate of the pads. In two weeks, the maximum pad size has increased to 38". We are not happy that older pads are deteriorating rapidly. We plan to play a little with the nutrient package to see if we can improve this.
7/1/02	This is not a very happy plant right now. Though the largest pad is 43", there are only three and they are shrinking. We increased the nutrients a little just as we entered several weeks of continuous clouds and rain, which reduced the daytime water temperature. We have now reduced feeding substantially until we see improvement in the weather AND the plant.
7/14/02	FINALLY the sun has returned to the Sunshine State. This is our first day without clouds and rain in weeks. The plant is still not happy. We have resumed almost normal feeding based on pad surface area and hope that sun and heat will do the rest. Other cruzianas in higher light areas of the garden (namely the dune) are doing better than this one.
7/30/02	The plant is still shrinking in pad diameter but is holding the same number as before. We are starting to "burp" it -- pushing the crown down to release gasses trapped under it. It has been hot and sunny for two weeks. Other cruzianas continue to thrive.
8/31/02	We began this journal hoping we would be tracking a big beautiful Paraguayan cruziana blooming its head off and making tons of seeds to share with everyone. It is still losing size but isn't unhealthy unless you consider that it only holds four pads. We are still hoping it will bloom.
9/20/02	Hope for flowers shrinks with the plant. 10/13/02 - The plant was near death and dug up.