Victoria is not an easy plant to grow in the early going, from seed to juvenile plant. It has taken a great deal of experimentation and brainstorming by a lot of people for a number of years to arrive at a formula for success that can be achieved by anyone that wants to grow the queen of aquatic plants.
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Water that is 85F (29C) or higher for starting seeds and growing
young seedlings Nicking of seeds of certain varieties Regular water exchanges or a small flow through the aquarium or tank Good light and good air circulation Pots or cups with holes in the bottom A bland planting medium with a small amount of peat at the bottom of the pots A nutrient package given weakly weekly, preferably the Cocktail |
We credit Craig Presnell with providing the final piece of the puzzle, peat. Since we began putting a small amount of it in the bottom of our cups and pots as he does, our seedling survival rate (of those planted with hastate leaves and roots) has gone from too abysmal to give numbers to 80%. This is for more than 200 seedlings and across the board - species and hybrids at almost equal rates.
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Peat works. It must be used in combination with the other Absolute Essentials above but it is the key to success.
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April 2004 Update - Reports from growers following this program exactly report live, healthy plants. Growers NOT following the program exactly report dead or dying plants. |
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