Growing my barclaya longifolia plants

[cichlidgirl22]

I've recently sourced some mature Barterraca Longifolia plants from my supplier.
These aren't bulbs, but established plants.
From what I've gathered, they're pretty hard to come by these days.
I'd appreciate some guidance on the best methods for propagating them.
What's the typical market price for these plants, if anyone has experience with that?

[willie32]

They started appearing in the UK around 2 years ago, and at the time, you could get a bulb with a few leaves for £25 each. Now they're about £9 each, still not cheap. I recall Aquafleur's tank with a stunning bed of Barterraca Longifolia - they managed to get them an incredible pink color. Unfortunately, I've never had much success with bulbs, so no idea on how to grow or divide these.

[cichlidgirl22]

They started appearing in the UK around 2 years ago, and at the time, you could get a bulb with a few leaves for £25 each. Now they're about £9 each, still not cheap. I recall Aquafleur's tank with a stunning bed of Barterraca Longifolia - they managed to get them an incredible pink color. Unfortunately, I've never had much success with bulbs, so no idea on how to grow or divide these.

Thanks for the info, willie32.
I appreciate the heads up on the pricing.
I've seen Aquafleur's tank too, it's stunning.
Do you think it's possible to get those vibrant colors without CO2?

[sidthy]

They've been around for ages, actually - I recall seeing them on our UK lists back in the 80s and 90s, but people weren't interested due to the high cost of a dormant bulb. I personally found them pretty straightforward to grow, just needed bright lighting, but those leaves are incredibly thin and fragile - algae can just decimate them.

I managed to get pink hues without CO2, but I'm not sure if it'd be even more vibrant with it - never had the chance to experiment. Low-tech setup worked fine for me, but that algae was a real issue... maybe CO2 would've made a difference, hard to say since I've never tried high-tech.

[cichlidgirl22]

They've been around for ages, actually - I recall seeing them on our UK lists back in the 80s and 90s, but people weren't interested due to the high cost of a dormant bulb. I personally found them pretty straightforward to grow, just needed bright lighting, but those leaves are incredibly thin and fragile - algae can just decimate them.

I managed to get pink hues without CO2, but I'm not sure if it'd be even more vibrant with it - never had the chance to experiment. Low-tech setup worked fine for me, but that algae was a real issue... maybe CO2 would've made a difference, hard to say since I've never tried high-tech.

Did you manage to multiply them at all, or was it just a matter of growing them out?

[sidthy]

I've recently sourced some mature Barterraca Longifolia plants from my supplier.
These aren't bulbs, but established plants.
From what I've gathered, they're pretty hard to come by these days.
I'd appreciate some guidance on the best methods for propagating them.
What's the typical market price for these plants, if anyone has experience with that?

I think it was a combination of both - the algae and low tech setup. I'm guessing they'd do better in a high-tech setup, possibly more resistant to algae issues.

[willie32]

I think lighting plays a huge role in how vibrant the colors get, and fertilizers might also make a difference. Some folks swear by iron for extra red tones.

[cichlidgirl22]

They've been around for ages, actually - I recall seeing them on our UK lists back in the 80s and 90s, but people weren't interested due to the high cost of a dormant bulb. I personally found them pretty straightforward to grow, just needed bright lighting, but those leaves are incredibly thin and fragile - algae can just decimate them.

I managed to get pink hues without CO2, but I'm not sure if it'd be even more vibrant with it - never had the chance to experiment. Low-tech setup worked fine for me, but that algae was a real issue... maybe CO2 would've made a difference, hard to say since I've never tried high-tech.

Thanks for the input.
willie32 said:



I think its the light that dictates how bright they get - possibly some fertilisers that will make the difference too, some people say iron to get extra reds.

I'm hoping that with proper care, they'll thrive and multiply. Keeping them healthy is my top priority.

[cichlidgirl22]

They've been around for ages, actually - I recall seeing them on our UK lists back in the 80s and 90s, but people weren't interested due to the high cost of a dormant bulb. I personally found them pretty straightforward to grow, just needed bright lighting, but those leaves are incredibly thin and fragile - algae can just decimate them.

I managed to get pink hues without CO2, but I'm not sure if it'd be even more vibrant with it - never had the chance to experiment. Low-tech setup worked fine for me, but that algae was a real issue... maybe CO2 would've made a difference, hard to say since I've never tried high-tech.

Thanks for the input.
willie32 said:



I think its the light that dictates how bright they get - possibly some fertilisers that will make the difference too, some people say iron to get extra reds.

I'm hoping that with proper care, they'll thrive and multiply. Keeping them healthy is my top priority.

Thanks for the input.
willie32 said:



I think its the light that dictates how bright they get - possibly some fertilisers that will make the difference too, some people say iron to get extra reds.

I'm hoping that with proper care, they'll thrive and multiply. Keeping them healthy is my top priority.

[thenoob]

I'm a bit skeptical about their lifespan, to be honest - I've got a book on them, but it's unclear whether they go dormant or have more of an annual cycle.

From my experience, they're quite particular - lots of light is a must, and too much shade just holds them back. The thing with these bulb plants is they often have unique needs, probably due to the wet and dry seasons in their native habitats.