My Cryptanthus suffer during winter, they always seem to get burned or rot away at the base! 

A: 

Cryptanthus prefer the same temperature range we humans do, 16 - 29 C ( 60 - 85 F ) in the winter months Cryptanthus don't grow as much and should be "hardened off" by reducing the amount of water they receive. If your Cryptanthus are exposed to very low temperatures, they may have badly damaged leaves, but should survive if well mulched and the root zone does not freeze. Leaves will be less likely to be burned when they are dry. 

Q: 

I have some Cryptanthus hybrids that are shown in pictures as bieng large brown plants with white crossbands, but mine are small and green.... What's wrong? 

A: 
Many people hide their Crypts under benches, where they don't get enough light or food. Your plants sound like they could be a Cryptanthus fosterianus hybrid, which can grow quite large when well fed. Cryptanthus fosterianus' leaves can reach over a foot long, and will turn a chocolate brown when given sufficient light. 

Q: 

I have a Cryptanthus bivittatus "pink starlite", which is covered with pups, when can I remove and plant them separately? 

A: 

Most Cryptanthus will willingly release their pups when it is time for them to be potted separately, some require a slight "rock" sideways for the pup to come free. Cryptanthus bivittatus and Cryptanthus acaulis both are a "mounding" type of Cryptanthus and will usually "fall apart" when they are ready to be potted on. 

When removed from the mother plant, small Cryptanthus pups will take much longer to mature and grow, opposed to the pups left to reach one-quarter to one-third the mother plant's size before removal. 

Many Cryptanthus will "mound" and become quite attractive "clumps" of Cryptanthus, but beware that a "mound" or "clump" may prove difficult to keep watered and fed correctly! 

Q: 

I have glued my Cryptanthus to a bromeliad tree, and it is looking sick.. how can I get it looking good again?. 

A: 

Cryptanthus are true terrestrials and have never been found growing as epiphytes in nature. Your Cryptanthus will probably die fairly quickly unless potted in mix and kept moist to recover. 

Q: 

What is a good potting mix for Cryptanthus? 

A: 

There are many mixes available that suit Cryptanthus, I use a 50-50 mixture of German Peat and commercial potting mix to grow my Cryptanthus, with good results, most importantly your Crypt Mix should stay moist, but not wet and contain some "food" value for the Crypts. 

Q: 

Can I use the same pots I use for my epiphytic Bromeliads? 

A: 

Yes, within reason. As Cryptanthus are terrestrial bromeliads, they should not be underpotted, as they will develop root systems larger than most epiphytic Bromeliads. You should also note that most Cryptanthus grown in smaller pots will form "umbrellas" deflecting the water away from the roots!, allowing the mixture to dry out if you are not careful! 

Q: 

Can I grow Cryptanthus in hanging baskets? 

A: 

Yes, and many people do. Cryptanthus grow well in baskets, but the same rules apply as for pots. The mix should drain freely and not be allowed to dry out completely... Coconut fiber baskets can dry out quickly and become difficult to re-wet... be careful to add some soil wetting granules or extra peat to the mixture and keep it moist in the warmer months.

Q: 

I fertilised my plants with a granular fertiliser and now I have holes in the leaves... what happened?

A: 

Some granular fertilisers are far too strong to be allowed to come into contact with the leaf surface, particularly the leaf axils ( the place where the leaf meets the "stem" ) and will burn the leaves.  When you use a fertiliser, particularly a granular fertiliser, don't allow the fertiliser to come into contact with the leaves for long periods of time, concentrate your use of fertiliser to the mixture under the leaves.   Burns to the leaf axils can be particularly bad as the axil is where the new plants emerge from, damaged axils often leads to aborted pups.

Q: 

I watered on a sunny day and my pants now are covered with unsightly marks... how do I fix them?

A: 

Unfortunately there is no way to undo this type of damage, it results from burns to the leaves.  The leaves are burned when droplets act like miniature magnifying glasses, concentrating the light from the sun, burning the leaves.  To combat this type of damage, ensure the watering occurs at times when the leaves are not exposed to light, or while there is adequate air circulation to dry the leaf surfaces before the light becomes too bright.

Q: 

So, I'm watering in the evening and I've still got burns on my leaves... what gives? 

A: 

Burns that occur during evening watering are often due to a rapid temperature drop, a precaution of not watering when the temperature is going to be low overnight is also a good idea,  I favour watering the following morning , unless there is a frost.

Q: 

My problem is not listed here and I need more information! 

A: 

I'll endeavor to keep this Q &  A list updated, but if you need help in the meantime, I'll try to answer the question or get in touch with someone who can answer it for you... send me an  E-Mail to scrozier@iinet.net.au