# The care and cultivation of Racinaea crispa



## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

For me, this is the holy grail of vivarium bromeliads. It is, by nature, a cloud forest epiphyte from Ecuador and Colombia, and while it doesn t function as a water holder, it is most certainly a fantastic accent plant, and focal point for the vivarium. 

It is pickier than most about care and growing conditions, but if you can grow this, you can grow anything epiphytic in your viv









The key to its cultivation, like so many other epiphytes, comes from a combination of high quality water, and air circulation. Temperatures from the low 60s to mid 80s are tolerated with little change in the vigor of the plant, but I find the normal vivarium conditions of mid 70s with a night time drop to be perfect. Give this plant hard water for a few waterings in a row and watch it die. DI/RO H2O is a necessity. Rain water works well if it is not too acidic and the collection method does not impart many metals to the water

Likewise, keep it growing in a stagnant environment and it will quickly rot, this is not a plant to stick in a corner, or suffocate the roots of with sphagnum. Internal air circulation is key to its continued vigor, as is mounting in in a spot where the media can remain moist, but free draining. As long as the leaves are barely moving, theres plenty of circulation. 

Thinking about its habitat will help a lot in determining proper vivarium placement. Think upper canopy twig epiphyte. High ligh is your friend and will bring out the best color and contrast in the leaves, which begin green with red freckles, and gradually darken over time. many times the pips of this plant arrive with little to no root growth. In my experience, avoid treating it like a Tillandsia, NO HOT GLUE, silicone or other adhesives should touch the plant tissue, if there are no roots, allow it to rest ON a branch or vine where it is to be mounted, and treat as normal until roots form and it can be properly mounted. 
I find that this is NOT a good plant to place up against backgrounds or against the glass. Air flow on all sides will ensure best quality growing conditions, and soon enough youll be seeing flower spikes and pups. I usually see 2-3 pups per plant, but have had as many as five at any one time 

In lower humidity, the foliage will noticably droop, and the leaves remain tighter to the center of the plant. In higher humidity, the rosette becomes much more open. This is a very reactive plant, and in a day or two after changing conditions you should see a change in the nature of the foliage, letting you know how happy the plant is where youve put it.


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

Great write up and such a beautiful bromeliad, thank you for taking the time to do this write up. Would love to own one some day and I have the perfect branch for one! Any small slim tiny itybitty chance of getting the coveted name of your seller?


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## Wim van den Berg (Mar 5, 2012)

Rac. Crispa var tustii is (as far as i know ) only found in some parts of Colombia. not Ecuador. 
It,s my favorite plant ever!!!! 
Like many of this racinaea fam. they do need air movement and regular moist en lower temp.in the night.
I have lived a while in an area were Rac. contorta grows in the wild and at that time i thought it was immpossible to create such a growing habitat.......


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

R. contorta grows on my porch in San Diego. Not nearly as picky as R. blassii, R. crispa, R. spiculosa etc etc


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

Have you tried any of Ecuagenera's? I thought about giving one a shot when I saw them on the price list earlier this year.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Im always like 2 days too late to get their R. miniata, always sold out


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Hah! it's flowers look like a mini heliconia!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I don't want to hijack but I wanted to show how I grew this species when I first tried it back in 2007. Basically stuck it to the glass with a suction cup. Placed pretty high but not too close to the light. Rain water only. Plant did pretty well like this. Produced two pups. My current plant has flowered and is pupping as well but it's on RO water with a VERY light (2-2-2) dilute fertilizer. Tips are a little burned but otherwise healthy.

The old viv


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I remember that pic! It taunted me for a long time until I got plants of my own. 
No problems with it up against the glass? Ive had bad luck with that kind of placement, although your plant pictured has plenty of open air around it. Definitely more than I ever gave it initially


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

frogparty said:


> I remember that pic! It taunted me for a long time until I got plants of my own.
> No problems with it up against the glass? Ive had bad luck with that kind of placement, although your plant pictured has plenty of open air around it. Definitely more than I ever gave it initially


 Seemed okay. Like I said, it did pup. This photo was taken a few weeks after I had obtained it which shoulda been plenty of time to kill it. Haha.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I have plants from multiple sources now. I'll be storing pollen and attempting to propagate via seed this year  Pups alone won't satisfy my urge to fill a large viv with these bad boys and still have enough to trade around


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I plan to focus a bit on it too. I actually started to get them going when I was running Spring Valley Tropicals but had an accident of some sort. I think the fans didn't kick on one hot morning in the greenhouse and that pretty much was the end of that.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Im bummed I killed my R. blassii. Great brom. I do have a few species now though, so hopefully we can get more of this awesome genus into vivarium culture


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

frogparty said:


> Im bummed I killed my R. blassii. Great brom. I do have a few species now though, so hopefully we can get more of this awesome genus into vivarium culture


Not familiar with that species. Pictures?


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Looks like I found your picture...


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Thats the one. The owner of Kents bromeliads had a few choice items on ebay a few years ago and I swooped that one up. It REALLY didnt like to be next to the glass. I melted it. 
what a waste


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Gah now i want some racinaea crispa  just too expensive for me... $20 a plant is not really worth it for me...


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

says you..... I disagree


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

frogparty said:


> says you..... I disagree


Yeah not worth it for me. Lol but I do have to agree, it is a very nice looking plant.


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

goof901 said:


> Gah now i want some racinaea crispa  just too expensive for me... $20 a plant is not really worth it...


Someone is selling Racinaea crispa for $20!? Please point me in that direction!!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I once paid $100 for a 2 node cutting of a rare Hoya years ago. Ahhh the good 'ol days...


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I paid $65 for a select clone of Bulbophyllum plumatum... I would have paid more


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Tropiflora just posted 25 plants available. By the time I ordered, only 8 left. I'm posting this in hopes that some froggers can get one and we can get some of these going in the hobby. You can only order 1 BTW.

This seems to be a more advanced brom in terms of care, so if you don't think you can care for it, please don't order it. It has some special care requirements as outlined in this thread.

I got one and will be trying it out.


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

ZookeeperDoug said:


> Tropiflora just posted 25 plants available. By the time I ordered, only 8 left. I'm posting this in hopes that some froggers can get one and we can get some of these going in the hobby. You can only order 1 BTW.
> 
> This seems to be a more advanced brom in terms of care, so if you don't think you can care for it, please don't order it. It has some special care requirements as outlined in this thread.
> 
> I got one and will be trying it out.


I have one coming as well.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I got their last one! Need the pups on my others to hurry up and get big enough to split off


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

frogparty said:


> I got their last one! Need the pups on my others to hurry up and get big enough to split off


I sent you a message this morning on Fb about it...glad you got one

sent from my Galaxy S lll


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I got your message! Thanks for the lookin out!!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I'm glad some of you guys got them. Had I known he was gonna put them on the VIPP this week, I woulda made a heads up post but he didn't tell me. I'll have to make sure I know about any future Racinaea postings on the VIPP so I can make sure my frog buddies get them! 

My personal plant has a couple of pups on it if anyone really wants one and didn't get a chance to get one. I am always looking for nice things to trade.


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## Splash&Dash (Oct 16, 2012)

though I was never a fan of the cripa, it's always nice seeing the weird and strange


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## Yuley (Feb 14, 2013)

Just ordered one of these from Home | terra-jungle.de

Was the last one in stock  Looking forward to it arriving!


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## Splash&Dash (Oct 16, 2012)

frogparty said:


> Thats the one. The owner of Kents bromeliads had a few choice items on ebay a few years ago and I swooped that one up. It REALLY didnt like to be next to the glass. I melted it.
> what a waste


what do you think was the issue from being next to the glass? Do you think it was a temp thing?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Nope. A stagnant air and moisture accumulation thing . It melted where water would collect between the glass and plant tissue. Encouraged bacterial rot and the plant died quickly


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## Splash&Dash (Oct 16, 2012)

frogparty said:


> Nope. A stagnant air and moisture accumulation thing . It melted where water would collect between the glass and plant tissue. Encouraged bacterial rot and the plant died quickly


makes sense. I never liked the look of attaching directly to glass, so always used a piece of ceder shingle or cork bark as a backing piece. I imagine it also helps with preventing moisture from pooling like that


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

This plant was mounted to wood, high up in the tank near the ventilation, just happened to be touching the glass. The rot spread very quickly. That brom was pupping too....... So lame. Never found another one either


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