# Back from the ECS meeting 2006



## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Hello!

I just returned from the annual gathering of crypt nuts in Europe. It was a blast (as usual) so try hard to come next year if you didn't made it this year!

This year 24 folks participated and we were honoured to have Sean as our first guest from the US! He's going to stay some more days in Europe, so it will probably take a while for him to post his comments/impressions. (He'll also have to take care of a few crypts, so please be patient with him when sending emails/PMs.  )

This year's emphasis was on natural soils and substrate mixtures for cultivating crypts. I'll refrain from trying to give a summary until Sean is online again since my memory may be a bit biased. There is, however, a bewildering diversity of approaches and substrates utilized in (successfully) growing even the more demanding crypts. Most people are trying to emulate natural growing conditions of each crypt fairly closely though.

There were also quite a few other presentations including latest research results, travel reports, and last not least Niels' coming out as a crypt musician! :clap2: Following his gifted lead, we should try to set up a water trumpet orchestra next year...  

As always, it was great to meet a lot of old as well as new friends and to chat with them extensively into the not-so-early morning hours! I didn't got around to using my camera but Sean will certainly post some pics.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

*P. S.*



> so it will probably take a while for him to post his comments/impressions.


I also hope that other participants will chime in! :hug:


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Will anyone be posting notes/minutes?

Cheers.
Jim


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Sorry, my notes are missing this year - I was too busy translating for Sean. On Saturday night I even started out to "translate" a talk given in English...


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

No one took 'minutes' that I know of. 

Kai, I am sorry, I tried to tell you quietly, you were just intent on making sure I didn't miss anything. I appreciate that a lot.

I am in waiting mode at the moment. Waiting for the box of plants to clear customs. I will get the pics sorted and sized and edit my 15 pages of trip notes, I hope at least partially, this weekend. I am still on Europe time, getting up at 3 am and going to bed at 8 pm. 

Kai, they are starting to froth at the mouth a bit here, share anything you want.


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Starting? We've been foaming since you left!

Cheers.
Jim


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Kai, 

My shipped box made it to my house, I'm at work, rushing home to see what survived the trip.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Hello Sean,

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

So you had to mail them from the Netherlands instead of taking them with your luggage? Is this due to limited port of entries for plants?


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

BTW, don't despair: most will come back from the rhizomes even if the leaves have melted.

What substrate are you going to try on the blackwater crypts?


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

The box came through untouched, everything looks great in there. Yes Kai, the permit was for plants shipped, I could only carry 12 plants home. 

I have a beech and other tree leaf litter/ peat moss soaking. This is going to take a good part of my evening.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

> The box came through untouched, everything looks great in there.


Good news!



> I could only carry 12 plants home.


Lemme guess: Those 12 were: hudoroi, another hudoroi, one more hudoroi, ...  



> I have a beech and other tree leaf litter/ peat moss soaking. This is going to take a good part of my evening.


Have fun! 

What's the pH & conductivity? If you're not certain about the quality, it's probably best to only use a little first and start adding more (or new stuff) when there's already good root development.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Actually what I carried home was,
Cryptocoryne hudoroi 2 plants
Spiranthes cernua 2 plants 
Liaeopsis macloviana 3 plants
Barclaya rotundifolia 2 plants 
Barclaya motleyi 2 plants
Microsorium species 1 plant


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## Stephan K. (Apr 30, 2006)

Hi Sean,

so you will have to use pure beech leaf litter for the Barclaya's. 
C. hudoroi and Spiranthes will do well with a mix of beech leaf litter, cocohum and some pumice.

I used the "tumblers" Claus told us for the Barclaya.

Stephan


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Sean;

You could plant the Spiranthes outside too. They're native to the central east coast. Matter of fact, there are several cultivars available with names like Chadds Ford, and Brandywine that were bred by growers just down the road from me.

Cheers.
Jim


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Hi Stephan, welcome to the forum. I met two Stephan's at the ECS, I was not told the last name of either, I am sorry but you have to tell me which one you are.

The Barclaya's were seedlings and did not appreciate the shipping process. I am not sure they will survive. We will have to try those again with adult plants, the seedlings are just too fragile. 

Luckily the C. hudoroi came from an aquarium culture and were collected in limestone areas. They are adapting quite quickly to my tanks. Jan gave me a culture medium list by species (and locality) and I have all the black water plants in Neils' fagus/peat litter the way Claus showed us. I am working on the limestone and slight acid plants more tonight. The emersed culture only plants were taken care of the first night.


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## Craig Tarvin (Jul 26, 2005)

SCMurphy said:


> Actually what I carried home was,
> Cryptocoryne hudoroi 2 plants
> Spiranthes cernua 2 plants
> Liaeopsis macloviana 3 plants
> ...


Which Microsorum species?


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Not sure, has leaves about an 1/8 inch wide and 4 inches long, Jan had it growing in his aquarium so I got a sprig to bring home.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Probably one of the Tropica cultivars? Jan should know...


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## Stephan K. (Apr 30, 2006)

I got seedlings of Barclaya too. Mine have small tuber. So try to plant them. Maybe they will survive!

Stephan


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Kai,
Jan wasn't sure. He was surprised I showed interest in it.

Stephan,
I found two of them alive in the tank I floated them in to revive them. They are now planted and they look like they are growing new leaves.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

OK I finished writing my notes up and had Jan give me a few corrections. I'm re-sizing my pictures for the web the next couple of nights. My travelog for the trip should be available on the GWAPA website Saturday, assuming our webmaster hasn't traveled too far for the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Kai, are you going to publish your findings? That was a great talk you gave at the meetings.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Oh the _Spiranthes_ is probably _odorata_ not _cernua_.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

If you want to see my travelog and pictures here is the link.

GWAPA: Articles: Sean's Cryptocoryne Odyssey


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## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

Nice trip!!!

In the last 2 meeting I was canceling my travel to ECS due to personal problems.
I hope can go finally next year!!


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

SCMurphy said:


> If you want to see my travelog and pictures here is the link.
> 
> GWAPA: Articles: Sean's Cryptocoryne Odyssey


Sorry to get off topic but nice read! Very good article Sean. It almost made me feel like I was there.


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## newellcr (Nov 16, 2004)

Sean,

I enjoyed your article and pictures. You have a good sense of humor. Sounds like a wonderful trip. 

Kind Regards,

Chris


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Here are some more pictures from the meetings, one of the German members, Günter, I think took some of these, but he is in one so I know he didn't take them all.

Kettner


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Hey Guys, It a nice one. keep it up


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