# Cryptocoryne Affinis "metallic red" spathe



## denske (Jul 28, 2013)

First spathe i got from this guy, thought it was really nice.



















Pot has around 5-6 runners in it, grown in high light, minimum fertilizer.


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## illustrator (Jul 18, 2010)

cool ...


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## saddletramp (Sep 16, 2012)

You da man, Dennis!
This is an infrequent bloomer here, at best.
You really have the hang of this whole Crypt thing. Emersed is the only way to see the real beauty of Crypts in bloom. You seem to have mastered the methodology and put into action.
Bill


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## denske (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks Bill, i learned from the best!


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## illustrator (Jul 18, 2010)

saddletramp said:


> You da man, Dennis!
> This is an infrequent bloomer here, at best.
> You really have the hang of this whole Crypt thing. Emersed is the only way to see the real beauty of Crypts in bloom. You seem to have mastered the methodology and put into action.
> Bill


Some species (_C. usteriana_, _C. aponogetifolia _and also _C. affinis_, amongst others) flower (also) when grown submersed. I think that it should be possible to trigger _C. affinis _to flower more often when grown submersed and suspect that it has to do with a combination of several years of growing (large plants) and a high availability of nutrients in the soil, including nitrogen. Your observation is very interesting as you describe that you grow it with minimum fertilizer. Can you tell what soil you use?


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## Khamul1of9 (Oct 25, 2005)

That is awesome!


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## denske (Jul 28, 2013)

illustrator said:


> Some species (_C. usteriana_, _C. aponogetifolia _and also _C. affinis_, amongst others) flower (also) when grown submersed. I think that it should be possible to trigger _C. affinis _to flower more often when grown submersed and suspect that it has to do with a combination of several years of growing (large plants) and a high availability of nutrients in the soil, including nitrogen. Your observation is very interesting as you describe that you grow it with minimum fertilizer. Can you tell what soil you use?


Yes its currently potted in some used old aquasoil from a tank i broke down, i rarely ever add fertilizer to the water in this tank. I rarely ever even open the lid of this tank. If you notice though the leaves are rather small, in my submersed tank where fertilizer is used often, the leaves are much bigger and grows faster.


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## Crispino Ramos (Mar 21, 2008)

denske said:


> Yes its currently potted in some used old aquasoil from a tank i broke down, i rarely ever add fertilizer to the water in this tank. I rarely ever even open the lid of this tank. If you notice though the leaves are rather small, in my submersed tank where fertilizer is used often, the leaves are much bigger and grows faster.


I like the corkscrew shape and reddish striation of the spathe. I have a similar observation of this plant grown emersed versus submersed. I use fert tabs when grown submersed.


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## aluka (Feb 5, 2013)

I finally got this one to stop melting in emersed, it now has 6 leaf =D! I can't wait till i get a spathe like you!


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