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Progating neps -- some local questions

Hi all again,

I've posted a more detailed post in the Neps section: here.

But I have some questions which are unique to Singapore, so I'm doing a separate posting here.

1. Where can I get Superthrive from, and at what cost?

2. Where do I get vermiculite and tree fern root fibre from? I understand a mixture of these two and sphagnum peat is a good medium for Neps.

3. For the rooting period, can I just leave the pot in the open since the humditiy here is rather high? Or do I need to put a plastic bag over the pot?

4. Again, since the local humidity is high, do I need to set the pot in water? Or do I just water it everyday?

Thanks very much for viewing
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Actually is Superthrive simply a plant hormone or somethg? I saw Horti's Plant Hormone. Is that ok too?
 
I used Horti's PLant Hormone to try to propogate Drosera capensis and D. filiformis from their leaves. After one month, capensis failed and no reaction from filiformis so far. My Nep. rafflesiana is now visiting Singapore's sewage system two days after being dipped into dilute plant hormone. I think the concentration has to be very dilute. The concentration that I used was probably far too strong.
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My answers:
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1. It is not available in Singapore. Ever called the distributor, only to find out that they are not bringing it in anymore because S'poreans complained that their plants die from Superthrive. Why? Because S'porean so kiasu, they don't believe that it must be kept to ONE drop per gallon of water!

Superthrive contains a mixture of stuff...do a search online and you'll find its website. It'll be able to give you exactly what the potion contains.

2. FEF has vermiculite but I'm not sure about tree fern root fibre.

3/4. Do you mean when you're waiting for the roots to appear from a cutting? I soak my cuttings in water so I don't cover them.
 
Alamak! No Superthrive?  Do u use an alternate rooting hormone or do u just let the plants root themselves?

Yep I'm waiting for the roots to appear from a cutting. Since part of recommended medium for Neps isn't available, what kind of medium do u use for ur Neps?
 
I have had mix success with coconut fiber. It is okay for my Nep. gracilis but one pot of an unknown Nep. died over an agonizing four months. It had been suggested that the salt in the coconut fibers contributed to its demise. Maybe Nep. gracilis is more tolerant of salt. I also put a layer of charcoal at the bottom of the pot to allow the water to flow out faster. No standing pot in water. To increase humidity (my apartment quite windy and thus usually not so humid), I put a layer of chopped up dried sphagnum moss.
 
ebeyonder- I thought superthrive was a kind of fertilizer.
For propagating nepenthes or anything else, you can use a rooting powder. The most common one I've seen (even NTUC supermarkets etc sell it! ) is called Tri-hormone rooting powder. It comes in a small white plastic bottle. This powder can be used to stimulate the roots of most plants.

For propagating neps - my method is to cut off the stem with a sharp knife or scissors (I read that if it wasn't very sharp then you'd damage the stem cells to prevent water uptake etc). Dip the stem in the rooting powder. Place the cutting in a pot of moist spagnum moss. Put it in a clear plastic bag, blow some air inside and tie the bag. Put the bag in a bright place but out of direct sun and forget about it for about 6 weeks!
Actually I use 100% dead spagnum moss for all my nepenthes and they all grow very well. You can get it in a few shops with a good garden dept, FEF sells it occasionally (but expensive) or you can buy direct from HORTI. I drive down to the warehouse at Eunos and buy 10 bags at a time.
Hope some of this helps. If you need further info, PM me. Neil.
 
Neil, that is a lot of sphagnum moss. I was wondering where to buy it in Singapore. Last I inquired, FEF didn't have it at the moment.

I was also surprised to discover FEF Rideout didn't have sand, since I wanted it to repot my sundew. Substituted perlite instead.

My neps grow in rather mixed media. One is in sphagnum moss, though that may only be the top cover, one is in an unknown media, and two are in a rather peaty medium that makes the pot very heavy after watering.
 
Thanks for the replies, every1. Neil, I use sphagnum moss which I got from Horti as well. However, I get it from NTUC. Colin, u might want to try NTUCs. They sell it at $3 a pack. I get sand from a nursery near my house at $2 a pack. It's a huge pack, and I had great difficulty lugging it back to my home.
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Anyway, what's the diff between sphagnum moss and peat moss? I plant my sundew leaf cuttings in one part sand and one part sphagnum moss, and it seems to be working quite well.
 
  • #10
NTUC sells sphagnum? Really? Never knew that. Got to love this forum.

I've always thought the difference between sphagnum moss and peat moss is that peat moss is just decomposed sphagnum moss. The more experienced ones can probably offer a more complete answer.
 
  • #11
Ok the stuff that NTUC sells sounds more like the decomposed moss u just talked about. For a start, it's brown/close to black, so it can't be the fresh sphagnum moss I think you're referring to
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  • #12
Okay...let me quote from The Savage Garden.

Peat moss "is a fibrous moss, with a consistency close to fine sawdust, and from light to dark brown in colour." Peat moss is aka sphagnum peat.

Long-fibered sphagnum moss (LFSM) is "usually greenish or reddish in colour, grows along the surface of the moss bed in a typical bog...LFSM usually refers to the dried, ropy strands collected from the moss bed's surface. Sphagnum peat is the decomposed moss harvested from deep underground."

D'Amato also says, "when in doubt, use the peat."

There is also a Live Sphagnum moss, which is difficult to obtain commercially and is probably very expensive anyway.
 
  • #13
Hi, every one
Horti Singapore offers good quality products suitable for CPs are:
1. Horti Moss 1 kg green packet, a partially decomposed sphagnum mosses without additives, retail price S$3.50
2. Sphagnum Moss (good quality dry long-fiber) 100g pack, very light orange colour, retail price S$ 5.00
3. Perlite 100g pack, retail price S$3.00
4. Vermiculite 5 liter pack (about the same size as perlite pack), retail price S$3.00

I buy them at Gaint Jurong East, SPA do carry them too.

Good quality Dry Sphagnum Moss usually comes from Canada or New Zealand.
I bough my first batch of Japanese Sphagnum Moss from FEF, light green colour , not the best lah, subsequently FEF offered NZ LFSM at S$8.00 for 200g, good stuff, but became fuel for the great fire.
BTW I am not working for Horti Singapore, Neil can vouch for me.
 
  • #14
I use the peat moss for my sarracenia but the spagnum moss for my nepenthes.
Jalan kayu - perhaps we should buy some shares in Horti???

An upper pitcher plant cutting -
http://community.webshots.com/album/80388789sWnIgD

NOTE:- A cutting taken from a plant still producing lower pitchers will give a 'normal' nepenthes ie. it will produce lower pitchers first then upper.
A cutting taken from a plant producing upper pitchers already will give a plant that grows only upper pitchers, no lower pitchers.
 
  • #15
Where exactly is this Horti Singapore?
 
  • #16
Eunos industrial park. I'll post the address tomorrow. I've walked from Eunos MRT before. You can buy most Horti products from NTUC/ DIY/ hardware stores etc. Usually only the spagnum moss is difficult to buy from shops.
 
  • #17
yes, well, I only really need the sphagnum.

I've found that even though Peter D'Amato recommends a peat/sand mix for sundews, the one I repotted into that mix (using perlite instead of sand) aren't doing very well, whereas the second one I bought from FEF in sphagnum moss is dewing very nicely.

Of course the second one started off much healthier than the first, and maybe my peat-perlite ratio wasn't so good, but I still think sphagnum is the best medium.
 
  • #18
ACE at Novena Square has Horti spaghnum moss.

Disclaimer: I do not work for ACE nor Horti!
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  • #19
Sorry for the delay in replying.
The address for Horti is :-  BLK 1007  EUNOS AVE 7 #01-33
TEL: 67471688
 
  • #20
Well, I've found that NTUC does sell sphagnum moss, but it's $5.15 for a bag.

Now I'm wondering if I should repot my nepenthes. Very afraid of damaging the roots.
 
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