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Potted plants can't reach their full potential?

I feel like repotting my giant N. rafflesiana into a barrel now....

This is why hydroponically grown Sarracenia are so much larger than potted ones. I don't think pygmy Drosera are affected by this.
 
So what is the best size pot for neps? I've got the majority of mine in two gallon black pots, is that enough? ???
 
One time during a trip to Jamica, after seeing the hugh pothos and other tropical plants growing wild, I felt so guilty that i wanted to come home and set my potted ones free. :lol:
 
meh..this kind of story means nothing to me..
if you think about it, very few plants we grow can reach their "full potential"..
especially non-native houseplants, flowers, garden plants, etc..

tomato plants in their native habitat live for years and the vines can grow 10 to 30 feet long..
does that mean I should feel bad because my tomato plants give me more tomatoes than I could ever use,
but die at the first frost in October? meh..please..
this story is, IMO, much ado about nothing..

We give our plants the best conditions we can, and they are fine..the fact that they might not reach their "full potential"
is, 99% of the time, utterly irrelevant..that doesnt mean we cant strive for more perfection in growing!
thats fine..but if we don't reach perfection, so what?
plants in pots are fine..the plants are fine..they are not unhappy.
reminds me of this 70's crackpot:
secret-life-of-plants1.jpg



Scot
 
reminds me of this 70's crackpot:
secret-life-of-plants1.jpg



Scot

I loved that book. When I was around thirteen I must have read my Mother's copy a half dozen times. I remember buying a whole bunch of el-cheapo coleus plants and putting them in three groups around my bedroom. One i said only nice things to, as if I was talking to a favorite pet, the second I spoke really nasty to, and the third i gave the silent treatment to. if I recall all three groups died on me anyway. After that I stopped reading the book so much and became a horse crazy teenaged girl. :lol:
 
meh..this kind of story means nothing to me..
if you think about it, very few plants we grow can reach their "full potential"..
especially non-native houseplants, flowers, garden plants, etc..

tomato plants in their native habitat live for years and the vines can grow 10 to 30 feet long..
does that mean I should feel bad because my tomato plants give me more tomatoes than I could ever use,
but die at the first frost in October? meh..please..
this story is, IMO, much ado about nothing..

We give our plants the best conditions we can, and they are fine..the fact that they might not reach their "full potential"
is, 99% of the time, utterly irrelevant..that doesnt mean we cant strive for more perfection in growing!
thats fine..but if we don't reach perfection, so what?
plants in pots are fine..the plants are fine..they are not unhappy.
reminds me of this 70's crackpot:
secret-life-of-plants1.jpg



Scot


Well, first of all, the story is very relevant for those of us who sometimes wonder why Nepenthes have a tendency to grow so slowly in cultivation when all of the necessary conditions are met. Some species simply never put out pitchers as large as those photographed in situ, and considering that many of us spend obsessive amounts of money on particular species, every bit of knowledge helps. Is this to say that we will stop using pots? No.. but it does prove an interesting point about larger pots taking priority over smaller ones, or net pots over solid pots. *Edit* It seems, aside from the superior aeration, that net pots would allow the roots to expand uninhibited as opposed to a solid-sided pot. Perhaps if the net pots were imbedded in live sphagnum, it would almost be as though the plants were growing in an unenclosed space.

If I had the space, experiments would be underway.

Also, the science behind it is quite interesting.. I don't think the editors at the BBC would have bothered with the article had they thought there was "nothing" to it.
 
Last edited:
Don't forget all the natural plants that never reach any potential because of environmental factors.

I'd say they get a pretty sweet trade off.
 
This is nothing new to me, I've known for years that I get the best results from the biggest pots I can possibly use. Keep in mind, this isn't true for all plants, some species with small root systems grow better in smaller pots. As far as CPs go, I find that Neps, Sars, sundews with invasive roots, Cephs, and Helis all grow best in very large pots, Sundews with sparse root systems, pings, Utrics, and VFTs seem indifferent to pot size.
 
  • #10
ahh yes.... another one of your glass half empty posts.


meh..this kind of story means nothing to me..
if you think about it, very few plants we grow can reach their "full potential"..
especially non-native houseplants, flowers, garden plants, etc..

tomato plants in their native habitat live for years and the vines can grow 10 to 30 feet long..
does that mean I should feel bad because my tomato plants give me more tomatoes than I could ever use,
but die at the first frost in October? meh..please..
this story is, IMO, much ado about nothing..

We give our plants the best conditions we can, and they are fine..the fact that they might not reach their "full potential"
is, 99% of the time, utterly irrelevant..that doesnt mean we cant strive for more perfection in growing!
thats fine..but if we don't reach perfection, so what?
plants in pots are fine..the plants are fine..they are not unhappy.
reminds me of this 70's crackpot:
secret-life-of-plants1.jpg



Scot
 
  • #11
I totally agree. Well said! Think about people that grow Bonsai!
 
  • #12
I totally agree with scottychaos. Well said! Think about people that grow Bonsai!
 
  • #13
As an avid practioner in the art of florabondage I'm not sure how that would apply. Bonsai are kept in their miniature form while retaining adult characteristics due to the precise balance of prunnning both the canapy and the roots. Their branches are wired, bent and sometimes weighted to get the exact "natural" look people want. They can be styled in various traditional forms as their owners desire. Heck, I even have chemicals that I apply to a debarked and sanded branch to make it look like deadwood. They need to be properly fed, on a schedule that can rival the fussiest of orchids. They are by no means "stunted" or "small" soley due to being potted, nor would they do fine without proper care.
 
  • #14
Yeah, I have a couple dozen Bonsai books here in my library. Still, Bonsai growth IS stunted. IMHO of coarse. I'm not saying it's bad but it's stunted.
 
  • #15
Yeah, I have a couple dozen Bonsai books here in my library. Still, Bonsai growth IS stunted. IMHO of coarse. I'm not saying it's bad but it's stunted.

Stunted may not be quite the right word but yes, leaf size is kept proportionely small through various techniques such as root pruning. Otherwise you would have a 2 foot tall maple tree with full size leaves. But it only can go so far.
 
  • #16
I acquired a ton of pots from my neighbor. He does dahlias and shizz. They're about the same size as my nep pots, but some are a bit bigger. I think I may repot some of my bigger guys into larger pots eventually. When would be the best time to do this? Like plant size to pot ratio... Or is it root ball size that matters? My ventrata barely has roots and its like 2' x 2', but I put it in a giant hanging basket. ???
 
  • #17
I honestly don't think this is always the case. Some orchids are definently an exception, I have seen orchids such as masdevallias growing in tiny pots while the plant it self is gigantic and is utterly covered with flowers. Like the pic below...

masdevalamprotyria.jpg

If that isnt full potential then I don't know what is!
 
  • #18
I honestly don't think this is always the case. Some orchids are definently an exception, I have seen orchids such as masdevallias growing in tiny pots while the plant it self is gigantic and is utterly covered with flowers. Like the pic below...

masdevalamprotyria.jpg

If that isnt full potential then I don't know what is!

That's impressive! There are definitely some plants that like being root bound, like Haworthia. I think Tolumnia orchids are the same way. Natural environment is a key factor with this, and definitely worth researching. THis is why I grow some orchids mounted (nearly unlimited root space) and some potted. I know my giant N. rafflesiana is going to need a huge pot, along with N. naga (in 5 years). Smaller species probably like smaller pots.
 
  • #19
I agree, some species definently like being root-bound and others hate it. I guess it's just a species dependent thing, but most orchids appear to like to be root-bound. And one more pretty amazing specimen plant...

PaphNitens.jpg
 
  • #20
WOW! I want my Paph to grow faster now.... How big is that plant?
 
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