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Put your pitcher on a pedestal!

I have been thinking about this for awhile now tell me what you guys think. When a nep vines and touches the ground or pot/media it automatically starts to form a pitcher? Or some species it doesn't matter whether the vine ever reaches the ground? I noticed my ventricosa or sanguinea it doesn't matter but rajah or sibuyanensis if the vine doesn't find something to rest on I guess it burns the pitcher up. Any ideas?

Josh
 
oh oh oh oh your in luck I think you mean tendril and yes they do develop when you place them in pots I have had a pitcher develop on the next leaf and open up before the one on the previous leaf just because it was in a pot.
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after about 4 months you get tired of rotating your plants around to put new tendrals in pots,I don't know about upper pitchers but I know lower pitchers develop better when placed on something. One trick I have heard of is to wrap something lightly around the end of the tendril such as a twist tie or a rubber band and the plant will think it has found something and will curl and then develop a pitcher.
 
Both Rajah and Sibuyanensis can form pitchers without resting on something. It is a common misconception that they need to rest on a media to form a pitcher. I have seen a few growers' pictures that show large pitchers being grown without resting on something (especially with Sibuyanensis).
 
I have had a pitcher develop on the next leaf and open up before the one on the previous leaf just because it was in a pot.
I highly doubt it was "just because" it was in a pot. You know what makes pitchers inflate? It's light. The end of a tendril sitting in a pot will provide nothing that one not sitting in a pot would, except possibly higher local humidity (depending on what your mix is). Humidity does not = light.

In the nicest way possible...this is about the 25th time I've had to correct you in your responses to people's questions. If you insist on answering them, make sure you're right, or at the very least, include a disclaimer. Propagating incorrect information leads to confusion, and further propagation of said info.
And can we please get some semi-decent punctuation going? Your first sentence is 50 words long, with no punctuation save a period at the end.


It is a common misconception that they need to rest on a media to form a pitcher
Spot on.
 
Hrm interesting, thanks for the input. I guess I will just have to keep fooling around.

Also seems like when the tendril rests on LFS it rots out or just turns brown like its water logged.


Thanks
Josh
 
I have a Ventricosa hotlips that likes to shot its tendrals into the media between the media and slat basket and inflate its pitchers. so the plant is getting light but not the pitchers itself. I have had to dig out two so they could inflate. One got destroyed int he process and the other I got out ok.
 
People say that some plants make pitchers/ better pitchers when the tendril rests in Sphagnum. I don't believe it's because of light, because otherwise N. argentii would not make the majority of it's pitchers, and N. sibuyanensis is known to have white, light-starved pitchers buried in the substrate in the wild. I believe its because of higher humidity. Notice that it just so happens to be that the species that are known as "pot resters" are also known for their high humidity requirements. The two examples of N. sibuyanensis and N. argentii are the two most epitomical plants that are reported for this, especially the former.

Regardless of Ron's view Vs. my view on why this happens (Ron will argue with a wall :) I'm kidding, Ron :) ), the fact that it HAS to be resting on something is a load of crap, and you should know what you're talking about before you start giving advice. You HAVE been spreading a lot of mis-information. If you would work on your English skills, it would make it a lot easier for people to read your posts. Try saying your 50 word sentence out loud, without including any pauses for punctuation; it doesn't sound as you intended, does it? Put a little more effort and TIME, into your posts, proof read, and people will respect you more and be more apt to heed your advice... providing it's correct. Another tip is to download a free add-on for your browser that will spell check for you automatically. EVERY man, woman, and child should have one. I don't mean to be coming down on you, but this has been going on for quite some time and it's getting ridiculous.

I have never grown N. sibuyanensis or N. argentii, but I have grown N. 'Jungle Bells'. The pitchers it produced when resting on live Sphagnum were small (could have help 3-4 milliliters) and juvenile. Then it popped out pitcher that could have easily held 15 or 20 milliliters that was very defined. This pitcher developed while hanging and not resting on anything. The pitcher after that was resting in live LFS. It could have help 5 or 6 milliliters. In all other plants that I have ever grown, there has been no difference between pitchers produced on Sphagnum, or pitchers hanging (or resting on something other that media, like egg crate) . As a disclaimer, I have very high humidity. 80-95%

EDIT:
As an afterthought, D_Muscipula, look up N. sibuyanenesis uppers sometime :-)) :-)) :-))
 
guys I realize they don't need to sit in pots to form pitchers but I have seen numerous times that the pitchers that formed in pots are slightly larger and develop quicker.
I have had a pitcher that wasn't doing anything at all but as soon as the tendril hit the growing medium which is not LFS it started to develop a pitcher,I doubt its because of more humidity because most of my nepenthes grow in coconut husk and peat moss and its a pretty dry mix until I water them on saturday.
my only nep that has a layer of sphagnum on top of its pot is ephippiata and I have rested most of its tendrils on other pots.
Its not necessary for pitcher formation but it does help I have seen it on numerous occasions.
 
I think that saying "light/humidity is what causes Nepenthes to pitcher" is trying to put a single rule on about 100 species. It probably depends on the species. For sibuyanensis humidity seems to matter more, whereas for something like bongso, light probably matters more.
 
  • #13
lol :) After all this serious talk, that was sure breath of fresh air :p
 
  • #14
I was looking at my plants today, and look that this :) The most recent pitcher, the largest hanging on the left, is much larger than the pitcher that came right before it, which happened to be sitting in moss. It hasn't even opened fully yet.

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  • #16
I was looking at my plants today, and look that this :) The most recent pitcher, the largest hanging on the left, is much larger than the pitcher that came right before it, which happened to be sitting in moss. It hasn't even opened fully yet.

That pitcher is significantly bigger. Back to the drawing board on that theory! lol. Nice job, Clint.

xvart.
 
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