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Ventricosa Care

I just bought a Nepenthes Ventricosa and was wondering if there is anything special I need to do for it. I can put a bottle terrarium over it to keep humidity in. I have long fiber sphagnum moss. I dont really know much of what to do for it to grow well.???
 
No need for the bottle. Just put it by a nice sunny window. N. ventricosa is a good starter Nepenthes, and is pretty resilient.

xvart.
 
But I live in the pacific northwest, and there isn't much humidity here. Would the bottle be ok still?
 
But I live in the pacific northwest, and there isn't much humidity here. Would the bottle be ok still?

I don't give mine humidity at all, its sits in a window in a room that is air conditioned (dry), and it still grows fine. After you ventricosa acclimates it'll be fine if you give it enough light. I'd get rid of the bottle as nepenthes like air circulation.
 
I don't give mine humidity at all, its sits in a window in a room that is air conditioned (dry), and it still grows fine. After you ventricosa acclimates it'll be fine if you give it enough light. I'd get rid of the bottle as nepenthes like air circulation.

Does yours grow pitchers nicely? I live in a relatively dry area, so I might put a bottle around it with the top and bottom cut off. That way it can have some humidity and lots of air circulation. The reason I want to give it humidity is because I have heard that they do not pitcher without some humidity.:water:
 
Nightsky is correct. Air circulation is more important than humidity, at least in the case of N. ventricosa. My N. ventricosa did fine over the winter, when my humidity was between 20% and too low for my hygrometer to read. N. ventricosa will do fine on a windowsill.

xvart.
 
I live in Oregon and my ventricosa sits under 2 flourescents and no terrarium... so you should be fine. Don't use a bottle your plant would grow out fast and you would have to acclimate it which is not needed... just leave you plant out and it will do fine in the long run :-D
 
Thanks everybody. :D Also, I am moving to Michigan in a month. Is that a good place to grow outdoors?
 
NO NO NO haha I bet michigan is not tropical I would grow on a window as a houseplant and hang artificial light about 6" above the plant during winter to help compensate for the lower light levels in winter and during summer go ahead and give it full sun. you might have to acclimate it depending on where you ordered it from but don't worry nepenthes ventricosa is very forgiving of mistakes and I once heard someone say that "nepenthes ventricosa would survive an atomic bomb along with cockroaches, and then it would eat them :grin:"

ventricosa is a highlander and a 10-15F drop in temperature at night would be helpful but is not absolutely required as this plant will grow in a wide range of conditions. It's a perfect starter nepenthes.
 
  • #10
NO NO NO haha I bet michigan is not tropical

Actually, depending on what part of Michigan you are moving to, it may work quite well. It may not be tropical, but if it is warm during the day you'll get a great nighttime drop that would be great for highland Nepenthes. Of course, it wouldn't be so good in winter; but summer and part of both spring and fall I would imagine Nepenthes would do great (all depending on how far south or north you are, of course).

You can check out the various hardiness zones in this thread for more information.

xvart.
 
  • #12
Anything you want that's relatively inert, drains quickly, and relatively nutrient deficient.
 
  • #13
50:50 Long fiber sphagnum : perlite?
 
  • #14
sure or you could use 50/50 peat moss and perlite just make sure not to overwater as peat retains water well.
alot of it is grower preference some people swear on pure live sphagnum but phissionkorps hates it.
my hamata is in sphagnum and it does great and also sphagnum looks great as a top dressing when it's live.
 
  • #15
What should I feed it? And how often? I dont like fertilizers.
 
  • #16
There is no need to feed it... bugs will find their way to it and it really doesnt need the food.
 
  • #17
Whats the point of having a carnivorous plant if they dont act carnivorous? :alien: And mine will be indoors and there arent many bugs in my house.
 
  • #18
I found like 20 ants today giong around my plants and ploped em in with a pair of tweeasrers than watched them.... you know the rest. So i guess ants would work
 
  • #20
I've used skim milk before; or you can buy some blood worms at the store. Feeding Nepenthes is the most effective method of fertilization when compared to fertilization through the soil and foiler feeding.

xvart.
 
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