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What should I get?

J

JustinJgh

Hello, I'm new to carnivorous plants. I just started this summer, I've ordered a Venus Fly Trap and a Sarr.

Both are doing very well and I know how to grow them and everything, they are growing rapidly too, very proud of myself.

So I'd like to branch out, I live in Minnesota and would like to buy a Nep.

What kind should I get a Highland or lowland, can anyone explain the diff.

I also need opinions on what kind look the nicest.

If anyone would, since I'm new to Neps if anyone could give some suggestions from that website on what kind I should get that'd be really cool.

I'm looking for a small one that I can watch grow. (I'll try seeds eventually but, baby steps I don't wanna kill my plants) also ones with really nice looking pitchers, hardy and not too hard to grow too would be great (first nep).

Also some basic information would be great, I've read online, but a lot of these websites probably don't know what they are talking about.

Thanks for the help, I know I'm asking a lot of stuff but I don't wanna kill my future nep.

Oh and one more thing, just a rant, my local grocery store sells VFTs, it disgusts me how unwell taken care of they are. There is some kind of mildew or something growing on them, the plants are really little, probably just growing.

Mini crappy pots, in a plastic box, not in sun, in a cold store, not watered.

Oh and I'm pretty sure they aren't even in the right kind of soil. I wanted to save one, but they all would take way too much to even bring back to somewhat normal.
 
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You cannot list the names of other dealers on this website. You will get a warning from a mod. my suggestion is to edit that post and take the name out.
 
I'd get a N. sanguinea from flytrapshop.com (and you're allowed to mention that site since the runner of this forum owns it :). It's a very tolerant and easy highland Nepenthes. Highland neps in general tend to appreciate cooler conditions than lowlanders. Some of the "extreme" highlanders need a big temperature drop at night below 40F in order to survive; however, sanguinea will take household conditions provided there's enough light (east or south window should do it.) Lowland neps generally need higher humidity and prefer warmer temps.
 
Does the San need the huge temp drop?

Also, they can't be grown outside at all?
 
Well id say get a sanguinea from andy too
were they not temporarily out of stock lol.
But yes, an N. Sanguinea, N. Ventrata, N.Ventricosa, and N. Alata are your best options for started Neps.
 
JustinJgh said:
Does the San need the huge temp drop?

Also, they can't be grown outside at all?
Click to expand...

That depends on where you live. I live in Los Angeles. I recently moved my sanguinea (from Andy) outside under shade cloth and it's growing fine with much more coloration.
 
Does the San need the huge temp drop?
No, it doesn't need a big temp. drop at all, it is a very tollerant highlander
Also, they can't be grown outside at all?
PLEASE, grow it out side! It will thank you! I grow mine outside during the summer ad it does great!
 
Why wouldn't they know what they were talking about?

It's true that N. sanguinea, N. ventricosa, N. alata and N. ventrata are easy. They're also very plain. A plant that is just as easy to grow but with a little more flamboyancy is N. 'Miranda', so you may want to look into that. By all means, get the others in addition. Almost any hybrid that's half N. maxima or N. ventricosa is going to be a plant I can recommend to a beginner. N. truncata is an excellent plant for you to grow. It grows very large, but stays compact and grows very slowly unlike N. bicalcarata (which is also a good beginner plant if you have the conditions and space, or don't mind trading it for a smaller one yearly. It can grow about six feet wide and grows like Kudzu. OK, not that fast :p). Lowland plants are going to be faster growing in general, and it's easier to heat than to cool if you don't already have highland conditions. Set up your growing area then tell use what your average day and night temperatures are (with the lights on during the day) and that will let you know what you should be growing. Technically, lowlanders grow from 0 to 1000 meters, and highlanders grow from 1000 meters and above. There is no fence, so they overlap. As Nepfreak said, lowlanders prefer warm temperatures. Highlanders prefer it cool. Ultrahighlanders prefer it cold and and ultralowlanders (no one says this! Hello! N. bicalcarata! ) prefer growing in a sauna. Nepenthes sanguinea doesn't need a big temperature drop. It's tolerant. Jeremy has an excellent plant (I hope that's who I'm thinking of ) in Miami.

You can grow some plants outside during the spring and summer. It will depend on your humidity and light, but Nepenthes aren't demanding in the light department, so this really shouldn't be a problem. Some plants are more tolerant to lower humidity than others. These will generally be plants with thick foliage. You can also find the answers to every question you asked if you used the invaluable search feature, and you would have learned more than you asked and wouldn't have had to wait for answers.

EDIT. Wow. Ninja posts. I have to disagree about growing Nepenthes inside. Nepenthes like stability, even the most common and easiest species. If you can grow something inside year round with a 16 hour per day photo period and a consistent RH%, the plant will experience less stress than a plant that is grown outside half the time, then moved inside for the fall and winter, experience changes in light, humidity, etc. I'd only do this if you're running out of room in a terrarium or are unable to use a terrarium, and in the first scenario just with plants you don't really care about. These will be the beginner plants like N. sanguinea, N. ventricosa, etc. once you advance in the hobby and move on to better plants and need to use a terrarium for more demanding plants, or plants you prefer over over the common things. Plants grown in a terrarium usually look nicer than plants exposed to wind, rain, bugs, environmental fluctuations, etc. You can also control their nutrients. Growing in terraria is not without it's setbacks. With the higher humidity levels, fungi (usually harmless, just unsightly) likes it just as much as the plants do, the plants grow thinner leaves because they don't have to "toughen up" to less-than-ideal conditions,and they can really fry faster when circumstances don't go well than hardened plants (like if you forget to put the cover on the terrarium, and your humidity drops drastically and you don't find out for a few days. Never happened personally, but it could) and of course you're not getting free light. Plants outside can need watering. Using the same mix, I'd have to water twice a day if I grew outside compared to once every three to five days inside.
 
you better listen to the neps experts arround here, they know what they are talking about! if you want to know what a person that has nothing to do with neps growes (like me) with no problem at all....the answer it's a.... ventricosa! it's the only one i have and it's growing with the rest of my droseras outside in a more shaded place in a pot of lfs....no particular care, low humidity, less watering ...and the pitchers are getting bigger and bigger!
....and it would help to know your location ...if it's not a secret one
 
  • #10
I'd seconed the truncata. Its super easy on windowsills. Its a little slow but it never fails to pitcher. They are huge for the leaf size.
100_0468.jpg


Ventricosa? Plain? Are you sure we're talking about the same plant, Clint?
100_0418.jpg

Its red. It has ridges. It has spike things jutting out from its peristome. It has nice splotching. Sure, there are some boring varieties, but if you're lucky you can make sure that you get this form. Plus its one of the easiast Nepenthes.

Others may disagree...but I have found Eyemae to be extremely windowsill hardy. It took just as long to settle in as Ventricosa and its pitchers have the same leaf ratio. Its basically a maxima with funnel shaped uppers:
100_0466.jpg

100_0452.jpg

Nepenthes around the house.com has tons of information on Nepenthes: http://www.nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/
 
  • #12
Clint said:
Yeah, I'm afraid red spots and a different shade of red can't compete to this:

http://www.piantecarnivoreitalia.it/immagini/carnivore/nephentes/big/3.jpg


Did I mention the leaves turn red/bronze in high light, and not just the midrib like some "other" species :p ?
Click to expand...
I'll agree with you there. I still think ventricosa is underaprecciated. :-D
Anyway, back on topic...either of them (or pretty much anyone listed here) would make swell starter plants. Its up to you to decide which one of them is the coolest.
Where are you located?
 
  • #13
Clint, you are evil! Now I want a N. truncata and a N. x miranda. Both witch I can't afford as I am in the process of upgrading my hermit crabs to a 29 gallon!
 
  • #14
ditto on the recommendations. Truncata is always a winner, and one of my favorite neps around is ventricosa since you can get so many different types of pitchers on one plant.

Also, as mentioned, ventricosa hybrids grow much faster than the non-ventricosa parent (usually for me anyway) and look great. Can't keep it lowland enough for ampullaria? Get an ampricosa! Too warm for spectabilis in your house (that'd be pretty warm...) the ventricosa hybrid is really great.

If you can find a x --- Dragon then those are a very nice easy plants that get big also.

Anyway, a N. sanguinea was my first nep and yes it is easy to grow and pitcher, but there are a lot of much prettier Nepenthes around that are just as easy to grow.

N. x miranda is a great choice. I got one super cheap at a local nursery. I have yet to find a place that is selling x miranda where the pot doesn't have at least two points. As mentioned, i grow mine outside now that is summer and the leaves are a nice red/bronze and I am getting great pitchers.
 
  • #15
CPsInAtl said:
If you can find a x --- Dragon then those are a very nice easy plants that get big also.
Click to expand...

I'll second that motion. And, as relative to the previous suggestions of N. truncata, all of the "dragon" greges have N. truncata as one of the parents.

xvart.
 
  • #17
I thought about this, and the only other "bad" thing about sangs that i can think of, if you want to call it "bad", is that when they decide they want to vine, they vine, and vine and vine...
 
  • #18
Well, I can't prove it's the REAL N. ventricosa, but I'm happy I got mine and am enjoying it so far. I hope it pitchers before I go to college. It's really the most attractive form, I think.

The clone in that link is impressive but like other very wide-mouthed constricted waist plants, it's got this deformed vibe going on. It's looks like it has cellulite.
 
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