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Small Lowland Nepenthes?

I'm thinking about ordering some seeds, but I don't known what to get. I need lowlands that are easy to grow and don't get too large. A lot of the plants I've looked at would outgrow my 29g aquarium, which wouldn't be good for me since my house doesn't have the best growing conditions. I'm planning on ordering a mature N. bicalcarata. Any ideas? Thanks :)
 
N. bicalcarata is one of the largest lowlanders available. If you want a small lowlander N. bellii is your best bet.
 
Well, off the bat, Bicals are pretty much the largest and fastest growing nepenthes that you can find. Also, if you haven't grown any before I'd suggest not starting with seed, since it will take years before you have even a small specimen. Order from one of the few great vendors that are online. I can PM you a list if you don't know who they are. There are a few fun ones that will stay small-ish for a while, but nepenthes are vines and will eventually outgrow a 29 gal tank no matter what.
Edit* I just saw your very beautiful and large ampullaria in the other thread, so I guess you obviously know how big plants can get. As was said above, belii would be your best bet for a small LLer, although even belii will get big over time. Theres one here at the huntington gardens thats easily a 4-5 foot vine with a few rosettes that are over two feet wide. Pretty much, there is no such thing as a nepenthes that will fit inside a terrarium forever. If you wanted to grow highlanders, there are a few plants like aristo and gymniphora that will stay pretty small, but will still grow a long vine like any other plant eventually.
 
Bicalcarata are big eh? Darn. I guess I'll try growing seeds after I go to university and graduate. I want to stick with tropical pitchers that don't need to be overwintered. Oh, and East, I'd appreciate that list. Thanks.
 
By overwintered do you mean kept inside for winter? Because if you live in canada there is nothing that you can grow outside all year round'.
 
Sorry, I should have clarified. What I mean is putting plants in a cold cellar or something for the winter so they can go into dormancy. I know you have to do that with a lot of fly traps and sundews.
 
I second the recommendation for N. bellii.
 
Well, nepenthes dont ever go into dormancy. Tropical climates where they grow don't have winters. You'd be much better off growing Highland plants, as most could adapt to even a windowsill or other household climates, whereas lowlanders need to be pampered and kept in a high humidity environment. I grow HLers on my windowsill and in my closet among other places with no problems. As long as you slowly acclimate them to the lower humidity all will be fine.
 
campanulata is relatively small as well.
 
  • #10
I'm not sure if I could keep highlanders. Don't they need a lot of light? My house gets virtually no light. The forest behind us blocks almost all the light. And campanulata is really nice! When I move out, I'll probably try to buy an enormous terrarium. Too bad they don't make any super-tall terrariums.
 
  • #11
They do make super tall terrariums, and you can also get custom ones, although for HLers you really don't need them. Some of them really don't need that much light at all either. I grow some under lights in my closet and I just use a $40 light set up that I got a home depot. If you want to go all out with a nice 4 bulb T5 system for your plants, it's only really going to run you about $75 if you look in the right place. But I'd really recommend highlanders. They're much easier in my opinion, and are also so much cooler and better looking. I'd start out with a species like sanguinea that is super pretty, but also very easy to grow in household conditions. The main thing with Hlers is that they appreciate about a 20 degree temperature drop at night. For the ones that I grow in my room, I just open the window at night and my room cools from about 70-75 to 55-60 degrees and my plants are all super happy. Hope this helps!
 
  • #12
I guess I'll have to do some investigating with high landers! I've never really read into them at all.
 
  • #13
N. bicalcarata gets 8 feet wide, not small at all. Highlanders will be the easiest to grow in Canada. There are plenty of little ones that will work.
 
  • #14
I guess I'll have to start researching them! Also, can't I train larger species to remain small? I know how to keep healthy bonsais and keep them small. I know bonsai techniques can also be used on vines, so in theory, wouldn't that work with lowland Nepenthes?
 
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  • #15
You also have to remember nepenthes are for all intensive purposes high light plants. There are exceptions but I know a grower who stresses full sun. But I grow under 50% shade cloth for temp purposes. If your windows don't he much light you may need suplimental lighting. But this can be pretty cheap honestly. My terrarium is a 50 gallon long and I have two twin t-8 lights on top. One is over driven and the other is not. Both have daylight bulbs and my bical is nice and red and there are red leaves on another plant in there. Of course my bical is touching the sides and will be moved out once my second GH is finished and I have my current GH concerted to LL.

Gracilis would be another one worth looking into. They all can be topped and rooted causing the plant to bush. Jeep that in mind too.

But yeah bicals are an ultra LL plant. Like it hot and wet. One of the fastest and larger growing neps. Merriliana is bigger but I don't think as fast a growing.
 
  • #16
Wish bicalcarata didn't grow so big. I'm definitely not going to be buying a greenhouse any time soon :p. And what do you mean by "topped"? Thanks. Oh, and if I bought a 200g tank, would that be a reasonable size for lowland Nepenthes?
 
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