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Help with Northiana

I just got another Nepenthes Northiana... its quite small, about 10cm across....(my earlier one seems to be stunted, it hasn't put out a new leaf for about a month)
Anyone here, has this plant and has been successful at growing it?
I need some advice on the media.. some people say use limestone, others say use vermiculite... some say sphagnum moss will be fine... So what is the best media? How wet must it be?
Also, does it need alot of sunlight?
 
N. northiana is a fairly sensitive species. It does not
tolerate fluctuations in humidity well, nor does it like significant
changes in temperature. It should be given a fairly shaded
location, as the leaves are easily burned. Compost should
be a well-drained mix of charcoal, bark, peat, perlite, etc.
I have grown this plant to maturity in this way, and wrote
an article about it which was published in the June, 2003 issue
of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. You may find it
helpful.

Good growing!
 
I've gone to a pure living sphagnum moss media. Didn't seem to fair too well in other mixes I've tried. Was drying out too quickly and getting water stress.

I second the shady area. Under 4 4 foot fluorescents 1 foot away from the plants I got leaf burn on N. northiana. Since I've moved it under N. bicalcarata's massive leafes it seems to be doing much better. You probably could even put a small "umbrella" of shade cloth over it. Personally I think it's very sensitive to high light levels in my expierence rather than other factors thereso. But it just shows what works in different growing mechanisms.
 
nepenthes gracilis & neps : thanks for your advices; i really appreciate it, you guys must be really good at growing neps
smile.gif


neps: i just pm you regarding the newsletter...

Based on the few replies.. it seems that not many people here(in this forum) grow N. northiana or are able to grow it successfully...
I must admit that I am a beginner and should not have attempted in growing such a challenging species... but I will still try my best at keeping it alive.
 
Hey Vistary
I got my N. northiana about a month or so ago from Dangerous Plants.  It's a nice 3.5" plant that I chucked into the lowland terrarium I have.  I also ordered N. burbidgeae and N. khasiana at the same time, and so far, the northiana hasn't shown any signs of stress.  It's growing the fastest out of the three, and it seems to be doing really well (increasing in leaf and pitcher size). It's growing in a mix of mostly peat, and I haven't watered it once since it arrived.  It gets as much light as all my other lowlanders (2 warm white, 2 cool white, less than a foot away), and it hasn't burned one bit. The humidity, however, is extremely high in there.  I believe this is an important factor when growing this specie.  Remember, warm and humid, possibly with a little shading!  Good Luck!

Amori
 
I think all neps like a lot of humidity. Some will tolerate less. Others will tolerate a lot less. Some hybrids grow like ordinary plants in sub-tropical climates, tolerating much drier or colder conditions than a northiana will. Northiana will never be a porch plant, unless your porch is in a warm rainforest.

I've got a "stunted" northiana also. It just sits there. But, it's not dead. So I just keep it in the shade in high humidity with my fingers crossed. Some hybrids I bought later than the northiana have already begun to pitcher. For this time of year any pitchering is really nice. Most of it seems to be the hybrids.
 
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