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N. truncata

  • #21
I like big plants too!  I don't have a LARGE nepenthes yet, but I do have one nep that is getting FAR too large for my 10 gallon tank.  
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 The largest pitcher is four inches tall. This picture doesn't do it justice but here you go, my largest Nep at this moment.  We all know that Nepenthes can quickly overtake your life!  
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Please ignore the perlite and Soda bottle pot.  I received several Neps at one tme and quickly potted these up.  At the time, I was falsely told to layer the bottom of pots with an inch or so of perlite to provide drainage.  I now know that the idea of a seperate bottom layer of perlite actually HINDERS drainage, I would've transplanted the Nepenthes, only the last two months it has grown 6 pitchers.  All pitchers were the plants first!  Thus, it was tough to want to disturb anything.  Sure, I will be replanting it soon as the plant outgrows the tank it's in.  And that will be in only a month or less!  
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 Just make sure no one sees the perlite layer and gets any ideas.  DON"T DO IT!  It doesn't help drainage AT all!
 
  • #22
Joe is right on what Michael uses, he had every plant no matter how rare or valuable it was, all in the same darn thing...domestic sphagnum. Thats all.
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Simple simple simple. I would like to add that indeed most of my best Nepenthes grow in 100% sphagnum moss. My large N. bical is in a pot of pure sphagnum as is my N. rafflesiana 'singapore giant'. I also belive N. hamata is in pure sphagnum...I may switch back to sphagnum now the more I think about it.
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  • #23
Making decent, well-draining Nepenthes soil never really seemed too much of a chore for me. I think it's kindof fun. I never get too carried away, but I like using some lava rock, orchid bark, and charcoal (this more towards the bottom of the pot) with a base of LFS. That isn't all I use, but those are the "general principals."
I just love the way Nepenthes soil looks... a while ago I bought a Nepenthes from California Carnivores. I took a picture of the potting medium spread across a sheet of paper and it looks quite purdy.

Regarding the leaf mulch... I liked the idea of using leaf mulch. I have never thought about trying it as a top layer to a Nepenthes mix. Many Nepenthes grow naturally, as most of you know, in soil that has a substantial top-layer of fallen leaves. It seems like adding leaves to the mix may better simulate the natural soil of SOME Nepenthes.
The only issues I can think of are
A: The composition and realative cleanliless of the leaf mulch
B: Using leaf mulch in an area that, as much as we may try, still is far from a natural Nepenthes habitat. I could see problems arising in using leaf mulch in an enclosed environment such as a tank or, to a lesser extent, a greenhouse. There may be more of a potential for mold and... well, general nastiness.

-Trev
 
  • #24
Hi Trev,

I would agree on point B.  Duplicating a natural condition is not always the best plan when growing a plant in captivity.  It is impossible to duplicate all the conditions that makes it work for mother nature.  As soon as we try growing a plant in our care beyond it's natural habitat, things go out the window and what might actually be a positive thing in nature can turn to a negative.

Alot of people think they MUST duplicate everything found in nature to be successful.  This is not correct.  What is important is close observation, experimentation, and adjustment to improve ones growing skills over time.  Nature gives us a general set of conditions to point us in the right direction but that's about it.

And the perplexing part is that even in cultivation no two growers conditions are all exactly alike so comparing between two growers and what works for one and the other should only be done on a general scale again.

Tony
 
  • #25
I'm a recipe person, not particularly specific but rather I will create my own mediums using things that are or might be found in the habitat of the particular plant. This works great for terrestrial cacti and epiphytes but others such as perhaps Neps do not like this. I am an experimentor and have found some interesting things in many plants while killing many in the meantime. It happens though. I am not experimenting with the truncata though. Its fun for me you'd be surprised what works and even better what plants actually like. I like to read about the soil composition of the habitat and whatnot other factors. I have probably more soil components than actual plants in my collection. Oh Well.

Joe
 
  • #26
Tony Paroubek! The name sounds familiar:,Do you own something? Like a store or retail or something like that? Your name sounds familiar outside of the forums.....I think anyway.

Take care
Joe
 
  • #27
[b said:
Quote[/b] (superimposedhope @ Mar. 04 2004,23:49)]Tony Paroubek! The name sounds familiar:,Do you own something? Like a store or retail or something like that? Your name sounds familiar outside of the forums.....I think anyway.

Take care
Joe
I was big into orchids for many years and ran a small nursery, Par O Bek Orchids.  Now it's filled with cps ;> I couldn't change the name though.. too sentimental LOL

I think you did the right thing and clipped back the dying part. Two ways that Nepenthes can die quickly.. one is rot attacking through the growing point which will quickly work it's way down the stem. OR from the root system upwards. In both cases disease can travel quickly up or down the main stem way ahead of when symptoms become visible.

If the growth point is gone and there is still healthy stem below it, the plant will recover by producing a lateral shoot but it will take a long time, particularly with N. truncata.

Tony
 
  • #28
Thats it! I am a site surfer and have ran across your site for several different plants. Thats cool, I've always wanted to make a living on selling plants but I don't think it's that easy. I don't have the money either to start up, or a greenhouse for that matter. It would be nice to make a living doing something you enjoy even if you don't get rich. Oh well, thanks for the above help. I pickup on plants pretty quick but this happened before I've had a chance to get the growing exp. yet.

Joe
 
  • #29
I did'nt have any fungicide so when I cut it, afterwards I put some cutting hormone on it which happens to have a dampoff deterent fungicide "stuff" (my technical babling) in it. It has stopped there. It was soft and brown all the way through. I cut back to green and its stopped there with the cutting dip. (I think I repeated myself) We'll see what happens now.

Joe???
 
  • #30
[QUOTE I cut the the whole new leaf off because it had gone totally black on and in the center of the stem and was mushy, while the leaf part that unrolls never did go black.It was dead base to tendril tip.]
I did'nt have any fungicide so when I cut it, afterwards I put some cutting hormone on it.


YEAH!!!
Ok, Where I put the cutting powder it is already putting out a new branch out of the previously rotten stem that was cut back to a green stump. The pitcher that was on it is dieing which I think is ok. It has been through alot, it never did open but it did endure a short frost in shipping. New growth is green and I think it is adjusting now. Thanks

Joe
 
  • #31
Dang this is a long thred.  Why not just say chop it off around the rot and be done with it, LOL! I'm glad it worked out that way anyhow
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 My N. ventricosa is due for a trasplant and bang! what do I see over spring break?  Rot along one leaf, jumping to others that were in contact with it and starting to run up along the edge of the stem.  I pulled off the leaves inclueding the yellowing parts and split it open to find a nice fuzz lining the inside of the central vein of the leaf :p  fungi.  So I grabed a knife carved out the bad parts like you would on a tree, sprayed with with a little fungiside just in case (fungiside has never worked for me when sprayed on anything but open wounds) and bing, overnight my plant sealed it'self off and hasn't had a single sign of the infection since
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