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This Is Why Coral In Your Media Isn't Always Smart.

Awhile ago I repotted a Nep of mine into a mix of 25% lava, 25% charcoal, 25% sphagnum, and 25% coral. I thought, what's the worst that could happen? There was a thread in another forum that discussed the benefits of putting a thin top layer of coral on top of Nepenthes pots; it was supposed to encourage stronger, more succulent growth. So I decided I would try it as a part of the actual media.

Bad Idea.


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That's after a few weeks. The N. madagascariensis that was in there had more than half its leaves burn off, its root system suffered, and the growth tip shriveled. I thought it was just shock from being barerooted. Although that may have been a contributing factor, it was not the main variable.

:-( :-( :-(


I learned the hard way, lol! Lesson learned: Use coral sparingly, and try not to put too much in your Nep media!
 
never heard of using coral for neps except some with northiana......add that to the fact if i was going to use it i would soak the stuff for bout a month with frequent water changes to get rid of the salt......well i dont see any reason to use the stuff.......rather make sure its getting adequate through the pitchers that way if i screw up its likely to only likely to kill the pitchers
 
I put coral in my Nep pots. I put maybe 15% and on the bottom of it. I haven't seen it harm any Neps. Coral isn't inert. It will leach calcium and other trace minerals into your soil. But I've even tested the soil PH and it didn't have a significant effect on it. Instead my soil PH was higher or lower in proportion to how much NPK was in the soil. Likewise I've found that fresh LFS doesn't hardly affect PH either. It's the fertilizer that has the main affect.

I've burnt about 7 or so small Neps about a month ago. But it was due to overfertilization. My other Neps that I fertilized less survived that bout of fertilizer.

I would think that putting lots of coral in a pot would be bad. But this is because I know from using it for fish that it does leach into the water over time slowly. But I also figure that it could offset the LFS, which lowers PH, when it starts to breakdown.
 
What is it on the sides of the pot? Is it a mineral deposit or some kind of mildew? I cannot quite tell. Sorry bout your plant.
 
I put coral in my Nep pots. I put maybe 15% and on the bottom of it. I haven't seen it harm any Neps. Coral isn't inert. It will leach calcium and other trace minerals into your soil. But I've even tested the soil PH and it didn't have a significant effect on it. Instead my soil PH was higher or lower in proportion to how much NPK was in the soil. Likewise I've found that fresh LFS doesn't hardly affect PH either. It's the fertilizer that has the main affect.

I've burnt about 7 or so small Neps about a month ago. But it was due to overfertilization. My other Neps that I fertilized less survived that bout of fertilizer.

I would think that putting lots of coral in a pot would be bad. But this is because I know from using it for fish that it does leach into the water over time slowly. But I also figure that it could offset the LFS, which lowers PH, when it starts to breakdown.

given that these plants are designed to absorb nuits and such through their pitchers more so than their roots ive found using organic ferts and adding them to the pitcher has had the best affect......using a man made fert and using it to water the plant with seems like a risk to me but then again i keep things in trays and not a bench so salt accumulation is highly likely.....since i switched to organic ferts(mainly liquefied fish) ive not had to worry bout salt and mineral build ups....the neps seem to react to these better than when i was using chemical orchid ferts
 
if that stuff on the side is salt, it probably isn't that big of a deal for neps. I mean you should be salt buildup on my neps! But I only grow them in LFS, so maybe that's why they still grow well.
 
Rattler one reason why I think it is good to use fertilizer in the soil is on account of what I've read in some botanical books.

The Neps are absorbing nutrients through their pitchers into their phloem. The problem is that some nutrients are known to be immobile in the phloem. That does not mean that they are not absorbed into the phloem. What it means is that they are not being heavily absorbed into the phloem and/or they are being absorbed but quickly exiting the phloem(like before they get to a desireable growth point).

Mobility in the phloem varies also between species but at least as far as the plant species that have been tested goes, if it is immobile for one species it is immobile for another. In other words, calicum, for example is phloem immobile in all species, even though some have limited mobility in the phloem of this nutrient and others scarcely absorb it into their phloem at all.

So my reasoning is that nutrients, like calcium, are going to be absorbed in larger quantities and/or get to the growth points in larger quantities if they are being absorbed through the root hairs into the xylem.
 
Yep, I think that white deposit on the side is salt, from the acid-base neutralization reactions that took place between the LFS and the coral as the LFS broke down and released acidic compounds. The coral was bought 'pre-washed' but I didn't trust it so I did soak it for a couple weeks.

I am not saying coral is bad, but it's just a good idea to think about how much you are going to use, and wher you are going to use it. :) Soil chemistry....*sigh*....
 
Coral has done nothing to my lowland neps. I use like 1/3 coral in my x Caesar and like 1/2 coral in my Bicalc.

They're growing very well.
 
  • #10
There are many many factors which can vary slightly from one person to another. So what may work well for one may not work well for another. Type of water and water quality, frequency and amount of water, other potting mix ingredients and amounts, fertilizer applications and type and method or lack thereof entirely. All these things and more come together and this is the net result your plant has to deal with. Trial and error are important along with careful observation in the quest to grow your plants better and better.
 
  • #11
I have used coral with pings before but never neps.

Sorry to hear about your plant. :(
 
  • #12
Aw, Thanks PAK....I kinda miss having a healthy N. madagascariensis around, but I'm thinking that now I'll get a seedgrown one - BE origin.

But Hey, It's all about experimenting and learning. :)
 
  • #13
But Hey, It's all about experimenting and learning. :)

Ah, someone after my own heart! Be prepared for some failure, a little ridicule, and eventual success!
 
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