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New Nepenthes edwardsiana

  • #21
Because people will pay that much.
 
  • #22
So--- Why are Edwardsiana and Hamata so incredibly expensive (generally) if they're easy to grow? Don't easy to grow plants get cheaper over time, because they are easier to reproduce?

I'm struggling to understand how some people can grow excellent specimens on windowsills, yet elsewhere gloom and doom is proclaimed. I took from this that replicating the natural environment of these plants is the best approach.

First, there's the standard Economics 101 explanation of simple supply in demand, for exotic plants in general; there are very few suppliers; and they are generally overseas, with less than ideal exchange rates. Second, N. edwardsiana, unlike the others, has only recently entered micropropagation -- tissue culture -- after several years of fits and starts, and by only a single supplier; and it holds a not-entirely undeserved reputation for being a slow grower, under some cultural circumstances. Also, TC can be and is generally labor-intensive; many laboratory hours are expended, changing media, transferring plants from vial to vial; and it is an expensive pursuit, both in terms of time and material, for any nursery . . .
 
  • #23
I'm struggling to understand how some people can grow excellent specimens on windowsills, yet elsewhere gloom and doom is proclaimed. I took from this that replicating the natural environment of these plants is the best approach. But having seen BigBella's specimen, I'm beginning to wonder.

What we're seeing here is the product of highly skilled and experienced growers who know how to treat the plants so that they can flourish in conditions divergent from their natural environment. That being said, San Diego (and most Mediterranean climate-regions where people grow Neps outdoors successfully all year) still has the nightly temperature drops that people claim these plants need to survive. It's a far cry from a dark windowsill in Chicago handled by someone who reports experience only with N. fusca and N. alata.
 
  • #24
It's a blessing to live in coastal Northern California. It makes growing nepenthes that much easier.
 
  • #25
What we're seeing here is the product of highly skilled and experienced growers who know how to treat the plants so that they can flourish in conditions divergent from their natural environment. That being said, San Diego (and most Mediterranean climate-regions where people grow Neps outdoors successfully all year) still has the nightly temperature drops that people claim these plants need to survive. It's a far cry from a dark windowsill in Chicago handled by someone who reports experience only with N. fusca and N. alata.

If you don't have the temp drop, the plants grow too fast and exhaust themselves. If it's going to be super hot, feed the cold growing HLs and UHLs a lot to get them through it. I had my villosa survive 90+ degree temps outside before, with a drop to just 80 at night, but I did make sure it got lots of food. The poor thing. Sometimes I stick it in the fridge over night.

I also had success in Vermont, window sill growing ventricosa, sanguinea, and ventrata. I didn't stay long enough, after picking up the hobby, to get more plants there, but it is work-able. The snow helps to reflect the sunshine in the winter. I also had some Theobroma Cacao (chocolate), and Lemon trees growing. Then just the regular old houseplants too.

I think with neps based on my observations for the past 6 years, they need a certain amount of sunlight hours in order for pitcher production to occur, they need humidity in order to grow quickly and make bigger pitchers, and all of them other than UHLs don't like dips below 60 at night otherwise they stall until it warms up. And then the temp drop of course. I started with the plants suggested in Nepenthes Around the House as outdoor plants, intermediate and above, and experimented from there. I determined even some of the intermediates don't want to grow outside for the occasional chill even in San Diego (e.g. N.platychila I think would like indoors better over the 'Winter' months). Most of Neps can stand the low and swinging humidity, but there are a couple I've encountered that really won't stand for it and start shrinking and threaten to die (e.g. N.hamiguitanensis). And most can take the intense and numerous hours of direct sunshine but again, some won't grow in it (N.ovata). N.edwardsiana doesn't seem to be in any of these categories so far for the couple of years I've grown it, so I would suggest it as a beginning HL plant actually. It does grow kind of slowly though.

BTW the best plants suited for the climate here all things considered are Trusmadiensis crosses. They grow slowly, but their pitchers don't mind the swings to 0 humidity for days or weeks at a time, so I get to keep pitchers for a year or two. The worst is N.flava.. I still haven't figured out its deal. Maybe it's the humidity thing. It's grown 2" since I got it... 4+ years ago.
 
  • #26
Lets just say that all Nepenthes are great, and that each and every person has the right to grow the plant the way they want. :)

Everyone has their favorite, some species are more liked than others. (edwardsiana) The more people that like the species, the higher the demand. Pair this with supply and you get a price that suits most that desire the species.
 
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  • #27
I find it funny that most of the people here saying edwardsiana is super difficult don't even grow it.
 
  • #29
There is a huge difference between growing a species from seed and growing an already established plant.
 
  • #30
My eddy looks good after a few days �� I don't think it will be a problem to grow! Might try and get a larger one soon if it keeps looking this way!!!
 
  • #31
Just the same, there's a huge difference between an experienced grower with a greenhouse or balcony in San Diego (where it has been proven that highlanders can flourish) and someone who barely grows Nepenthes with a dark windowsill in Chicago. A plant may be "easy" for someone with decent conditions and experience, but downright impossible to the rest of the populace.
 
  • #32
How do you know the windowsill is dark? He hasn't given any indication about his light levels. I managed to grow several purportedly difficult to grow species on my dark windowsill in Ithaca during the winter with fairly low light levels and sub 20% humidity.
 
  • #33
Chicago has notoriously poor weather - but regardless of that, I think the main difference here is experience. You really know your stuff (as evidenced when you were talking at the NECPS show), but the OP was contemplating dunking the plant in ice water and using magnets.

I don't want to start any arguments here and I apologize to everyone for losing my temper earlier. I'll gladly eat my hat if this ends up working.
 
  • #34
Can we hold you to the hat eating? Friendly bet :-D
 
  • #35
skoogenheimer - definitely wait a lot longer than a few days to make any judgments on whether the plant enjoys its current situation. After about a month or two you you can start to see what factors the plant enjoys or doesn't.

Congrats on getting an edwardsiana though, really. I am interested to see how the indoor windowsill experiment works out. I honestly think the plant will probably survive where it is, but hardly grow or not thrive. If you were to add just one clamp lamp with a CF light bulb and make sure you mist it twice a day and I bet it would grow like a champ.

If it starts to go downhill, I say put it in a small terrarium and get a clamp lamp on it pronto.
 
  • #36
Good luck! Depending on how humid your windowsill is and how hot it gets I would use a transparent ziploc baggie over the pot for humidity. During winter in the US I'd say most windowsills are pretty good temp wise for growing highlanders. I hope the plant does well for you :)
 
  • #38
With a plant that small in that huge of a pot, I cannot imagine it not getting root rot at some point.
 
  • #40
Been a while since I've been on.

This is a bit of a heated thread.

I think I was one of a very few people that had tried a N. hamata as a windowsill plant years ago. To be exact, it has been growing as a windowsill plant since 7/15/2004.
The N. hamata was a plant I always wanted. I did not have the "proper" setup required to have the plant thrive, so I was told.

Nhamata.jpg


skoogenheimer good luck with your plant.
 
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