So I have a H. Minor (or I think) it was doing great when I got it from Thrb(not cool enough) so it was growing and so on.. Then it got warm say 72F all day with a minimal nightly drop. The pitchers started dying back then after awhile I got frustrated threw it on my diffused windowsill with the window cracked. Since my house has great insulation the house has a constant temp but with the window cracked the heli has shown growth in a week. Are helis this picky normally ?
What will be cool is where I'm moving to Hawaii it gets very cool(55F-60F) foggy wet then warms up to a sunny 70F or so perfect heli weather
.
Back on topic generally how hard are more difficult helis to grow ?
Just curious since I'd like to start a nice collection of them.
Heliamphora vary a bit in their difficulty in cultivation. Hybrids (whether naturally occurring or man-made) are generally easier to maintain, as well as those species which occur at lower altitudes, below the Tepuis (those of the foothills of the Gran Sabana, such as
H. ionasii, H.elongata, H. pulchella, and others).
All appreciate a Tb drop at night. Treat them as highland
Nepenthes or even
Darlingtonia and you will be successful. The fact that your plant is now experiencing that all-too necessary Tb drop is probably why it is improving.
Other
Heliamphora species can also be particularly slow-growing, regardless of the cultivation method -- whether they are grown from cuttings, seed, or tissue culture, such as
H. sarracenioides and
H. elongata (the latter truly requiring a Tb drop at night). Half of my plants are watered by the shallow tray method, the others by hand (with no differences in results whatsoever). My preferred compost is generally live sphagnum, perlite, and pumice in a 2:1:1 ratio. Other growers have their own preferences and you can never argue with their successes; but quick-draining is
always the common denominator . . .
I grow most of the available species with little difficulty, simply keeping in mind their basic cultural requirements. Provide the greatest amount of light and humidity possible without cooking them by day, and allow them a good Tb drop by night and all should be well.
As an aside -- to encourage the growth of mature pitchers, snip away some of the juveniles as they are developing . . .
