What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Suitable Terra for a Heli?

I would really like to grow a Heli Minor. I was thinking of sticking a pot of them in one of these guys I found on Amazon, but I'm unsure which would be better or if they're even suitable. I was planning on keeping them by a windowsill though I also have a clamp light that I can stick a CFL bulb in as backup if it's needed.

Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 15.5 inches
6nXspqO.png


Dimensions: 7 x 7 x 17.5 inches
QKVWYAK.png


Thanks for any advice you can share.
 
Terrariums trap an enormous amount of heat, especially if they are kept on a windowsill with the sun beating in on them. The space is fine for those, but you will want a high-powered CFL, mylar or aluminum foil to wrap the sides with to trap the light, and somewhere to keep the plant around 50-65F.
 
I like Sundrew's advice, but thought I would offer as personal experience. 50-65F is probably the ideal. If you can hit that they probably love you. I successfully keep mine significantly higher than that (as much as high 70's, occasionally even into the 80's. 90's is where I have started to have real problems.... grrrr....). Best to avoid those temps but they can take it. Try to give them a cooler evening if they get warm during the day.
To add to what Drew already said about your enclosure- I worry about air flow with the top one. I think it looks really cool but make sure you get some fresh air in there- especially if you are using a denser (for a heli) soil mix. Once heli's get the fungal infection of death- the only remedy is a bottle of prozac unless you are able to amputate pretty early. H. minor is fairly forgiving though.
 
Thanks for the advice so far. I'll probably go for the lantern with ventilation (happily since it's significantly cheaper!). Originally, I thought it would be a problem because it would lower the humidity. Glad I asked.

I was also worried about the temperature but hearing they can survive a little higher is a relief. I can probably provide 70-80F during the day and lower at night with the AC. Not afraid to adjust either if necessary.
 
it also depends on the species you are growing. smaller species such as pulchella, minor, and hispida will manage in such a small space. larger heliamphora species require larger/wider growing spaces as these plants have a clumping habit, with the exception of tatei. the head space is further complicated with the presence of flower stalks.

in the wild, they experience temps from the mid-70s and drop down to the low 50s or even high 40s at night. humidity is highest in the morning, though in the wild, they receive fluctuating weather conditions from rain to drizzle to fog to full sun (in any sequence might i add) in a matter of minutes. as others have also hinted, these mountain tops have large volumes of humid cool air moving through them, and a narrow enclosure like that will make such attempts extremely difficult if not impossible.

*edit*
i just realized we were just talking about minor. either enclosure technically can house a minor, but the issue with the flower stalks will still stand.

cool, humid air along with bright light is key.
 
The lantern would probably be better then if/when it flowers. I could probably poke it out of one of the ventilation windows. I'm probably going to purchase a young plant with immature pitchers so I don't think the size will be a problem for a while. I think it will give me enough time to prepare when it outgrows the lantern. Thanks :D I'll try not to bake 'em.
 
Why not a ten gallon terrarium with a dual cfl hood? Those even have holes to rig up a coolimg system. That's what I attempted my first heli in, though I killed it due to overwater and clumsiness. :/ Would love to try another at some point... For now, I have my maturing nep in there as well as two cephalotus that I hope will pull through.

Anyway, with the cooler I can easily provide a day temp range of 75-77*F. With ice bottles as a night drop catalyst, 50's are doable in a cool, air conditioned room:

IMAG0563-1_zps66e2ff38.jpg

IMAG0564_zpsc69b0cd8.jpg

IMAG0565_zpsb545d137.jpg


Not good for flower stalks though, If and when that happens.

A crazy idea I have had recently is to build a shelf across my window, above the window ac. That whole area around is between 67-73* while it runs during the day while full sun against the window. Not bad, I think. I think it may even be possible to make the ac blow on the plants to provide a nice night low. I need to test this more though as humidity may be a concern.
 
Last edited:
I wanted to keep things simple. Pretty hesitant to take the plunge into hooking up a cooling system and setting up light fixtures. I do have unused 19 gallon tank that I plan on outfitting with lights, etc. But right now, I don't think it would be efficient to do all that now for one plant. Maybe further down the line when I have a larger collection.
 
How will it drain... what about corrosion?

First impression is it might look pretty for a while, but become problematic over the long term.
If the joints are soldered, you may also have issues with lead and tin leaching into the substrate.

To keep helis long term you must keep them cool, bright, and humid... with an emphasis on cool.
The vast majority of those who have tried Heliamphora in unventilated terrariums have been unsuccessful.
Stagnation or heat eventually kills the plant.

just my 2 cents, ymmv
 
  • #10
...keep the plant around 50-65F.
...50-65F is probably the ideal. If you can hit that they probably love you...

Yeah. The tepuis where Heliamphora live in the wild are high up, often shrouded in clouds. Definitely keep them cooler than other carnivorous plants.
 
  • #11
How will it drain... what about corrosion?

First impression is it might look pretty for a while, but become problematic over the long term.
If the joints are soldered, you may also have issues with lead and tin leaching into the substrate.

To keep helis long term you must keep them cool, bright, and humid... with an emphasis on cool.
The vast majority of those who have tried Heliamphora in unventilated terrariums have been unsuccessful.
Stagnation or heat eventually kills the plant.

just my 2 cents, ymmv

Just to chime in here and throw a wrench in the gears.... :angel:

I kept mine sitting in water and pretty roasting most of the time (I wouldn't be surprised if the terrarium actually reached 90*F a lot). But, make sure you have a pretty arid environment so that you get evaporative cooling (like a swamp cooler) work for you if that's the route you choose. BRIGHT lights, potted in lfs : perlite with a generous top layer of live sphag, super dry air, lots of air circulation, and watch them like a hawk! I did have a fatality every now and then, but minor wasn't one of them.
 
  • #12
Some of the largest Heliamphora I've seen were being grown in fish tanks with a little bit of water on the bottom and a T8 fixture. Media isn't a big issue, but I have found recently that peat-based mixes work better for me (and many of the European growers will attest to this). I don't think there's much to say about cultivation other than "cool, humid, and bright." Granted, achieving all three conditions simultaneously takes some effort.
 
  • #13
Some of the largest Heliamphora I've seen were being grown in fish tanks with a little bit of water on the bottom and a T8 fixture. Media isn't a big issue, but I have found recently that peat-based mixes work better for me (and many of the European growers will attest to this). I don't think there's much to say about cultivation other than "cool, humid, and bright." Granted, achieving all three conditions simultaneously takes some effort.

I have worked with 50/50 peat/perlite sitting in a little water (about 6 or so inch high pots, water 0.5-1 inch up the pot), 50/50 LFS/Pumice and currently have my Heliamphora sarracenioides in (I think) equal parts peat, pumice, perlite- thought it might be 2 parts peat, 1 part pumice, 1 part perlite. I will take a look when I get home and try to guestimate. That guy is newer so we will see how it goes.

H. folliculata is in the LFS mix- really seems to like it. H. neblinae is in the 50/50 peat/perlite- also seems happy. Both in a little water doing the wick thing. I tried using the top water approach for a while with all my helis but actually had more problems with it (mostly due to forgetting to water them...)

I did have an H. tequila in the 50/50 peat/perlite (I think) but it died last summer during a heat wave. It appeared to have succumbed to a fungus. Not sure which problem was the main cause- maybe a little of each.
 
Last edited:
  • #14
I really appreciate all these responses and find them very helpful.

How will it drain... what about corrosion?

First impression is it might look pretty for a while, but become problematic over the long term.
If the joints are soldered, you may also have issues with lead and tin leaching into the substrate.

To keep helis long term you must keep them cool, bright, and humid... with an emphasis on cool.
The vast majority of those who have tried Heliamphora in unventilated terrariums have been unsuccessful.
Stagnation or heat eventually kills the plant.

just my 2 cents, ymmv

My attempt would have been to plant a heli minor in the recommended substrate with a pebble tray underneath and put the pot in the lantern (second pic). There are openings at the top of the lantern for ventilation which I thought would be enough.

But from everyone's advice, maybe this wasn't such a good plan.

The idea came from the set ups I saw here (Full post) where someone was growing theirs in an undrained in a candle holder. Even that person warned that not all helis would be able to survive those conditions.

Ah well. Helis for the future instead.
 
  • #15
Media isn't a big issue, but I have found recently that peat-based mixes work better for me ...
I split my 1st Heli (a minor) into 3 pieces & placed each piece in a different media. The piece in the peat mix hated life (yes I realize that one test isn't super significant but overall my Heli's have done well in mixes without that particular constituent).
 
  • #16
I split my 1st Heli (a minor) into 3 pieces & placed each piece in a different media. The piece in the peat mix hated life (yes I realize that one test isn't super significant but overall my Heli's have done well in mixes without that particular constituent).

What proportion of aggregate were you using? Seems to work well if the media can still drain easily. Orchid bark/peat or perlite/peat at 3:1 is the sort of mix I'm referring to.
 
  • #17
That may be the issue as it seems that a little peat goes a long way toward making a mix less draining. However, given how well they grow without it gives me no reason to go back. Some plants grow much better for me with peat in the media (ie: Cephs, U. reniformis, Sarrs) & some don't like it (original Orchidioides).

If I see plants aren't growing well, I revisit my theories but if they are - I run with it and play/test in other areas (at least until I get curious again). My most recent Nep mixes have found a small amount of peat added back in after leaving it out for a while. I'm soon planning to try some mostly inorganic (or possibly all inorganic) mixes in experiments (Hygrolon, Ecoweb/Epiweb, perlite, APS, etc). I'll probably start w/ some Orchidioides spares & Nep cuttings & possibly a Heli or two.

My apologies for thread hijack .... :crazy: :sorry:
 
  • #18
Thanks, Ron. All else aside, your plants definitely speak for themselves.

As for experimenting with inorganic mixes, if I can just hammer something in pretty early: Nepenthes roots seem to have a strong aversion for APS. Over the course of a year or more, I used it as a media component for several plants, only to find the roots were completely stunted. The plants in similar media (sans APS) had extensive root systems and were obviously growing better. Larger plants didn't seem to mind much nearly as much.
 
  • #19
great examples of what works for one may not work so well for another....

the hardest lesson for new growers to learn, but one of the most important
 
Back
Top