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!

Heliamphora misting

Im kinda noob with heliamphoras. I have only one and it isnt doing great at all. It has only 3 green juneville pitchers left so there is hope. I use tap water to mist everything with my fogger. Could That be the problem?
And do you have Some tips to care for it.
Thank you
 
Helis like high humidity and cooler temps. The tap water could certainly be an issue though. The TDS will buildup over time if it doesn't get washed away at some point. Do you happen to know the TDS of your tap water? Tap with a high TDS will cause issues much faster than a low TDS. For example, I can get away with substituting tap water in a pinch with most of my setups because I have a fairly low TDS (~45-55ppm). If it were up in the 500-600ppm range, which isn't all that uncommon, I wouldn't even let it near my plants.
 
I can get away with substituting tap water in a pinch with most of my setups because I have a fairly low TDS (~45-55ppm)

My tap water is around 80 ppm and I use it for everything including my sphagnum cultures with no issue at all.
 
It'd come down to whether it's allowed to accumulate or not then. I don't know how sensitive helis are compared to other CPs. But accumulated salts can have a harmful effect. What are your temps/humidity like?
 
Can you provide pictures and conditions? There is likely more to the decline of your plant than just your misting habits.

In regards to misting, I have heard that it only stresses out plants if they are in an otherwise dry environment. It would be like aiming a heater at you while you're out in the snow, and then five minutes later taking it away.
 
Agreeing with what has been spoken, we need a lot more detail. What kind of soil does it have (they like a fairly aerated soil)? What are the temperatures (tepuis natives, they like it cool, at least necessary at night)? What kind of lighting do they have (again, high-elevation plants, they need a lot of very strong direct light for good growth)? And water has already been noted....
 
plant4_zpsctkbzukc.jpg Photo by nepenthes16 | Photobucket
plants_zpsmi8ar97t.jpg Photo by nepenthes16 | Photobucket
plant1_zpsgfgcapvm.jpg Photo by nepenthes16 | Photobucket
I have it under 55 watt light(?). At day it is 23c and at night it is 15c +-. It is an heterodoxa. The soil is an open ''nepenthes mix'' (imo) that i bought from a carnivorous dealer in the eu. And i give it every week collected rain water from the top. the humidity is at day 80% and at night 90%.
Sorry for the bad quality pictures
 
Last edited:
The Nepenthes look pretty healthy, so it's hard to tell what is up with your Heli. I'm not too familiar with how Helis work, but I am wondering if it is possible that your Heli is experiencing root shock.
 
Everything about your conditions sounds fine to me. It does not look good though. How long have you had it?
 
  • #11
Do you have any idea what's in that soil mix? I use 50:50 LFS:perlite for mine. I don't know how they react to other common Nepenthes soil ingredients like orchid bark.
 
  • #12
Just a hunch, but if you can, gently check out the root mass for rot- that takes a lot of 'mystery death' plants. With my one heliamphora, I've found really excellent drainage to be one of the most important things. I potted mine straight into a taller pot filled with orchid bark- left the original soil block intact and everything. My angle is to emulate the porous-rock underlayer situation I think my hybrid appreciates on tepuis.

So my tall pot is 'planted' in about 4 inches of live sphagnum, in a tray with less than an inch of standing water- the tray has a drainage hole, so the ultrasonic humidifier overhead is constantly cycling fresh water. Our tap is under 50 ppm so that's all I've ever used, had the plant since october. The tall pot also kinda lifts the heli up for the best light and air circulation, and it probably helps keep the roots cooler.

Dropbox - 2016-02-05 12.03.43.jpg
 
  • #13
I water my Heliamphora and all my Nepenthes with 50 ppm tap as well.
 
  • #14
Heliamphoras do not like to be wet all the time. Misting systems can be cool to watch, but IMHO they are totally useless, and they bring a lot of problems, including mold and other fungus Sp.

Insitu, helis are often wiped by intense rain storms, but the ventilation is also intense so they get dry very fast.

I think your plant struggle for this reason. I dont think your water type is the problem here. Just stop your misting system, provide a very humid setup with a slow but non-stop air flow, no standing water, a airy soil mix, good lighting and everything will be allright. Also, no need to drop the temp at night. If your day temp is around 21-22C, nights at 19-20C is good for most species/hybrids. However, colder nights will help with coloration of the pitchers :)

Hope that help !

Francois
 
Last edited:
  • #15
Heliamphoras do not like to be wet all the time. Misting systems can be cool to watch, but IMHO they are totally useless, and they bring a lot of problems, including mold and other fungus Sp.

Insitu, helis are often wiped by intense rain storms, but the ventilation is also intense so they get dry very fast.

I think your plant struggle for this reason. I dont think your water type is the problem here. Just stop your misting system, provide a very humid setup with a slow but non-stop air flow, no standing water, a airy soil mix, good lighting and everything will be allright. Also, no need to drop the temp at night. If your day temp is around 21-22C, nights at 19-20C is good for most species/hybrids. However, colder nights will help with coloration of the pitchers :)

Hope that help !

Francois

Would a misting system be fine just to raise the humidity when it gets too low? I finally got a fan working to get a bit of airflow into my terrarium but it will continuously drop the humidity until I turn it off. I got a fancy Mistking recently and I'd hate to see it go to waste.

Note: I got the Mistking because I read that the spray is really fine, so it wouldn't accumulate on plants in large drops. Also, my tank is huge, and my Heli is at the opposite end of where the mist would feed in.
 
Last edited:
  • #16
A good method is create a couple 1 cm holes, and put the lil fan outside the terrarium. Thats what i do. You can put your pots on reversed saucers, and add some water in the bottom of the terra. If your RH% drop, your holes are too big.

I know you have a new mist system and you like it. But the most important is the health of your baby hehe :)

Its just a suggestion, its up to you !
 
Last edited:
Back
Top