N.viking

[TyFone]

I have a tank where all my lowland neps are thriving and the temps are perfect.
Now I have the chance of buying a N.viking but plenty of people tell me not to buy it because it would probably die on me and I should buy other "rare" lowland neps instead.
So am I doing the right thing of buying it or am I a complete moron?


P.S I want something thats uncommon, and no-one in the EU has a N.viking exept the nurseries maybe but they dont sell it.

 

[lol]

viking dies back for a time, mimicking the dry season in its natural habitat I think. If you get one and it appears to die, don't throw it away! Wait to see if it comes back from its rhizome (yes, rhizome) .

 

[TyFone]

Ok..thx! I knowed that they have rhizomes..but not that they died back But Do you think its a good idea to buy it??

 

[Trent]

You'll never know if you don't try. Why are they more difficult than any other lowlander? We recieved our first order of Vikings from Thailand in early December, so they had to go through transplant shock in the dead of winter. Our greenhouse in late Dec. Jan., Feb, Mar. regularly experiences night lows of 50 degree F., but the days are warm (up to 90 F) and humidity never goes below 70 percent during winter.
Give it a try. Just don't buy one of the expensive "Paan" or "klom" forms until you know you can grow them.

 

[Nep_grower]

N. 'viking' is an easy grower in typical lowland conditions. Also, there are a few people in the EU who do have N. 'viking'.

 

[Nickz123]

I bought a N. 'Viking' from Trent a few months ago and put it in my lowland tank and it is doing awesome! I love it. Definitely a plant that is worth having.

 

[RainforestGuy]

I suggest that you buy them fast as they are getting less and less available. Currently they are being marketed as a hybrid and thus wild collected plants have entered the market and quickly resold to collectors abroad. I believe these now inexpensive plants will summon grand prices once natural sources depletes.

As for their dormancy, that is not truly understood yet as only recently they have been cultivated outside of Thailand. No data is available that they are even dry season dormant. They do have a tuber and that might be a way to overcome the dry season as many succulent and caudiciform species undergo drought by relying on their storage root.

I have noticed that they have an adaption to withstand flooding as some mesh pots of larger plants actually thrived and sent up many micro shoots from the base after being left flooded underwater for an extended period. Nothing seemed to bother them when returned to a dry bench and dried off completely. This drenching may also be seawater for all we know especially if they are low landers growing in coral-salt marshes.

Since we don't know their true habitat, we can only assume these hypotheses. I have for the most part used coral chips in the base of their potting media mixed with bark, redwood soil conditioner and cinders in mesh pots with excellent results.


Michael

 

[Hans Breuer]

Quote[/b] (RainforestGuy @ Sep. 30 2005,3:33)]I suggest that you buy them fast as they are getting less and less available.

That's odd. Here in Taiwan the market's currently being flooded with them, and they're getting cheaper!

 

[shokuchuu]

For those growers who haven't seen Nepenthes tubers/rhizomes before: Yamada-san's photo gallery. Scroll down a tad and they'll catch your attention (well, maybe) under the name N. sp. Thailand.

Amori

 

[TyFone]

Ok thx...so im not a complete idiot

I will grow it with great care

 

[Trent]

We've found them to grow in typical lowland conditions, and use our typical Nep mix for growing them. Nothing special required. We'll be keeping a careful watch for any tendencies to have a little "dormancy period" at the end of winter. I believe this is the dry season for southern Thailand.
One of our grade A "personal collection" plants is flowering, and it's a female! She's still acclimating, and the blooming was probably initiated by transplant shock, so the spike will be removed to encourage further growth. She's very healthy and look forward to her blooming next year, hopefully a few male Vikings will bloom at the same time.