Nepenthes ventricosa - growth rate?

[quatchi]

I just bought a ventricosa the other day, which I'm pretty happy about, its my first nepenthes. It's about 4 inches in diameter, which from my guess is on the small side. I'm just wondering what kind of growth rate it has. I'm hoping it will get a lot bigger by the end of the growing season
So yea, does anyone know what kind of growth rate this has per month or per year or something?

Cheers!

 

[mass]

I have 4.. they are in 85% humidity with LOTS of artificial light on a 14 hour cycle. Mine pretty much double in size every couple of months. But I also treat them with coffee every 2 months. I just pour 8oz. of cold coffee through the substrate until it has completely drained through. It seems to really excel their growth rate.

 

[blokeman]

In my terra, it went from a 4 incher like you, to a 14 inch diameter, and 8 inches tall with 5-6 inch pitchers within 12 months. When I was forced to take it out though(outgrew its space), it never pitchered again in room RH. It is now 18 inches long, has 3 basals but 0 pitchers after owning it for 2 years.
Each leaf is slightly longer and larger than the last(until it reaches maturity) if you are doing things right, and pitchers grow in size at the same rate. It is a great beginners plant, very forgiving.

 

[natevincent]

Umm Ie had mine for over a year and the damn thing is my SLOWEST grower! It is still 5" in Dia! It was 4" when I got it!

 

[nightsky]

Umm Ie had mine for over a year and the damn thing is my SLOWEST grower! It is still 5" in Dia! It was 4" when I got it!

Mine is very slow also. It was the first nep I got in '06. It was about 3" across by 3" tall. It's now barely double that.

 

[Chris_Himself]

My ventricosa grew at what I thought was a fast rate, til I got other neps.

I have a Spectibilis, Vent, and a Spec x Vent, and the Vent is the slowest of the three. The Spec x Vent is the fastest.

It's not really the most exciting plant in my collection either... but it has a very fond following and is probably one of the most popular plants to grow, Ventrata is the other one.

If you get the growing conditions right, which is pretty much any decent amount of sunlight, you can do a Vent.

In a year my plant probably doubled in size from your size actually, but I have it growing under very strong artificial lighting and a very loose, coarse media, which to my estimation promotes healthy root expansion.

My motto is, if you're waiting for one Nep to grow, buy 5 more to pass the time!

These plants don't hit dormancy so the growing season is really up to you. My plants grow and pitcher over the winter here in California too, and some of them pitcher even more and with more color due to the cooler tempuratures which some of them like more than others.

Welcome to TerraForums and happy growin!

 

[mass]

my spec x vent is a growing machine.. I think it's about to flower too!

 

[Chris_Himself]

Spec x Vent timeline:

The day I got it 3-28:

4-09, new big leaf:

4-16 with the rest of the collection:

5-14 update ITS CATCHING UP TO THE VENT ON THE RIGHT! :

Today:

That should tell you a little about the Ventricosa. I've had it for a year and it sprouted a little basal for me recently:

Overall, it could probably grow as quick as you'd want it to grow, but there are much quicker. The Spec x Vent I got in March beat it in a few months time.

 

[quatchi]

So what I'm getting is that it's pretty variable. If I give it light, humidity, and a cup of joe in the morning it'll do well hey? I'm growing mine outside in Vancouver, so humidity is variable. Right now when its nice out its about 65 during the day, 75 at night with a good temp drop. So I'm hoping it does well.

For those of you who are getting slow growth rates (or no pitchers. sorry blokeman!), what are your growing conditions like? I just want to get a good comparison. Thanks guys! I'll let you know how things go over the summer, and maybe get a set up to grow overwinter.

Cheers!

 

[jafvortex93]

so far my vent has not really grown in leaf size that much but it has been pitchering consistantly.

the ventxspec i have had for about 2 weeks, already has thrown out a larger leaf and has a few pitchers developing.

 

[brendenanderson04]

I have to completely agree with ventricosa being forgiving,mine got eaten up by mice when it was in a grow space out side,no leaves and it's still bouncing back from a stem