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Basal growth question on N.Ampullaria
Don't cut the plant. Instead, let the medium dry out pretty well just once, and then resume watering normally again. I know that sounds a little scary, but the amp will start producing basal rosettes in reaction. The treatment should be brief, but it needs to get dry enough to put a little stress the plant. I don't know how you would accomplish that in a vivarium, but it works if you can manage it.
Awesome vivarium! I'd like to know more about it and maybe see an overall shot of the tank?
Yes, a slight drought stress will help but also simply letting the main vine grow long (bend it if possible) and allow the roots to get rootbound. You could try a letting the ground be "dry" for a week but I don't know how long it would take your vivarium to actually dry out and get to that point. Once I water mine well they tend to stay moist for a very long time. I rarely actually pour water in the soil after the initial soaking. Not sure how your experience with watering the soil in vivariums is but for me misting one or twice a day keeps everything well hydrated.
The main vine needs to stay intact as long as possible. Cutting the main vine will cause at least one of the basals to start elongating. If the main vine is left alone the basals will remain as tiny rosettes with large pitchers.
Yes, a slight drought stress will help but also simply letting the main vine grow long (bend it if possible) and allow the roots to get rootbound. You could try a letting the ground be "dry" for a week but I don't know how long it would take your vivarium to actually dry out and get to that point. Once I water mine well they tend to stay moist for a very long time. I rarely actually pour water in the soil after the initial soaking. Not sure how your experience with watering the soil in vivariums is but for me misting one or twice a day keeps everything well hydrated.
The main vine needs to stay intact as long as possible. Cutting the main vine will cause at least one of the basals to start elongating. If the main vine is left alone the basals will remain as tiny rosettes with large pitchers.
thanks! I got a journal of the whole tank from beginning to current here
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me...ert-vivarium-converted-my-old-paludarium.html
so lets say I start getting basal pitchers like a lot of them. Could I cut the vine then and maybe replant it so I can have another plant?
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me...ert-vivarium-converted-my-old-paludarium.html
so lets say I start getting basal pitchers like a lot of them. Could I cut the vine then and maybe replant it so I can have another plant?
Don't think of it in terms of an amount of time. Just let it dry out, and when it gets dry, water it normally again. I can't say I quite understand how you mean to use shrink wrap to dry it out.
By the way, I agree with swords. Your vivarium is awesome.
Without realizing it I guess I've been following your viv journal on DB already! LOL
Wonderful tank - I love seeing growing in photos.
Yes you can cut the main vine once you start getting basals, just be aware that one of the basals will start to elongate to replace it but you will have many months before it's also too long and needs to be trimmed as well.
As far as rooting the cut section of N. ampullaria vine you can certainly try, of all the Neps I've grown ampullaria seems most reticent about not rooting from a vine cutting. I have no idea why that would possibly be but the basals can be divided up and grown on to new plants no problem. It may have simply been the old clone I had that didn't root from stem cutting, I've got 3 new N. amp forms (harlequin, orange/red and speckled) who may not behave the way my old green form did.
Wonderful tank - I love seeing growing in photos.
Yes you can cut the main vine once you start getting basals, just be aware that one of the basals will start to elongate to replace it but you will have many months before it's also too long and needs to be trimmed as well.
As far as rooting the cut section of N. ampullaria vine you can certainly try, of all the Neps I've grown ampullaria seems most reticent about not rooting from a vine cutting. I have no idea why that would possibly be but the basals can be divided up and grown on to new plants no problem. It may have simply been the old clone I had that didn't root from stem cutting, I've got 3 new N. amp forms (harlequin, orange/red and speckled) who may not behave the way my old green form did.
yeah what I was meaning was how long should I leave it dry before watering. But I get it now. So just let the medium dry before watering again.
The shrink wrap thing was to cover the top of the medium from water because my tank gets misted 3 times a day automatically. So this was the only way to get the medium to dry out was to cover it from water because I don't want the rest of the viv to dry out if I just turn off the misters.
---------- Post added at 05:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:35 PM ----------
thanks for the tips! I'll keep them in mind. And I'll keep you guys posted on the results of this drying out process
