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!

what should i do?

My N. Khasania is developing quite a stem on it, and i was wondering if people would advise for me to cut it off and root them, or let it grow into a long vine so that is can savagely Strangle me during my sleeping hours? muhhahahahahahah.... hermm.. choices choices.... right now it is about ohh 2 feet... suggestions? i have never took root cutting myself of my own plants, but it seems like a simple subject to grasp...


Cya laters
Jim
wink.gif
 
Let grow longer and maybe it will flower.
 
You can cut it if you want or let it go it all depends upon your desires. I'm growing my plants in enclosures and can't really let them get too massive but if you have the space I say let it stretch and be big and beautiful-I envy you! However, if the bottom is scragly and unattractive you can cut the stem down to 6-8" high and it will prout new vines from the main stalk and make a bushier plant (it will look like two) plus cutting it down may cause the roots to send up basal shoots from the soil.

Cuttings are easy if you keep them humid, moist and in good light and it's easy to wind up with a surplus of plants because you can make whole new plants from just a small piece of stem with only 2 leaves!
I like to take 2 node cuttings,
make diagonal cuttings along the vine between every 2-3 leaves (so there's more rooting surface area)
On each 3 leaf section cut off the bottom leaf close to the stem and about 1/2 of the top leaf or two.
then slit the stem in several places on the bottom end where the 1st leaf was cut completely off,
soak the stem peices in superthrive stress hormone (not a necessity) and then dip in Rootone (with fungicide) and place in a small pot of long fiber sphagnum, vermiculite, milled sphagnum peat, etc (any commercially available seedling/cutting mix without fertilizers should work) and put in a terrarium or cheapie plastic JIFFY propagation greenhouse. til you see two or so new leaves hen you can put it in a nice large pot try not to disturb the roots when you put it in it's "permanent" container.
And soon you'll be trying to find homes for 20 N. khasania clones!
biggrin.gif
have fun!
 
Vine length does not necessarily contribute to flowering. For example, my N. khasiana is only about 8" tall, 12" wide and it is flowering right now.

I like my Neps as vines just because it appeals to me so I would vote to keep it as is. However, if you are able to get rooted cuttings then you will have stuff to trade in the future.

So I guess I'm not really much help
tounge.gif


Pyro
 
i think i am gonna let it vine as for it woudl look quite wonderful with my other various vines i haev circling my room.. to add to my whole Jungle Theme to my room... the plant it self is goign crazy anyways as for it is sending up numerous new stalks from it old stalk, and numerous plantlets from the base fo the plant... it i sj ust going crazy. bwhahah! i am quite sure one day it is gonna start tlaking to me.. and then it will Eat me or something.. bwhahahah!

cya laters
Jim

P.S. Thanks for all your oppinions and Facts and stuff...

Cya laters
Jim
 
Jim

You could also try to air layer some part of the stem. I think that your plant is long enough for that, so you might want to give it a try.

Joel
 
I think that the stem is to Erct for that, it surprises me that the stem can even support itself as tall as it is, but soon it is gonna start to topple, but you do mean by Air layering, you mean laying part f the stem on some soil and let it take root and then once established, cut the stem from the mother pot.. am i getting th picture?

Cya laters
Jim
 
You can do the "lay the vine on it's side and wait for it to make roots" as you described (I dunno what that's called technically "ground layering?) but true "air layering" is done by carving a few slits or notches into the stem. Not all the way through mind you, just enough to puncture the outer skin and get to the "lignin" inside (am I right with this term or does that only apply to trees? It's a whitish flesh under the thick green outer skin on Nepenthes) which is where the plant actually lives and produces it's growth and roots from and you must reach this to caus ethe stem to produce roots. Anyways, after you make the cuts take a couple handfuls of long fibered spahgnum moss and wrap it around the part of vine where you made the cuts, making a little "soil ball" right on the plant then tie it securely to the vine with fishing line and wait (and wait and wait and wait)...
Nepenthes make roots very slowly and I've never tried the process of air layering so I've no idea when you could safely chop it off. But I suppose it would basically be like an unrooted cutting if you do cut it off too soon so it should not make a huge difference. The most important thing (I think) with cuttings is maintaining high humidity (at least about 80%) at all times til the cutting has 4 or 6 pairs of fully developed leaves (and pitchers prefferably) before you try and harden it off in a living room or what not.

Good luck!
 
Wow thanks alot! you are like... your info that you gave me is all Crazy.. and long and informitive!

Cya laters
Jim
biggrin.gif


Thanks alot
 
Back
Top