TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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YOU!!!!!!!!!!
YOU WERE THE ONE tHAT GOT THEM!!!!
I was going to go after the bical...but then decided not to because I wanted to get a bigger one and it looks like its one of those sri amen ones... I want a marudi
But man you got a deal!!!
Congrats.... post some pictures of them when they are in your possesion
YOU WERE THE ONE tHAT GOT THEM!!!!
I was going to go after the bical...but then decided not to because I wanted to get a bigger one and it looks like its one of those sri amen ones... I want a marudi
But man you got a deal!!!
Congrats.... post some pictures of them when they are in your possesion
Due to popular reputation that the N. Lowii is hard to grow, it really isn't. I did alot of reasearch and question asking, including the person who is selling the plant, and they all said that these plants are quite easy to grow. While they are smaller they can be grown as intermediates, as long as temps don't go above 75* for long. Also, another key factor is to grow them a little dryer then usual or their roots will rot.
They are "easy" if you have the proper conditions for them which are as follows
N. bicalcarata needs lowland temperatures and conditions:
day 85+*F nights 70+*F
Anything cooler and it will not grow as fast, it may survive cooler but not be all it can be.
However, N. lowii needs cooler conditions daytime temps no higher than 85*F (my highlanders don't like it above 80*F) and nights MUST be no higher than 60*F preferably 50*F. This is a biological requirement for montane Nepenthes that they receive cold temps at night year round. Anyone who has told you otherwise (like N. lowii can survive in warmer night temps) is misleading you and I hate to hear about that.
N. bicalcarata needs lowland temperatures and conditions:
day 85+*F nights 70+*F
Anything cooler and it will not grow as fast, it may survive cooler but not be all it can be.
However, N. lowii needs cooler conditions daytime temps no higher than 85*F (my highlanders don't like it above 80*F) and nights MUST be no higher than 60*F preferably 50*F. This is a biological requirement for montane Nepenthes that they receive cold temps at night year round. Anyone who has told you otherwise (like N. lowii can survive in warmer night temps) is misleading you and I hate to hear about that.
Yeah, that's perfect, because I keep a big ice brick thingy in the terrainium each night to cool down my highland plants which gets down to the 60's
.
My Bical though, I think I'll try to slow down it's growth since my growth space is small. In the corner of my terrainium it stays ALOT warmer since the heaters over there, and at night the ice block's on the other side so the cold temps wont affect it. We'll just have to see how it does. MY N. Amp is growing fast so far in my terrainium.
Oh, yeah I got the information regarding the N. Lowii from the guy who grows his neps outside in California and in the pictures they sure do look healthy.
The guy who emailed me the care instructions was giving the info more on your side, stating that when small they can take more temp fluctuation, but as they grow bigger they need true ultra highland conditions. With the rate that it grows I wont have to worry about that anytime soon. By then who knows how many Neps I'll have then!
My Bical though, I think I'll try to slow down it's growth since my growth space is small. In the corner of my terrainium it stays ALOT warmer since the heaters over there, and at night the ice block's on the other side so the cold temps wont affect it. We'll just have to see how it does. MY N. Amp is growing fast so far in my terrainium.
Oh, yeah I got the information regarding the N. Lowii from the guy who grows his neps outside in California and in the pictures they sure do look healthy.
The guy who emailed me the care instructions was giving the info more on your side, stating that when small they can take more temp fluctuation, but as they grow bigger they need true ultra highland conditions. With the rate that it grows I wont have to worry about that anytime soon. By then who knows how many Neps I'll have then!
so you're going to be growing your bical ins somewhat of an intermediat perameter?
?? say it isn't so!?!?! they like hot temps during the day and warming temps at night with consistantly high humidity.
aww man I hope I misunderstood your post because you got yourself a really nice bical and I'd hate to see it be grown in anything less then ideal lowland conditions.... (>_<)!!!!
aww man I hope I misunderstood your post because you got yourself a really nice bical and I'd hate to see it be grown in anything less then ideal lowland conditions.... (>_<)!!!!
nepenthes gracilis
Nepenthes Specialist
N. lowii is more of the "epiphytic" Nepenthes along with N. veitchii most notably. Keeping the medium moisture content has proved no problems, but it fairs best in a Sphagnum moss base substrate. I had another in a chunkier mix, but something about the Sphagnum really tickles them to grow bigger and better I believe.
I grow N. lowii (and almost all my other neps too) in spahgnum mixed with about 25-50%small grade orchid bark with a dash of charcoal thrown in since the plant won't be repotted/moved for a couple years it helps keep the soil fresher longer.
I vary the amount of orchid bark depending upon the habitat of the plant. Epiphytes who like to get noticably drier soil between waterings (N. lowii, inermis, macrophylla, macfarlanei, hamata, etc) get the most bark in their mix.
When I pot up things like my bicals, ampullarias, mirabilis, etc. I put in much less bark but still enough to keep the mix open and allow for slight air movement through the soil. For swamp growing lowlanders and other forest floor dwelling plants I add a few handfulls of a product called Oak Leaf Mould. This is basically sterilized crushed leaves you'll find it by the seedling mixes and maybe orchid bark. This adds an acidic element to the soil mix but it will not stay too wet for very long and it does not compact like Peat does in my grow chambers.
I vary the amount of orchid bark depending upon the habitat of the plant. Epiphytes who like to get noticably drier soil between waterings (N. lowii, inermis, macrophylla, macfarlanei, hamata, etc) get the most bark in their mix.
When I pot up things like my bicals, ampullarias, mirabilis, etc. I put in much less bark but still enough to keep the mix open and allow for slight air movement through the soil. For swamp growing lowlanders and other forest floor dwelling plants I add a few handfulls of a product called Oak Leaf Mould. This is basically sterilized crushed leaves you'll find it by the seedling mixes and maybe orchid bark. This adds an acidic element to the soil mix but it will not stay too wet for very long and it does not compact like Peat does in my grow chambers.
swords I was wondering about that Oak leaf mould. Does it decay? if it does wouldn't that be a bad thing since our plants are growing in a closed system? wouldn't the decaying leaf matter create some form of nutrients that might shock the roots of the nepenthes? I don't know, I guess that why I'm asking. Because if it doesn't decay and do the unmentionable then I'd like to try some.. I'm quite fond of having a diverse mixed up substrate. Anything to emulate the natural habitate I'm all for!
