Thought it would be fun to revive some feeding talk after seeing some explosive growth on my own plants. I am a big advocate of feeding Nepenthes as my feeling is that many plants are starving because of the very high quality water growers use, the inorganic potting mixes, and the lack of significant insects inside terrariums.
Here are a few pics I took to show the kinds of growth these plants are capable when growing conditions are correct and there are no major limiting factors to their growth, such as a lack of nutrients.
N. veitchii highland x lowland in a 3inch pot
N. mira in 1gallon nursery pot. This leaf really surprised me as it is already putting out very large pitchers on a good sized plant.
N. diatas meadow form
My method is slow release fertilizer although I occasionally feed dried/canned crickets or freeze dried bloodworms to select plants as well. If I could have my way I would just feed all my plants with insects. Out in the greenhouse they do catch a few bugs here and there but the pitcher density is so high there are not enough natural bugs to go around, so some form of supplimenting is needed.
How do you feed (or not feed) and how do they respond in growth?
Tony
Here are a few pics I took to show the kinds of growth these plants are capable when growing conditions are correct and there are no major limiting factors to their growth, such as a lack of nutrients.
N. veitchii highland x lowland in a 3inch pot
N. mira in 1gallon nursery pot. This leaf really surprised me as it is already putting out very large pitchers on a good sized plant.
N. diatas meadow form
My method is slow release fertilizer although I occasionally feed dried/canned crickets or freeze dried bloodworms to select plants as well. If I could have my way I would just feed all my plants with insects. Out in the greenhouse they do catch a few bugs here and there but the pitcher density is so high there are not enough natural bugs to go around, so some form of supplimenting is needed.
How do you feed (or not feed) and how do they respond in growth?
Tony