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Grow mediun

Hi, I have a terrarium with a few plants in it and a while back my plants where growing with some moss on top and dirt in the bottom. After a while it seemed that the moss was taking over everything. I just decided to take all of the moss out and put new tropical dirt in the terrarium. Everything is growing fine but I just had a few questions.

It seems like every picture I see on this site each plant has thier own individual pot to grow in. And on top is a layer of moss. The thing i'm confused about is what you guys put under all that moss?(and what type of moss you use). I would also like to know if all nepenthes like to be put in individual pots and with how much of each medium you are supposed to use?

Also, some of the terrarium i see have some sort of rack on the bottom. Is that for holding the plants above water (if thats what you put in the bottom of the terrariums?). Or is it just for easy cleaning?

Thanks a lot, turner.
 
Hey turner.
I'm a bit of an amateur myself, but from my understanding, most any medium that is well aerated and nutrient-free will work well (YES: perlite and peat moss. NO: potting soil.) You can look at the Nepenthes guide by Chris Creel/David Parks on Barry Rice's Carnivore FAQ for a more comprehensive treatment of potting mediums.
Those racks are, indeed, to keep the plants above the water - at least, that's what I know them to be for. Nepenthes don't like to be in standing water. Some people use this stuff called eggcrate that's sold at home improvement stores for screening off fluorescent lights. Another option would be those wire racks that people put in their fridge/freezer/pantry to make extra space.
Best luck!
~Joe
 
I don't put anything special on top of my Nepenthes. I use 1/2 LFS and 1/2 fern fiber to plant them in. I'm pretty sure that they would do okay in the same pot as long as it's large enough, and as long as they can grow in the same conditions. Though it is neat to see a 'forest' of Nepenthes, and they have a great one a California Carnivores (in individual pots, but overgrowing each other).

The rack is to keep the plants above the water, as they like a well drained pot.
 
The rack serves two purposes. As mentioned it holds the pots up out of the water, but it also allows the water to evaporate and keep the humidity up in the terrarium.
 
For my neps, I use about half long-fibered sphagnum, and the rest a mix of orchid bark, charcoal, pumice, and perlite, in various proportions. I don't layer them, it's just all mixed up.

Capslock
 
I mix sand & peat and then topdress with LFS. The sand I use is call pool filter sand and comes from a pool supply place. The peat is Nirom brand Canadian peat, from Home Depot. The LFS comes in a rectangular plastic bag, also from Home Depot. All are rinsed well before use.
 
My mix is similar to Capslocks:

LFS
orchid bark
smashed up lava rock
perlite
charcoal
vermiculite
sand/peat mix
granite chips

Another thing I am starting to do is use pond basket style pots. I just ordered some 3 inch, 5 inch, and 8 inch size from a place called Home Harvest Gardening
 
I belong to the Capslock school of Nep soil. I just buy Orchid mix from Home Depot (fertilizer free!) and mix in LFS. Sometimes I mix in peatmoss. Most of my plants that I have transplanted from pure LFS to this mix seem to grow bigger and better.

If you want some nice green moss for the top of your pot, put some LFS in a sealed ziplock bag and put it in a cool shadey spot and it will sprout green growth which you can plant in the top of your pots (be patient). If you keep it watered and humid it should slowly fill the pot (be patient). Plus its a great medium for starting Nep seeds but you will have to trim around the sprouts.

Glenn
 
  • #10
Oh, I forgot, I also add coir chips when I have 'em too!

For my smaller pots, I use more lfs to keep 'em from drying out. Larger pots get more of the other stuff. I've used the mesh pots a lot in the past, but have found that they need to be watched as they dry out faster, especially the smaller ones. On the other hand, they get better aeration to avoid fungus and rot.

Capslock
 
  • #11
Thanks guys, great tips.

What this LFS I keep hearing about? I don't have a clue of what it means.
 
  • #13
I don't grow in "landscaped" terrariums because they start to reek after a while but I love setting them up they look awesome after everything settles in and starts growing.

I grow a variety of neps who like slightly different substrates. My soil mixes are:

Epiphytes: 30-40% long fiber sphagnum moss (the blonde stuff people use to stuff hangng baskets, this is the moss Nepenthes actually grow in in the wild anyway!), 50% fine orchid bark, 10% charcoal

Lowland Swamp dwellers: who love being wet usually just get 70% LFS, 20% oak leaf mould and 10% charcoal

Forest floor dwellers: 30-40% LFS, 20-30% bark and 20% oak leaf mould and 10% charcoal.

Average highlander mix 40% LFS, 50% bark, 10% charcoal

(the percentages are really imaginary I just use what "looks about right")

I use the charcoal to absorb stray elements that might pop up since I leave my plants potted as long as possible so as not to disturb their growth.

I use oak leaf mould (crushed sterilized leaves) because it adds an acidic element to the soil and dries out quickly without compacting like peat does in my terrariums.

The green moss is the long fibered sphagnum coming back to life under bright light and moisture. The best way to get a "carpet" of moss for yourself is to grow a flat "jiffy" greenhouse of moss by shredding it and keeping it moist and illuminated, pretty soon (in a couple months) you'lll have a yard of living moss that you can "innoculate" your pots with by sprinkling pieces of live moss on the surface and keeping it moist soon you'll be moss gardening!  I recently have had tiny little white mushrooms growing out of the moss in my highland tank!

In this aquarium tank:
lowland1.jpg

I have a few PVC pipes cut  to fit in the bottom and place lighting grid over the pipes to elevate the "bottom" of the tank up about 2", this way I can water the plants and the excess runs off and that excess sits in the bottom and evaporates creating a great humidity. each plant in it is like it's own an island receiving about 80%+ humidity at all times and more at night. This method works excellent in a sealed aquarium but looses it's effectiveness in a large custom grow chamber.
 
  • #14
Hi
Im with Wolf i use LFS with all my neps except amp and bical
oh yes raff as well i add some peat moss and oak leaf mould works ok for me.
bye for now julian
 
  • #16
I'm not sure what they do to pasturize it, maybe they bake it at 200-300*F just enough to kill insect eggs, molds and bacterias? It's sold ready to use in about 1 lb. bags (it lasts a long time) I get mine at Bachmann's floral/garden centers on the same shelf where you get the orchid bark, plant tags, etc.
 
  • #17
Hi
The oak leaf mould i use i make myself as i have an very large oak in my garden just put a load of leaves in a large bin and when its rotted i just use it,never had a problem yet??

Bye for now julian
 
  • #18
I live on the edge of a forest but I always worried about introducing any nasties to the soil so I just bought the stuff.
 
  • #19
I'd feel the same way. When i had lizards, and i put sticks and rocks in the tank, i'd soak it in soap water, rinse, and heat it up at 250 degrees for a while.
 
  • #20
NM,
How did the lizards handle the 250 degrees?
smile_n_32.gif

Just kidding. Sounds like you did okay with your sterilization, if the sticks did not ignite.
I wonder what properties oak leaf has over other decidious trees?

Cheers,

Joe
 
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