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Nepenthes and clay pots?

  • Thread starter Ispahan
  • Start date
Do you all think terra cotta clay pots would be suitable for Nepenthes culture?  Peter D'Amato lists them as being suitable in The Savage Garden but it seems to me that all of you grow in plastic.  Is there any special reason for this?  Would Neps grown in clay require a modified growing medium?  Also, wouldn't a porous clay pot help maintain a cooler root zone for highland species in hot summer conditions?  

Please advise.  I would like to do right by my baby N. ventricosa.  It may be common, but I love it!  
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Thanks,
Corey
 
Big clay pats are okay (I have a 10 onch one). But I put a clay saucer inside to cut the amount of pot in half. You have to water every day. No modified mix is nessicary.
 
plastic is cheaper when you have alot of plants
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You could grow in clay, I personally wouldn't, clay can dry out awful fast and plus, if you drop that heavy pot, damage is likely to occur, a plastic pot will retain its shape ALOT better and break the plants' fall.
 
Clay is okay, but i like plastic for many reasons:
Cheaper
Doesn't shatter
doesn't dry out as fast
lighter
 
Thanks for your advice, everyone!  I may try out my N. ventricosa in clay because I just so happen to have a lot of extra clay pots laying around and don't want to spend more money on yet another new pot...  I will be diligent about keeping up with watering.  

Do any of you know if N. ventricosa has an extensive root system?  Does it generally do better in larger or smaller pots?

Thanks again,
Corey
 
I found if you put Neps in a clay pot it can help to put a drainage layer about 1" in the bottom of gravel and sit the pot in water. This way roots are away from standing water but the clay will wick and help keep substrate nicely damp but not wet. They are a pain in hot weather though cause they dry so fast and your water will evap quickly. Best suited to cactus and such that prefere intermitent drying.

Joe
 
I kept an 8" plant in a 4" pot for a loooooong time without trouble. It loooked like there was a bush growing out of nowhere because the pitchers and stuff hung down and totally blocked out the tiny pot.
 
Great idea, Joe!  I will do just as you suggest, although I may use pumice instead of gravel on the bottom since I don't have any gravel at the moment.

From what you are saying, Dave (TunaSurprise), I guess that means Neps don't usually have extensive root systems.

Thanks for all your help,
Corey
 
  • #10
Some are just as any other plant with reguard to crowding roots while others - notably N. bicalcarata - does not grow to potential with root crowding. Well, none will grow to the same size as in nature because of pots but some absolutely despise roots running into anything.

Joe
 
  • #11
Nepenthes can have extensive root systems, N. bicalcarata and N. rajah are two that stick out like sore thumbs when it comes to root mass and plant size. N. mirabilis can be pretty impressive as well. Other, like N. merrilliana have root systems that are more of a "tap root" form and penetrate deeply rather than a fibrous network such as N. bicalcarata and N. rajah.
 
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