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Windowsill neps

So, I need plants for the house and my terrarium is full. I have been looking into windowsill neps and wanted to know what you all thought. Ive checked out nepsaroundthehouse.com which is helpful but Id love to hear from all of you and maybe even see your house plants. I want to get a N. Truncata lowland...i know N. x Ventrata is another easy one. What else? Thanks
 
Can you describe your living conditions a little?

For most windowsillers, it's doesn't make much difference, but there are several neps that CAN be good candidates, depending on your ambient conditions.

For example, if you live in Sanfrancisco, pretty much all highlanders, save a few REALLY picky ones, would qualify. If you live in Phoenix, your out'a luck.
 
Well, I live in Chapel Hill NC. So summers are hot and humid and the nights are usually pretty hot and winters get cold occasional freezes. But if they are indoors that wont matter. I figure maybe some lowlanders? although the house in the summer gets down to low 70s even maybe upper 60s. now in the winters the hous would be around 70s during the day and 60s to 50s at night.
 
In that case you're looking for the typical tollerant nepenthes. Some highlanders like ventricosa, khasiana, sanguinea & alata will easily tollerate the summer highs & winter lows. There are also a couple of temperature tollerant lowlanders like ampularia and truncata if you can keep the humidity up a little bit (don't know how dry your winters get....ours get REALLY dry here in NY...I'm talkin 10 - 15% humidity)

There are also some even hardier hybrids on the market like x 'Ventrata' and x 'Miranda.' These will take pretty much anything you throw at them (though won't pitcher in really low humidity, they won't die either).
 
I just made a topic about this a few posts down. Look for it.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (schloaty @ May 17 2005,4:00)]In that case you're looking for the typical tollerant nepenthes.  Some highlanders like ventricosa, khasiana, sanguinea & alata will easily tollerate the summer highs & winter lows.  There are also a couple of temperature tollerant lowlanders like ampularia and truncata if you can keep the humidity up a little bit (don't know how dry your winters get....ours get REALLY dry here in NY...I'm talkin 10 - 15% humidity)

There are also some even hardier hybrids on the market like x 'Ventrata' and x 'Miranda.'  These will take pretty much anything you throw at them (though won't pitcher in really low humidity, they won't die either).
For hybrids, I have N. miranda, N. coccinea, and N. 'Judith Finn'.

They all survive in my typical household conditions, but the N. coccinea flourishes, and pitchers readily.

I live in Houston TX. The plants are in a south-facing window, with a bamboo shade which gives about 60% shade. I have them hanging in 8" pots, with a drip tray. I never let the drip tray dry.

I recently started misting them, and saw no difference.

I moved the N. 'Judith Finn' to my grow chamber, and it is pitchering like crazy now.

The N. miranda very rarely pitchers, maybe once every 8 weeks, wheras the N. coccinea produces about one new pitcher every week.

The house is always air conditioned, so it's low in humidity. The drip tray dries out very quickly.

I have heard that N. ventrata does well, too, but I have no experience with it.
 
Aha! Sar Scott, you live in TX, which is lowland terratory all the way...thus your coccinea does well (lowland hybrid). I get cooler nights (usually), thus my miranda does very well (since this is an intermediate by way of the parrents). I bet if you move your miranda to where it gets cooler nights, it will stun you.
 
I have grown the following in windows here in Atlanta and all have done well:

N. rafflensia "Singapoe Giant"
N. cv ‘Effulgent Koto’ (5778)
N. (thorellii-JAM x LCS#1 superba-mixta) x 9/12/1983-LCS#1F albomarginata#1 (5850)
N. 'Miranda'
N. clipeata
N. veitchii “Stripped peristome; lowland"
 
I know that N. Truncata is a great windowsill plant as long as you keep it rather humid. What about the highland form? I'd be scared putting all of that money into a windowsill plant, does anyone know if it is as tolerant as the lowland?
 
  • #10
123dhs,
Regarding the highland truncata, I am currently doing that very experiment. So far, so good (for like 10 days). It has taken temps down into the 30's (last night, along with the rest of the gang on the deck), and one or two rather dry days. No problems yet, but it's early.
 
  • #11
I cant wait to see how your truncata turns out schloaty. It would be nice if the highland truncata was as tolerant of a wide range of temperatures which the lowland form seems to be. If it is I will definately try my hands at it
 
  • #12
This is a gallery of photos i took of some of my windowsill plants this month. These ones might not like your warmer months, but you might give ramispina or fallax a try.
 
  • #13
Try N. ventricosa x maxima, a large growing plant that is tolerant of practically any conditions, grows quickly and forms huge, squat red and white mottled traps.
 
  • #14
Great topic everybody!

From what I've read, most of those plants are great starter plants and fairly hardy. The plants I grow as houseplants are primarily lowlanders because I severely stressed them out as highlanders outdoors and couldn't cross them over!! So I would say most lowlanders can adapt to average households conditions provided there's enough light and all. Only a few species had to adapt to lower windowsill humidty (mirabilis, bicalcarata, northiana) to name a few of the more finicky ones. I would guess that any of the vigorous highlanders like sanguinea, alata, ventricosa and maxima would do well indoors as well. Definitely stay away from the ultra highlanders. In other words, stay to the middle ground in lowlanders and highlanders. I'm really glad to read that many hobbyists are experimenting outside of terrariums with success!! Keep up the good work!

Joel
 
  • #15
Say Joel, I first saw your website about a week ago and was wondering, when you say that your humidity fluctuates between 70%-20%, are you referring to a sort of daily average, or is that including extremes (ie, you typically see a range of 30%-60%, with 70s and 20s being somewhat atypical?) I have modestly humid nights year round (50% or so,) but I live on a large hill so on a windy day the humidity is in the 20s with occasional drops into the teens. I want to move some of my highland plants out of my intermediate terrarium to a cool windowsill, but I'm afraid of shocking them.
Also, do you have any tips on acclimating plants from controlled environments? That's one part of windowsill growing I've seen very little advice on.
Thanks!
~Joe

PS - In all my pondering, I forgot to say, I think your website is great. That information should be part of every Nepenthes enthusiasts' repetoir.
 
  • #16
Thanks Joe,
Once again, I don't know your environment and where you live. I have a friend who lives 2 miles away from me on a hill and his CP's have to experience the 20%-30% humidity on those windy days. So there are microclimates all around. My general take is that your standard hardy neps can withstand lower humidity conditions than greenhouses and adapt accordingly. Also, I'm not talking about growing outdoors in desert climates in summer. Those are extremes. Around 50-60 humidity seems to be fine. I like LFS because it seems to keep more humidity around the plant outdoors than peat mixes if kept moist. Usually outdoor Neps aren't in too much danger from overwatering as long as the pot has drain holes. So you can water daily without worry of standing water and root rot. Here's what I'd do if I wanted to move from terrarium to outdoors. I'd move the plant first from the terrarium to a good household location with good lighting. It will be less stressful than throwing the dude directly outdoors. Believe me, I've done this to many of Tony's plants!! (But Tony's plants are the best so they don't mind the inconvenience!!) After a few weeks or a month if that plant doesn't look to stressed, then try it outdoors. Watch for noon sun and burning. Start with known hardy and cheap plants. Don't throw your prized hamatas out there immediately. Once you get a few successes, then you can experiment with some others. Expect some pitcher loss and leaf damage at first, but in the end Neps are usually pretty forgiving. Remember this is general info. You'll have to experiment a bit. But going from the terrarium to the windowsill arena is a good first baby step. Hope that helps.

Joel
 
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