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Lowland jewels

Hi Everyone,
Here are some photos Michelle shot recently.

Here is our N. merrilliana just opening.  This plant is a slow and steady grower.  
N.%20merrilliana%20trap%20just%20opening%206-18-05.JPG


N. thorelii (red x spuat) female on the left and N. thorelii (d) purple on the right.  
N.%20thorelii%20red%20x%20squat%20female%206-11-05.JPG
 
N.%20thorelii%20d%20pruple%20solo%20whand%206-18-05.JPG


A huge N. bicalcarata pitcher, summer is here.
N.%20bical%20Manny's%20no.1%205-22-05.JPG


N. Viking - here are two different plants
N.%20Viking%20solo%20red%206-22-05.JPG
 
N.%20Viking%20two%20traps%206-22-05.JPG


Still very young, here are three different siblings of N. veitchii (f) lowland.  The seedling producing the pitcher on the left is probably one of the most colorful veitchii we have ever seen.
 
N.%20veitchii%20F%20three%20siblings%206-18-05.JPG


...and just because I think they're so unique and beautiful, another couple of N. Vikings.
N.%20Viking%20round%20fat%20pink%206-24-05.JPG
 
N.%20Viking%20red%206-24-05.JPG


Hope you enjoy!

-
Trent and Michelle
 
Oh dear, These are all beautiful! This thread was made for me
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I'm really enjoying your N. viking photos and yoru N. thorelii's Those are some of my favorites. I cna't say enough I want more. Any awesome pics of your various forms of rafflesiana?
 
Hehe I´m longing for my Merrilliana to be like that
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How big is your Bicalcarata? (leafspan)
 
Those are some nice looking jugs! I think the N. bicalcarata might be an answer to my pesky plant eating cat problem.

Brian
 
I love the N. veitchii! You must save me one of those, I'm interested in one!
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Hey Trent and Michelle! Marvelous pitchers. I am speachless!
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N. Viking is an hybrid, right? What are the parents? Or is it a variety of rafflesiana?

Cheers,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden
 
To answer a few questions. Jess, I'm sure Michelle will head out to the greenhouse and grab a few snaps of the raffs.
TyFone, Michelle grabbed that pic and I don't know exactly which plant its on, but I know it's not our large female bical, "Big Mama" because she's in upper trap mode now, with a bunch of ground shoots producing tangerine sized traps. The plant I think that's in the photo has leaves about three feet long.
Dustin, the lowland veitchii were greenhouse bred by Geoff Mansell and they are absolutely stunning and vigorous. That one plant consistently produces those pink traps with orange peristomes. Others will be multicolored with no two traps the same color!
We are also noticing that the Vikings get better as they are getting established, and may take the better part of a year to show their best pitchers. Michelle and I are pretty much convinced they are not a natural hybrid, but either 1. a new species, 2. a subspecies of mirabilis, 3. a subspecies of Thai thorelii-which is not really thorelii but supposedly smilesii (anamensis).
 
reat looking plants!
i love the coloring of N. Viking, that deep red...
 
  • #10
Here are a couple of rafflesiana pics.  
N.%20rafflesiana%20choc%20pot%206-24-05.JPG

The above is a nearly solid dark brown/purple seedling we call 'Chocolate Pot'.  As it matures, the color seems to get darker.

N.%20raff%20seedling%206-24-05.JPG
 
N.%20raff%20seedling%20close%20up%20peristome%206-24-05.JPG

Here is another raff seedling.  The colors have great contrast, notice the striping on the peristome.  

Here are two seedlings of the hybrid N. bical-red x northiana.
N.%20bical%20red%20x%20northiana%20red%20seedling%206-24-05.JPG
 
N.%20bical%20red%20x%20northiana%20red%20peristome%20seedling%206-24-05.JPG


Here is a shot of one of our red N. mirabilis echinostoma.  Notice the seedling in the background is a totally different color.
N.%20mirabilis%20echinostoma%20red%20trap%206-24-05.JPG


Here are two more Viking pics.  No two are the same!  These plants all come from rhizome divisions.
N.%20Viking%20pink%20solo%206-24-05.JPG
 
N.%20Viking%20solo%206-22-05.JPG


There has been speculation that the Vikings are a natural hybrid between rafflesiana x mirabilis.  We have three different plants of that cross, and all are similar to this photo of N. hookerae (Victorian hybrid of rafflesiana x mirabilis).  Looks nothing like a Viking.
N.%20hookerae%206-24-05.JPG


Feel free to ask any questions.
 
  • #11
Hi guys,
Really nice vikings! They almost look like they are made out of leather. Those are cool.
Huuge bical too! Do you have any uppers yet? In my opinion, just as interesting as hamata uppers...lot's of attitude!
Very nice pics. great color!
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  • #12
Trent and Michelle
Terrififc plants and terrific photos! I guess you guys live in lowland heaven. Love the variety of color forms of some of your species. The Vikings are just great! How large are they? Do the leaves resemble more N. raff's or mirab's? Or just its own?
Please share your media composition and watering/fertilizing regime with us!

I have EP's red bical and its not even close to your big mama. What is the source for Big Mama?

Michael
 
  • #13
Great plants! I love the Veitchii, must get my hands on one!
 
  • #14
I can't take this. Its too much awesome lowland for one thread to handle. When you have time, could you guys dedicate a thread to N. 'viking' ? I'm going to have to get one of those
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  • #15
Can I just ask you were you live?
I can never get my lowlanders to look like that because of my climate
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  • #16
fantastic looking plants,some amazing colours,the Bical is a monster its a pity i cant grow lowlanders with my conditions
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Bye for now Julian
 
  • #17
Hi All,
Robin, we'll have to get a pic of Big Mama's upper traps.  Wish she would flower.  Her vine is over 8 feet.

The bical in the pic is the old Agristarts clone, which has been discontinued for many years now.  Our N. bicalcarata clone #38 'Big Mama' (not pictured) was given to us by our friend Steve Stewart, who bred and cloned his own bicalcaratas.  #38 bloomed female and Steve crossed a few other bicals onto her.  We have since given her the nickname 'Big Mama' - and it stuck.  The only source for more #38 bical is from cuttings or plants still in circulation.  The thought of cutting up Big Mama's vine is laughable!  We'll need a chainsaw.  

We are located in South Florida.  Our winters are pretty warm, but we still need a heater on a few of the cold nights.  We can't grow many of the highland species, and we enjoy seeing all of your photos posted here of plants that would just melt in our summer heat.  For the next four months (or so) we won't get temps below 74 degrees F!  Yes, good for the bical, bad for most highlanders.  

The Viking growth habit (both leaf and stem) is nothing like a rafflesiana.  I believe Dr. Kurata is describing the Vikings now.  Looks like it is more related to mirabilis or the Thai thorelii (smilesii).  We are going to make closer observation today as for specific scientific details (using a similar comparison chart that Charles Clarke used in describing N. rowanae).  The leaves are thicker than mirabilis.  Also interesting is the rhizome.  These things have rhizome that only a Sarracenia could rival!  It's thick and long, we'll try to post a pic later.  The reason for the rhizome is because the natural environment where the Vikins grow is monsoonal and they experience a dry season.  The photos of the Viking habitat looks very similar to the coastal bogs of the Florida panhandle where Sarracenia grow.  Our Vikings in the pics are all different sizes, with the largest leaf span being around two feet, the largest pitchers are around four inches tall.  Can't wait for some of the babies to mature.      

Most of our Neps are grown in regualr ol' Nep mix (as listed in that other post) except for the bicals, which are in 100 percent LFS (and it's the cheap stuff from Wisconsin, they don't care).  The Vikings are being grown in our regular mix (with the Corbitt Cypress mulch from Lowes).  The mix is well drained and acidic.  We find that sand is not a good ingrediant for any Nepenthes in our environment. We over-pot as much as we can, giving those lowland giants lots of room, which they seem to need (other than 'little root' N. truncata).  Our humidity is always high, rarely drops below 60 percent.  We water when needed.  It's never sopping wet or bone dry.  

Michelle used to fertilize regularly with a (1/4 of a teaspoon per gallon) high nitrogen orchid food, Better Grow Orchid Plus, 20-14-13 - two times a month in summer.  This is a good choice because it contains essential minor elements and it's Urea Free.  We have not applied this fertilizer in a while because we just had a baby girl in February.  The plants also catch lots of bugs, even though we spray insecticide regularly.  We will resume their fertilizing schedule soon, as it really helps produce gigantic pitchers.

Thanks for all the comments! We'll be back with more pics later.
 
  • #18
N.%20bical%20no.38%20'big%20mama'%20upper%207-17-04.JPG

N. bicalcarata #38 'Big Mama' upper traps.  

N.%20ampullaria%20carpet%20%20of%20pitchers%206-29-05.JPG

N. ampullaria carpet of ground pitchers.

Some N. truncata photos...

N.%20truncata%20Manny's%20no.1%206-29-05.JPG
 
N.%20truncata%20ground%20shoot%20pitchers%205-29-05.JPG


Here are three different N. truncata siblings of red peristome x striped peristome greenhouse bred by Geoff Mansell years ago. They are still young plants.
N.%20truncata%20seedling%20no.1%207-1-05.JPG
N.%20truncata%20seedling%20no.2%20peristome%20study%206-18-05.JPG
N.%20truncata%20seedling%20no.3%206-27-05.JPG


N. distillatoria pink
N.%20distillatoria%20pink%206-11-05.JPG


N. gracilis
N.%20gracilis%20dark%207-1-05.JPG


N. thorelii x (spectabilis x northiana) seedling #1 - one of our favorites.
N.%20thor%20x%20spec%20x%20northiana%20seedling%20no.1%206-18-05.JPG
 
  • #19
Another lowland veitchii.  Though still young, this plant shows nice color on the peristome and pink wings.
N.%20veitchii%20lowland%20no.2%206-24-05.JPG


A few more Viking pics.
N.%20Viking%20solo%206-24-05.JPG
N.%20Viking%20two%20traps%20hanging%206-24-05.JPG


Enjoy!
-Trent and Michelle
 
  • #20
to much awesomeness!

That is one huge distillatoria!


Also, if you could just post pics 24/7 for every thread thats be great
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