Suitable temps for new hybrids

[Slurm]

I am thinking of getting the following hybrids

N. x predator
N. truncata x lowii
N. truncata x aristolochioides
N. veitchii highland x veitchii lowland

would they do well in temps of
Day 78f Night 68f
in other words, standard household temps/ coolish lowland temps.
My N. x medusa (bellii x sibuyanensis) is growing well in those temps.
Would any of them do well in these temps?
Also, is N. truncata highland an intermediate or a true highland? I would like to hear if anyone has had sucess with these plants in household temps.

 

[dlybrand]

N. x predator will not work. I can't remember what the other parent is, but the hamata in it makes it VERY sensitive to higher temps and lower humidity. Truncata can be either lowland, highland or intermediate depending on what the variety is. Highlands have richer colouration and are far more expensive, while lowlands have more green and are pretty cheap. Then there are intermediate hybrids between the two. Truncata x lowii might work, as might truncata x aristolochioides. The veitchii hybrid sounds like it definately might work. Hope it helps.

-D. Lybrand

 

[RainforestGuy]

Predator is N. truncata x hamata. I live in Hawaii, lowland conditions. My N. Predator is currently in a three gallon pot and has pitchers close to ten inches long. I've had them since they were first offered about mid/late of 2004.

I believe you mean N. lowii x truncata by EP. I am not sure of anyone who has a N. truncata x lowii as this would be a nice big plant! This grows very fast and steady in full sun conditions here.

N. truncata x aristolochioides grows also well, but is slow to start off, soon it will grow rather steadily. I did post a new post regarding sizes of N. qristolochioides crosses. I currently grow this one small in a small hanging basket subject. Pitchers of this cross (for me any way) is about four to five inches on a plant diameter of ten. Anyone has this cross on a larger plant? Larger pitcher?

As for veitchii highland x lowland, it grows, but starts off very slow, the soon one leaf after the other becomes larger and larger each time.


Try N. sibuyanensis hybrids, they will do well for you as well!

Michael

 

[The Griffin]

Those are all highland x lowland hybrids, so should result in intermediate. I would think as long as other conditions(light, hymidity, compost) are accepatable, all those would work.
Anybody else?

Cheers,

Joe

 

[RainforestGuy]

My lowii x veitchii is growing equally well, I have plants over 20 inches across with pitchers close to seven inches long! The colors are the best I've seen in any lowii hybrid to date and so variable. I have pitchers that are solid ruby red with a darker red, lime green and orange striped peristome. Others are rust-brown color with red flushes around peristome with a deep blackish red peristome and lime stripes.
Another favorite cross of hughlands is N. eymae x (stenophylla x lowii) very fancy peristomes on a mottled maxima-like pitcher. N. eymae x spectabilis looks like a grand form of N. speactabilis x veitchii. Another highland hybrid I like is my N. burbidgeae x edwardsiana with a leaf spread of eighteen inches and long tendrils with large pitchers on them. Macfarlanei x sibuyanensis also gets huge for both plants being highlanders. I strongly believe in culture and maintainance in making highland species and hybrids thrive in any climate!

Michael

 

[Trent]

We can verify what Michael stated in our south Florida conditions. Truncata lowland passes on its toughness to its progeny. Geoff Mansell claims that lowland truncata is more tolerant of the cold than highland truncata, which is intolerant of extremes. Our spathulata x truncata is a brute. Our three young truncata x densiflora laugh in the face of hot muggy nights!! Same for thorelii x densiflora, which bloomed in 92 F days and continues to vine up towards the roof, continuing to produce elongated red upper pitchers. Our sibuyanensis x ventricosa is producing pitchers bigger than the plant! It's now entering its second summer with us, where nights will not drop below 74 F until mid October.
Our highland veitchii x lowland veitchii does better in the summer because the daylight hours are longer. Temps are not a problem.
Like Michael said-proper culture and maintainence.

 

[RainforestGuy]

Thanks Trent for your insight. I believe that any hybrid will show vigor even if they are both highlanders. Even straight species will show resistance/tolerance to warmth.
If somone had difficulties earlier with a given hybrid or "highland" I would say that it was most likely due to a poor start, inadequate growing conditions or something was not met, as my highland hybrods grows much faster than the true lowlanders that suppose to grow like "weeds!"

Give it a try at least. At best you could be enjoying more variety than you think!

Michael

 

[Clint]

so your telling me i can grow x predator in my "ultra" lowland contions, michael and trent?

i'm afriad to "give it a try" considering it's expensive for a plant.

so sorry to hijack your thread!

 

[Trent]

The hybrid Predator are all seed raised plants. Every seed raised plant is unique. There are some highland individuals around that don't mind ultra lowland temps. While there is no guarantee on any plant, highland or lowland, I believe you have a very good chance of growing Predator. Geoff Mansell uses superior plants (and tolerant of a wide range of conditions) in his breeding and those traits are passed on to the progeny.

 

[RainforestGuy]

I am not sure what EP's growing conditions are but if he lives in Queensland/Northern Australia, it is a warm tropical region. His site shows many kinds of plants that all seem to grow side by side. His N. bicalcarata looks as good as his N. Trusmardiensis all growing with a lot of live moss in large pots. I assume he must get a lot of rainfall, like daily and most likely as well at night with a slight drop in temperature.
When you think of it, he has N. hamata the species as well as N. truncata lowland growing in the same locale.
I believe any hybrid could grow in lowland conditions if the other variables are met (light, feeding, water/ing-quality, containers, media, etc.) My Predators are still small plants, but many have pitchers that are over proportionately larger than their leaf diameters!
I would advise to start with a larger more established start than a tiny seedling. I get better acclimitizing from larger plants than small tiny ones.


Michael

ps, if you succeed, you know you'll only buy more highlanders as your awarded pruze!

M

 

[SydneyNeps]

Geoff is near Childers, which is in southern Queensland. It is a temperate/sub-tropical climate, whose meterological details can be found at: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_039025.shtml

The climate there doesn't appear to be that much warmer than it is here in Sydney, a few degrees.

Interesting that Geoff finds lowland truncata more tolerant of cold than lowland. That is the direct opposite of my experience. My lowland truncata stops growing and pitchering in cold weather, and any pitchers which had been developing in autumn open stunted. My highland truncata plants continue to pitcher during winter, normal sized pitchers, and grow faster than my lowland plants in summer. I find the highland variety dead easy to grow. But everyone's experience is different.

Many, many Nepenthes species will grow in conditions in cultivation quite different from those in which they grow in the wild. Also remember that a fair few species have a decent altitudinal distribution, so are naturally found in varying climates. It appears only to be the ultra-highlanders, of which there are only a handful, than are temperamental. And many species listed as highland species are found at intermediate altitudes, so are not truly highlanders are such (but you can spend hours debating what "lowland, highland, and intermediate actually mean).

The other thing is, weather is seasonal. I've got Nepenthes plants that thrived for years, then had a few bad years, then came good again etc. That is because some summers are hot and wet, others are hot and dry, some aren't so hot but dry, autumn can be wet and dank, or clear and warm. My plants will react accordingly.

All I can say is - give it a go. You won't know until you've tried.