Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:28:31 -0400 From: "Richard Brown" <esoft@ix.netcom.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2671$foo@default> Subject: Re:Nep Pitcher Growth.
>My N. Madagascarensis has had a developing pitcher for a while
>but it does not seem to be getting any bigger.
Pitchers may develop fairly fast- you can see noticeable growth overnight.
Sometimes a tendril will be slow developing, like the plant is not sure if
its the right time to "throw a pitcher". It may sit like that for months,
with a hooked tendril and the vestigial pitcher becoming brown and
velvet-like. Suddenly it starts growing and within three weeks you have a
new pitcher, even though the leaf may be further down the vine. I've also
noticed that certain species (and their hybrids) will pitcher in spurts-
they produce a bunch of pitchers at one time and as the plant grows on, no
new pitchers develop until the last crop becomes old. Then the plant grows a
new bunch of pitchers from the next set of leaves above.
I think they grow their best pitchers when grown "hard", allowing the
humidity to fluctuate a bit (never below 50 percent, and never below 60
percent if the temperature goes above 90 F ), and giving as much sunlight as
they can tolerate.
Since you are growing in a shade house, watch out for vermiculite. If you
have a heavy rainy spell the vermiculite can form a dense mass when combined
with the peat, creating stagnant conditions at the roots. Nepenthes like
water to run through the pot, so keep an eye on this. Next time, pot using
peat and perlite. If you want, use orchid growers pumice and seedling grade
fir bark with the sphagnum peat and perlite.
Hope I didn't take up too much space. Gonna be out of the office for a
couple of weeks. Then I get to have fun reading all those stacked up CPD's!
Until later,
Trent Meeks
Pompano Beach, Florida
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