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Post by sebastian1 on Apr 12, 2012 18:42:30 GMT 7
Hi All. Seb: I did not mean to give the impression that it was a'very hit and miss' situation and I am a bit surprised you took it that way. We have used many fertilisers over the years in our situation. Now if I tell you specifics and growers try this and kill or retard their plants without the experimentation I recommended, we can't be held responsible. We have used brands that you can buy in any supermarket or hardware store such as Aquasol, Flourish, Peters etc. They all work the same. We use them at full strength on the packet. The EC is dependent on what full strength is. Well it simply comes as a surprise to me as I have personally found Nepenthes to be somewhat sensitive to feeding and it seems to require a lot of fine tuning to get it just right. Most growers wouldn't dare select any feed that just happens to be in the supermarket and use it at full strength on an entire collection of very rare and valuable plants. Seb: I am intrigued by your interest in our N.lowiis! And I am intrigued by your growing techniques. Turning away from N. lowii. How many N. rigidifolia plants do you have in your collection? It would be fantastic to produce some seed one day. Do you have any photographs? Seb |
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Post by Dave Evans on Apr 12, 2012 22:19:59 GMT 7
When you get the pH correct, along with very well balanced nutrients, plants can grow quite well indeed.
Lately I've been killing some of my neps by over doing the nutrient load in the soil, but this is a test, as they grow very quickly at nutrient levels just below what can become harmful.
It is a trade off to me. I really don't suggest anyone try this out themselves unless they grow out/produce some extra plants they don't mind killing by mistake.
One thing Geoff hasn't mentioned, is the Sphagnum is actually taking quite a bit of the fertilizer for itself. If you're not using live Sphagnum as media, then you need to dial back on the amount of fertilizer, not use it a full strength.
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Post by mikulas on Apr 13, 2012 3:39:13 GMT 7
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Post by kevnep on Apr 13, 2012 4:00:26 GMT 7
Geoff on this archive it lists maxima x mixta. Could you please post a pic of this plant for comparison to miranda
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Post by ep on Apr 13, 2012 7:35:58 GMT 7
Hi All. Marcello: Didn't know I was going anywhere. Do you know something?  Our conditions are not perfect but they do give adequate results. Unfortunately it gets a bit too cold in winter and a bit hot in summer but they get through. It is more the volume of the greenhouses that helps in the control of adverse conditions. The larger the greenhouse the more constant the conditions stay. Greenhouse building 101. ;D We also use evaporative cooling but this is not that efficient in the higher humidity. Most nights we usually get a temp drop, though. kevnep: Yes, we may have to sell everything before Dec 21.  . Yes, I may breed some if we get male and female flowering. Yes, we will cross lowii x TM when they flower together. We have seedlings of N.lowii x (lowii x truncata) growing on at present. We will make the lowii x vent cross asap. Seb: Nepenthes are just about weeds in the right conditions. They only seem to be sensitive if you od them with high concentrations. Use the rate for indoor plants and it usually is safe or as I said use it at a reduced rate if the plants need it and experiment from there. Again it depends on your conditions. Seb: N.rigidifolia has been a tricky one to grow. We originally had 10 plants and if I had of known how rare they were we would have kept them all. We only have one plant left now and it is a male. They seem to be very specific in their growing temps, a bit like N.burbidgeae. More intermediate than anything. I don't recall who else has them now.  mikulas: Looks like you came in part way through the conversation . We were talking about the Kinabalu lowiis at that time. Our first lowii flowered earlier and it was a Trusmadi form. kevnep: We no longer have this plant but as I recall it was more like maxima. Thanks. Geoff |
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Post by kevnep on Apr 13, 2012 13:24:01 GMT 7
Thanx, i do appreciate you answering my questions
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Post by kevnep on Apr 14, 2012 0:19:13 GMT 7
i would sell my left leg for one of those lowii x (lowii x truncata)s
oh and i saw on some website lowii x densiflora and (lowii x veitchii) x trusmadiensis. are there your hybrids? ive never seen them available
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Post by paulbarden on Apr 14, 2012 0:33:20 GMT 7
Geoff,
Regarding the application of fertilizers via the roots: there is a popular mythology that suggests that if you exceed the nominal fertilizer rate for Nepenthes, they will stop pitchering. The idea being that they no longer need to make new pitchers (nitrogen capture organs) when the supply of nutrients is plentiful. I know you have stated that overfed Nepenthes will make deformed pitchers, (can you show us an example, please?) but do you have an opinion on this other "myth" we frequently encounter? (I'm inclined to believe that the cessation of pitcher production is circumstantial and has little to do with nutrient availability, but I'd like your opinion on this. Thanks)
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Post by Dave Evans on Apr 14, 2012 5:09:01 GMT 7
Hi Paul,
I'm not sure how Geoff feels, but I don't see anything attaching the two ideas together. When Nepenthes are optimally fed, and all other conditions are good, they produce their largest pitchers. If anything, the salt in some fertilizer could be burning the roots causing the plants to drop the pitchers or deforming those developing at, or just after the time of the fertilization.
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Post by ep on Apr 14, 2012 7:36:27 GMT 7
Hi All. kevnep: You won't have to sell your left leg, although there isn't a lot of them. What are you offering for a lowii x burbidgeae then? No, it isn't our lowii x densiflora or (lowii x veitchii) x TM. Perhaps Christian Klein? I believe he did some lowii hybrids. However we do have veitchii x TM growing on if your interested. paulbarden: Looks like I am in your good books again. Next you will want some of our plants again  . Yes, this is true. They will miss producing pitchers until the plant has used it and the level of fertiliser reduces enough. Also yes, it can be circumstantial as well if other conditions are not met. It is a combination of nutrients, light etc. paulbarden: I said 'normal' not deformed. What I meant is they will produce pitchers which lack colour, size etc. but usually are normal in shape. Alternatively they will miss a pitcher or two as mentioned above. Deformation of pitchers and leaves could be a chemical toxicity. Thanks. Geoff |
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lawdy
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by lawdy on Apr 14, 2012 7:58:40 GMT 7
EP, i noticed your comment on Jeremiah's thread, and that got me thinking...have you ever flowered N. rajah or edwardsiana? A man can dream... |
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Post by ep on Apr 14, 2012 10:21:45 GMT 7
Hi All.
lawdy: No we haven't but I am sure there are those who have.
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Post by kevnep on Apr 14, 2012 11:16:24 GMT 7
oh yes i would love a veitchii x tm i hope it looks even better tyan the veitchii x tms that are currently out there! i suspected lowii x burb was out there and to answer your question id sell your left leg for one!
I have one more favor to ask, could you please post a pic of the lowers and uppers of your ventricosa x (spathulata x lowii) (a), i cant seem to find any pics of it, i crossed it with aristolochioides and lowii, do you think these will be good hybrids?
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Post by dexenthes on Apr 15, 2012 0:48:08 GMT 7
Do you grow N. argentii?
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Post by hegory on Apr 16, 2012 2:11:41 GMT 7
Are you makin' an offer? ;D ;D
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