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Bicalarata needed
- Thread starter Adam
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- cutting ventricosa
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Your plant is probably too small to take a cutting from. Also if you live in the northeast you might want to think about something beside bicalcarata unless you have a large lowland set up because it'll get big fast and you won't be able to grow it outside of a tank in the northeast. It's one of the lowlanders that can't be grown well as an intermediate unless your VERY skilled.
JB_OrchidGuy
Cardiac Nurse
Even very skilled the plant doesn't do well unless the conditions are right. I know my plants were kept too dry for two years and have not put on much size at all or any pretty pitchers. Now that I have them potted up right and its summer one is starting to grow pretty good.
theyellowdart
sea bear returns!
Whoooooa, slow down! Some of the most experianced people on here won't self proclaim themselves experts. Almost everyone still has something to learn.
Just by reading your last thread and your lack of knowledge on cold stratification of seeds, I would say that you're far from expert status. But don't worry, so am I.
I'm sure many other people on here would agree with me.
If you're up for a challenge, a very large challenge, then go ahead. No one is telling you that you cannot buy a Bical. They are simply warning you that it probably wouldn't work out in your conditions.
So by all means, good luck if you decide to get one; but I think you should really look at an easier lowlander if you just need to have one.
Well since you ARE the expert go ahead and get one.
First of all, if you are an expert, I wouldn't consider it a challenge. Second of all, I'd like to hear your qualifications for your self-proclaimed expertise because someday I think it would be nice to be considered an expert. Additionally, I don't think an expert would try and take a cutting of that N. ventricosa and trade it for a bical, but I'm no expert so I could be wrong.
xvart.
Hi,
The N. Bicalcarata because it is a lowlander requires higher temps and high humidity of at least 80 degrees with 80 percent humidity for good all round growth. The N. Bicalcarata likes the temps a little bit higher than most nepenthes. As explained in earlier posts it will get large. I can tell you unless you live in a greenhouse the kitchen is not the greatest choice.
Regards
The N. Bicalcarata because it is a lowlander requires higher temps and high humidity of at least 80 degrees with 80 percent humidity for good all round growth. The N. Bicalcarata likes the temps a little bit higher than most nepenthes. As explained in earlier posts it will get large. I can tell you unless you live in a greenhouse the kitchen is not the greatest choice.
Regards
JB_OrchidGuy
Cardiac Nurse
Just as I thought. This is from his profile.
Biography:
I am a pre-teen, Webkinz and carnivorous plant collector. I am also a boy.
Must be really young if he is collecting Webkinz. Nope I would definitely NOT label you an expert at anything yet. Its all in your head. Don't worry you will grow out of it.
Besides. If you were able to grow bical in your kitchen, I bet your mother would get rather mad when your foot and a half wide Bical keeps getting in the way. As everyone keeps trying to tell you. These things get HUGE!!! I haven't seen it yet with mine, but then again I was growing them wrong too. Barely keeping them alive is what I was going.
BTW your plant looks like it might be ventrata, one of the most common hybrids around to my knowledge. I routinely give cuttings away. I had so many last time I gave two cuttings to people and still no one wanted them all. Good luck with that trade idea.
Biography:
I am a pre-teen, Webkinz and carnivorous plant collector. I am also a boy.
Must be really young if he is collecting Webkinz. Nope I would definitely NOT label you an expert at anything yet. Its all in your head. Don't worry you will grow out of it.
Besides. If you were able to grow bical in your kitchen, I bet your mother would get rather mad when your foot and a half wide Bical keeps getting in the way. As everyone keeps trying to tell you. These things get HUGE!!! I haven't seen it yet with mine, but then again I was growing them wrong too. Barely keeping them alive is what I was going.
BTW your plant looks like it might be ventrata, one of the most common hybrids around to my knowledge. I routinely give cuttings away. I had so many last time I gave two cuttings to people and still no one wanted them all. Good luck with that trade idea.
I meant an expert at Neps, they and sarrs are my best ones
Sorry to say but the others are right
there are people who have been growing for years, who just because they can grow a plant, do not consider themselves experts. No need to try and sound "qualified" or anything to grow a bicalcarata. but you do need a hot humid area to grow it in...An expert would know that. because you can grow a Ventricosa hybrid, does not make you an expert, not to sound mean because i am not trying to be mean. I do not believe anyone would trade a bical for that however. and the plant doesnt even look large enough to take cuttings from.
Houstonherp
Send in the Clones
awgaupp -
Whether someone is an expert or not is of little relevance here IMHO. Frankly, N. bicalcarata does get HUGE, and this is no understatement. I have one in my greenhouse that is producing leaves up to two feet long (meaning a four foot diameter plant!), and the main vine is six feet tall and broomstick diameter. You can see one of the pitchers from it as my avatar. I would seriously doubt that - even if you WERE able to give this plant proper growing conditions in your kitchen - it would be suitable to grow in such a small environment.
I liken this to someone who lives in a small one bedroom apartment who thinks that they want a Great Dane (taller than you are) or a Burmese Python (up to 18 feet or more) as a pet. And if the conditions are not good, chances are that you would have wasted a good chunk of money as well.
Hope this helps! : )
Regards,
Mike
Whether someone is an expert or not is of little relevance here IMHO. Frankly, N. bicalcarata does get HUGE, and this is no understatement. I have one in my greenhouse that is producing leaves up to two feet long (meaning a four foot diameter plant!), and the main vine is six feet tall and broomstick diameter. You can see one of the pitchers from it as my avatar. I would seriously doubt that - even if you WERE able to give this plant proper growing conditions in your kitchen - it would be suitable to grow in such a small environment.
I liken this to someone who lives in a small one bedroom apartment who thinks that they want a Great Dane (taller than you are) or a Burmese Python (up to 18 feet or more) as a pet. And if the conditions are not good, chances are that you would have wasted a good chunk of money as well.
Hope this helps! : )
Regards,
Mike
I have been growing Lowlanders for over 25 years and Highlanders for only 2 years. Specifically I have grown N. bical for about 15 years and I am nowhere near being an expert. I still learn something new almost everyday about cultivatiing Nepenthes.
Well anyhow back to N. bical.- I got a seedling Red x Orange last Jun07 and it had a 5-6" leafspan. Has been in my lowland terrarium and now has a 28" leafspan in just one year. Will be going into my lowland greenhouse as soon as I can get it fine tuned. If given the right conditions N. bical gets big fast! You can stunt it for awhile to keep small, but eventually it will stop making pitchers and decline. High humidity, high temps, and moderate light and N. bical becomes a monster- its my favorite lowland Nepenthes.
Well anyhow back to N. bical.- I got a seedling Red x Orange last Jun07 and it had a 5-6" leafspan. Has been in my lowland terrarium and now has a 28" leafspan in just one year. Will be going into my lowland greenhouse as soon as I can get it fine tuned. If given the right conditions N. bical gets big fast! You can stunt it for awhile to keep small, but eventually it will stop making pitchers and decline. High humidity, high temps, and moderate light and N. bical becomes a monster- its my favorite lowland Nepenthes.
Adam
Sarracenia Collector
How's this? A mod may delete this, and later ill buy a bicalarata and then about a month- 6 months later ill tell you how it does? And here on this forum, there is a post that say ventricosa and ventrinata, and and two dofferent pictures with the same plant when i googled it, and i got different names of the same plant, but i think it would be a ventrinata, my isnt getting any full red pitchers.
Yeah, i agree, its his idea, if he wastes money, its his fault.
Last edited by a moderator:
DrWurm
Californian in DC
Woah woah woah... Nobody here is saying you're not allowed to get a bicalc. Try not to get so defensive. These are good people with loads of experience trying to help you. Now, if you buy a bicalc, and you can keep it alive, good for you! But you may want to slow down and try something a bit easier first. The people posting in this thread are just trying to guide you so that you can get the best experience possible with your hobby.I don't claim to be an expert. I don't even claim to be any good at growing stuff. So far I've killed several plants that are supposed to be really really easy. I understand the urge to get a bicalc. It's right up there with n. hamata and n. rajah in the cool factor. But I know that if I got any of those plants, there's a good chance they'd be dead in a couple weeks because I don't have the proper experience. This hobby takes discipline. You have to make smart judgments on your own ability to grow things.
I urge you to really consider what these fellow growers are saying. If you can show them you have the right conditions and experience to keep a bicalc alive, I'm sure they'll change their tune. Keep in mind that bicalcs like it hot and humid all the time, and they need LOTS of space. If you can't provide those conditions, buying one is obviously a waste of money. That doesn't mean there aren't cool, easy-to-grow, plants out there. Maybe make a post in the nepenthes section listing your current growing conditions and asking what plants would do well there. I'm sure you'll find that people are willing to help.
Jason
Interestingly, I cannot easily recall any of the folks whom I would consider an expert with a group of plants, ever using that word to describe themselves. It might be that by the time one legitimately reaches this status, one also realizes just how easily the plants can make them humble ...
It's interesting when someone joins the forum and the first post is in defense of someone else who is getting sound advice against the original idea. Since the IP's match, your second account has been banned. Any attempt to create more accounts will result in your main account also being banned. Consider this your first and only warning.
xvart.