Height of terrarium/grow cabinet

[dainironfoot]

Hi guys, I’m designing a lowland Nepenthes grow chamber and was wondering how high I should make it. Are most lowland Nepenthes going to grow over two or three feet in height? Or would that be a worry for a few years down the line? Still not sure how fast they grow. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[hcarlton]

If designing for lowland plants, my personal first suggestion would be: forget a terrarium, invest in a greenhouse. The very few lowlanders that stay small are generally finicky to grow, and even the more moderate species like N. gracilis will still produce vines that can exceed 10 feet in length. Most lowlanders will exceed 20 feet or more, and have leaves that can be up to 2-4 feet long (meaning a plant that is 4-8 feet wide). The lowland plants are also the fast-growing ones, so even if you buy something like N. ampullaria as a seedling it can still end up vining within a year or two.