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N. Lowii Care

Ok so i just got my n. lowii from the april fools giveaway! I put it in a nice little pot and it is sooo cute :-D. The current set up i have it under 2 flourescent 'daylight' bulbs T12 40W. The plant is about 4-6 inches from the light. Also i put a plastic bag around the pot so thta it would help increase humidity a bit.

.... So do you think that it will be fine under the 2 flourescent bulbs? And do i even need to use the plastic baggie for the humidity, or is it useless? I guess all im wondering is if it will still grow and not die off. I hope someone will be able ot know. Also if you request i can post pics of the setup.

Thanks

-Ryan
 
You can keep the baggie on it to help it acclimate, but not for the long term, as neps need air circulation.

Also, the two bulbs are a bare minimum, four would be better, but as a small plant directly under the bulbs you should be alright. What is the humidity generally where you're growing it? And the temps?

Capslock
 
in the same note....let me give my conditions max. I am growing a lowii too. So hopefully you can enlighten me if its fine. :p

Inititally my conditions were:
75F max | 55F min
low/med light
no air circulation
75% day humidity | 85-90% night humidity


In those conditions....my ramispina, mira and other plants pitchered apart from talangensis. :(

Now new conditions:

78F max | 55F min
high light
good air circulation
60% humidity day | 85% night humidity

The unfortunate thing is my heaps and heaps of live sphagnum is becoming white and drying up becos of the air circulation. However, I am being convinced by all the talk about air circulation.

What do you guys think?? good enough for the lowii???
 
I just got mine but I am out of LFS to pot it in.
I am going to put it with my epphipiata, just wondering if you know what form of lowii this is ozzy?
 
I suspect mine may have arrived since I first got home - I should go check my box. I'm potting a number of plants into large 10"x10" net pots, and these would actually be the easiest to put one in at the moment. I know lowii is a slow grower; would a big net pot be total overkill? I've noticed that some Neps seem to grow faster in larger pots, but will that really be a meaningful difference with this species?
~Joe
 
What type of soil should i use for it... I am curently using 2:1 Perlite:peatMoss With LFS on the top. Is this ok?!?!
 
Each grower has their preferences.
 
well it's different for each species, this is my first time growing a lowii but I have it's cousing epphipiata and it's doing great and it's in a 50/50 mix of peat moss and perlite. with a bit of LFS at the top.
 
  • #10
Ok good well that is what i am curently using
 
  • #11
You guys should get each other's phone numbers.

Roflol... I didn't know why you said this at first, but then I saw the chatter lol.

Anyway, I find that Lowii likes cooler temps. Mine originally came potted in a peat heavy mix, which I was ever so grateful for :lac: . I have since moved to a much more open mix, as I find highlanders really like it (Lowii is almost ultrahighlander I believe). I use a 1:2:2 LFS:perlite:Bark mix, with LFS as a topdressing. From what I understand, a much better mix contains no LFS or peat, but as I do not want to water so frequently, I use some LFS for water retention. Make sure to give a nice night temp drop and keep the humidity high if possible.

Can you post some pics of your setup and the Lowii?

EDIT: Oh yeah lose the baggy over time. If you are acclimating it to lower humidity, then open it slowly over the course of a few days (maybe 10? I'm not sure because I've never done this)... maybe poke holes in it gradually. Someone who grows on windowsills can give better advice.

Daniel
 
  • #12
I've had to use the bag before. If it's a ziplock I gradually open it. If its a bag, I just cut more off the corners each day. I usually do about 10 days when I have to do that.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't like half of a thread consisting of back and forth chatter between you two, which is rarely, if ever, on topic. I mean over 20 posts a day? Let's show some restraint now and then.
 
  • #13
I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't like half of a thread consisting of back and forth chatter between you two, which is rarely, if ever, on topic. I mean over 20 posts a day? Let's show some restraint now and then.

He has a point. OT posts have been removed. Let's not make a habit out of it, guys.

xvart.
 
  • #14
Roflol... I didn't know why you said this at first, but then I saw the chatter lol.

Anyway, I find that Lowii likes cooler temps. Mine originally came potted in a peat heavy mix, which I was ever so grateful for :lac: . I have since moved to a much more open mix, as I find highlanders really like it (Lowii is almost ultrahighlander I believe). I use a 1:2:2 LFS:perlite:Bark mix, with LFS as a topdressing. From what I understand, a much better mix contains no LFS or peat, but as I do not want to water so frequently, I use some LFS for water retention. Make sure to give a nice night temp drop and keep the humidity high if possible.

Can you post some pics of your setup and the Lowii?

EDIT: Oh yeah lose the baggy over time. If you are acclimating it to lower humidity, then open it slowly over the course of a few days (maybe 10? I'm not sure because I've never done this)... maybe poke holes in it gradually. Someone who grows on windowsills can give better advice.

Daniel

Thanks for all the help on the ideas for acclimating. I think i will aclimate it over a 10 day period cutting holes bigger and bigger of the corners. I also think i can have some pics of the Lowii to you by tommorow. Thanks for the ideas on the soil also i might change mine soon.

He has a point. OT posts have been removed. Let's not make a habit out of it, guys.

xvart.

Ok i will stop the chit chat in a post, sorry if i made anyone mad

-Ryan
 
  • #15
Ryan,

The plants have been deflasked for more than 6 months and are already acclimated to normal/low ambient humidity so you can probably do away with the bag.

I had them planted in a media of cyprus/osmuda/PBM/LFS topped with live sphag. And they were 1m below a 400W HID bulb.

D,

I'll double check my records at home but I believe this batch was the Trus Madi form of lowii
 
  • #16
vraev,
Those sound very close to my conditions, and my lowiis are all very happy indeed. So I think you're in good shape there.

Expect slow growers, guys. My experience is that they grow like molasseses until they're about four inches across. Then they take off pretty good.

Capslock
 
  • #17
well.....the diameter on mine is around 7 or 8 inches...so its actually growing at a rate everyday such that I can notice it.....or maybe I am just used to this as a regular growth rate since all my plants are highlanders or lowlander growing in highland condition. ;) THanks max! Can u tell me what exactly are your conditions?? I know you even grow ultrahighlanders in that grow heaven of yours. ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #18
so I can put it on my window in full sun? my fluorescents must be nothing compared to a 400W halide.
my room is normally cool 60-70F with nights around 55F
 
  • #19
Ryan,

The plants have been deflasked for more than 6 months and are already acclimated to normal/low ambient humidity so you can probably do away with the bag.

I had them planted in a media of cyprus/osmuda/PBM/LFS topped with live sphag. And they were 1m below a 400W HID bulb.

D,

I'll double check my records at home but I believe this batch was the Trus Madi form of lowii

Ok i have my lowii about 4in form 2 40W bulbs will that work?
 
  • #20
I was bumbling around in the crawlspace last night and I will revise my distance between the lowii plants and the bulb as 1.3m. I also forgot to mention that I have it on a cycling track which does have a minor effect on total light exposure.

Anyways...

D,

Technically you can do what ever you want with your plant for the simple reason that it is your plant :p But I am guessing you are more asking if it is possible to grow this as you described (sorry, having a facetious morning.)

The short answer is yes, if you can accommodate its other needs then the plant would probably do fine in your windowsill. I myself have a different clone in my kitchen windowsill as an experiment and it is doing fine.

The long answer is that I really can not say for certain. Different plants grow differently for different people. Just because it works for me does not guarantee it will work for you and vice versa. I put forth my conditions only as an indicator of what the plants have experienced to date. I make suppositions based on my experience and my rationalizations of how I imagine your technique/conditions. Lump that all together and there is a lot of guesswork involved. I may have made a mistake in guessing exactly what you will do and if I build on that unknown (and unknowable to me) mistake to make further predictions of success then all I am doing is building a house of cards. SO really the best thing to do is to try if you are comfortable trying but keep an eye on the plant and if it looks to be suffering then change the conditions to make it better.


Ryan,

10cm from a pair of 40W bulbs should be more than enough light (remember, light intensity decreases at the square of the distance so my plants really are not under very high intensity light). I would warn that at the distance you are using I would be concerned about heat output from the bulbs. I know fluorescents do not produce as much heat but they still produce some. You could probably reposition to 20cm and still meet the light needs and reduce the probability that the plant is getting too much heat. Just my 2 cents
 
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