N00b questions! Don't laugh...

[Chasethorn]

So I am very new to this hobby... I have a few questions...

1) How do I re-pot a Nep? Do I re-pot like a normal plant or do I just fill a pot with some substrate and set it on top?

2) I plan on watering every other day since I live in such a dry climate, but do I leave a saucer underneath the pot so water can be sucked through the drainage holes? How much do I water AND do I have to mist it? I have a humidifier in my room... is that enough? Also, Do I need to put water in the pitchers

3) I am going to keep some Highland species in my window (faces southwest) where my cacti used to be, is it ok? It gets plenty of light!

 

[Whimgrinder]

Chase,
Do the temperatures in that window area meet the requirements for highland Nepenthes? Thats an important issue to settle before you start acquiring plants.

 

[Nepenthesis]

Ehm, if you don't have at least 60-70% humidity or the climate to provide a temperature swing, then you may need a terrarium. Highlanders need at least like 10F temp swings (I think its 10F, IDK, that's really general though) from day to night because they have to stop growth at night and then continue when it warms up in the day... Most highlanders do well with days in the 70s and nights in the 50s, but they can survive with nights in the 60s, mine did in the terrarium for a few months with no issues.

I wouldn't "water every other day" or whatever, I'd just touch the medium and see if it is moist, wet, dry, ect. and water accordingly. TBH, when I was new to the hobby, I was like a watering freak and I like didn't water if the medium was too moist because I didn't want to make the nep suffer from root rot. Now, if my greenhouse, I keep all of my Nepenthes wet. Not so wet you can ring a ton of water out of the sphag, but wet enough to where you touch the medium, you get water on your hands. I wouldn't try that in a terrarium though, only in a greenhouse where there's super good air flow. Sitting in the house is like half way between stagnant terrarium and greenhouse with a swamp cooler.

A lot of neps can live in windowsill conditions. To be able to determine if you can do this, you need to give us DEFINITE readings of your humidity (buy a hygrometer from petsmart for like $10, you'll need one in the long run) and temperature day and night.

As far as repotting, you need to plant it like any other plant, you can't just stick the plant on top of the medium, it must go in the pot. You can pot it in dried sphagnum and perlite, a 50/50 mix. That's what I do, but I don't worry about super accurateness of 50/50, I just kinda eyeball it. Make sure to rinse the medium you want to use with RO/DI thoroughly before using it to make sure anything that may have gotten in won't burn the Nep's roots.

What species are you getting, or which species have you gotten? Which species do you want to keep?

 

[Chasethorn]

Yes it does. I monitor it for my other plants and animals. It stays in the range of 75-85*F (gets to 90*F sometimes in mid summer) in the day and mid 60s at night. I have reptiles in this room so the temps are consistent all year round.

 

[Chasethorn]

Sorry Pineapple, I posted and refreshed to your post! I do have a humid room as I prefer this as my skin hates the dry weather and my reptiles can't be kept too dry...

My room reads as of right now. 55% near the window without the humidifier. My house is built funny and it gets humid even here in CO! I am going to build a terrarium using some of my reef tank stuff and lights when I get more. As of now, I am awaiting an order for an N. spathulata x fusca. I am going to build a greenhouse on my dads land this fall and stock it maybe this winter with my cacti and see how it does. I am in no rush and am not going to just buy a bunch of Neps. Just a couple for now...

The Petco here is having their $1 a gallon sale so I am going to build a terrarium. What lights would be good for a 10gal with say 3-4 neps of a similar species? I don't want roasted neps using my metal halides.... haha

 

[Whimgrinder]

Lows of 65F at night will sustain intermediates and many hybrids, but not the serious highlanders, so choose carefully.

Have you met Jeremiah Harris yet?

 

[Chasethorn]

I just looked it up, For this plant, it needs daytime of 65-85 and nighttime of 55-65. So I may be ok given this info. I can tweek the room easily.

My closet is where I keep my small tortoise enclosure. The closet also has a better humidity reading and temp drops at night all year. I can easily build a terrarium in there I just figured out!

And any suggestions on the 10gal light?

And no But I have heard a lot about him!! I know he has tips as we both live in like a 10 mile difference!

 

[Nepenthesis]

Neps will quickly outgrow a 10g in height when they start to vine, and when they get up towards the top the tips will be exposed to low humidity (near the light) and they will burn. My light literally burn the tips off of my ventrata... Like they were charred black lol.

I'd get something at least 24" high or somewhere around there. If you buy a 10g, you'll have to buy a 20g in no time. Get the bigger one in the first place.

I think neps would actually love halides as long as you don't like set the halide on top of the... OH HEY! You're the dude from Nano-Reef! Haiii, I'm Euphyllia. Back to what I was saying, like for reefs, you don't stick the halide right on the top of the terrarium, but rather stick it like 12" above. As long as you acclimate them to that light, they'll love it. Some species grow in full sun, some grow in dense jungle. I grow mine in natural sunlight in my greenhouse and they get like 4-6 hours of direct sun in the summer under 50% shade cloth... So I'd say halides are fine, but not for a 10g. Maybe for a 20g. However, halides cost like $120 to run for a year (at least here) for a 150w lamp, so you may want to go with something that costs less. If you pick up a 70w desk lamp and stick a 4500-6000K bulb in it, that would be fine. Maybe even get two desk lamps like that. I did that to grow chaeto in my BC 29 HQI and it was like $15 to set up one light like that.

 

[Chasethorn]

I have a 20gal at my dads that was a back up sump tank! I can use that! I wonder if LEDs would work for neps??

I think my window will be perfect for now, in the long run, I'll set up the terra in my closet. Then when I acumulate more, I'll put them in the greenhouse. I have on at my dads but we use it for a night time hut for the Sulcata tortoises...

And hi! I knew you might remember me from NR as you were the one who directed me to here!

 

[Chasethorn]

OR! Could I just not use a light and just keep them on a table in front of my window? It gets all day sun!

 

[Nepenthesis]

I have a 20gal at my dads that was a back up sump tank! I can use that! I wonder if LEDs would work for neps??

I think my window will be perfect for now, in the long run, I'll set up the terra in my closet. Then when I acumulate more, I'll put them in the greenhouse. I have on at my dads but we use it for a night time hut for the Sulcata tortoises...

And hi! I knew you might remember me from NR as you were the one who directed me to here!

You can use LEDs, but my argument against them for reefing was that they don't provide the natural sunlight spectrum. However, the LED spectrum nicely coincides with the spectrum corals need, so I had no argument really, but I DO have an argument against using LEDs for neps. I'd want something that is more natural sunlight. So either like 6500K halide or like 4500-6000K PC. PC is cheap and easy to set up, so if you don't want the energy bill, go with PC.

If the humidity is above 60% at all times in the window with the humidifier on, then I'd say you'd be good for the less fussy Nepenthes species or hybrids. If you set the pot in a shallow tray of water, it should keep the humidity up around the plant and keep it watered. I know there are a few people on here that have had no issues with just leaving their neps in trays of water all the time.

I've never kept fusca, but I have a hybrid that is 3/4 spathulata and another hybrid that is 1/2 spathulata. The 1/2 spathulata refuses to pitcher, not just for me, but for many people. The 3/4 spathulata will produce pitchers, but not on every tendril that grows. Not sure how spathulata x fusca would behave as far as pitchering, but every hybrid is different so it's hard to tell. I would guess that it may like higher humidity. You can always stick a clear plastic bag over it to keep the humidity up until you get your terrarium set up.

 

[Nepenthesis]

OR! Could I just not use a light and just keep them on a table in front of my window? It gets all day sun!

I'd use a light unless the table gets direct sun. The light will produce heat during the day to boost the overall temperature swing between day and night. Spathulata can grow intermediate or highland. Fusca grows intermediate. It may actually like it warmer, like 80s during the day, and around 60F at night.

 

[Chasethorn]

Sweet! I got pics of the one I ordered and it has proven to pitcher and so have many of the others that are the same. It is a relatively new hybrid. The table does get full sun all day and my cacti love it! If I can grow very light needy cacti in the window for 3 years. I think Neps will have no issue!

What are some hybrids you would recommend for a beginner? Ones that suit my care levels? Maybe PM me a link or two! )

 

[roxorboxor]

Pff these guys with their humidity I grow all my plants in my windowsill where the humidity ranges from 30%-70%(at night only really), daytime it's usually like 50-60%. Of course, higher humidity is probably better in terms of pitchering etc, but I wouldn't go way out of my way to make a terrarium or use big trays of water or w/e to try to get the humidity up a little bit.

Start off with a few, let them adjust for a while (months maybe) and see what happens. They'll probably be happy there no problem

 

[Nepenthesis]

Sweet! I got pics of the one I ordered and it has proven to pitcher and so have many of the others that are the same. It is a relatively new hybrid. The table does get full sun all day and my cacti love it! If I can grow very light needy cacti in the window for 3 years. I think Neps will have no issue!

What are some hybrids you would recommend for a beginner? Ones that suit my care levels? Maybe PM me a link or two! )

OMG ventrata... I can't recommend that enough. Most people hate it because it is so common, but it has the shape of alata crossed with the thick peristome of ventricosa. Here's an adult pitcher on mine...

They grow like freakings weeds. You can get them to like 6ft vines in just a few years. They produce basals with no stopping, they branch with no apparent reason from every little place possible AND they can tolerate highland conditions and lowland conditions. If you don't want ventrata, then get one of the parents -- ventricosa. It's also really common, but I find it really pretty because of the peristome. I only like the pink ones though. This is mine...

They don't grow as fast as ventrata, but they're still pretty fast and they produce tons of basals. Basically any ventricosa hybrid is easy to keep and hardy. Ventricosa is an intermediate but it is usually grown as highland, so it will be good for your conditions.

 

[Chasethorn]

I have seen people grow them successfully in low temps and still get massive pitchers! I like the humidity and wouldn't up it but my room is already pretty humid Colorado has a humidity of like... 5%. And I have no idea why my rooms stays humid when I don't have my humidifier on!

Well... Every room has one I guess here... We have some serious static issues in this house so that is why I have one plus I don't like to sleep when its so dry. I think what I have is pretty good!

 

[Chasethorn]

And I saw that in one of your vids! I like it a lot! (I stalk your vids...) I may have to get one!!

 

[Nepenthesis]

And I saw that in one of your vids! I like it a lot! (I stalk your vids...) I may have to get one!!

LOL! If you want, I can give you a link to a great vendor that in selling N. ventricosa "Black Peristome" right now... They look like this...

They are like $18 I think, but they're maybe like 6" tall with good sized leaves IIRC. I saw them in person and they were okay. The vendor also has a TON of cool, easy to keep hybrids that I've seen most of them in person and they're all super duper healthy and some are pretty nice sized. We can't post vendor links in the forums, but we can PM. Just say the word and I can PM you some good vendor to order from. ^_^

 

[Chasethorn]

DO IT! I just got paid so I may be in trouble

 

[Nepenthesis]

PM sent.