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Nep care

Hi All,

Last week I bought two neps from Lowes -- had never seen one "live" before, only pictures. Anyway, no tag identifying them but from Jeremiah's post with all the pictures and nepenthes gracilis identification I think I have N. gymnamphoras. Would they be considered hi or low-land? And what would the specific care be?

Thanks.

cpwitch
 
I have never heard of a N. gymnamphoras is that how you spell it. If it is a rare nep and other cp stores online sell it for a high price hen it is a great possiblity that you didnt get a N. gymnamphoras. When the pitchers are small they are unpredictable.
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Can yo take a pic please.

Phil
 
Ya know, I'm sort of in the dark ages -- no scanner or dig. camera  
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However, if you go to Jeremiah's post titled "Lots of photos, guessing game" and go to photo number 5, it looks just like the two I bought. I got the name from a response down the list.

I seem to be acquiring more, and different, plants, since I joined this forum. I had four, now I have sixteen  
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Ain't life grand?

cpwitch
 
cpwitch,

Yes, life is grand! I had four, then sixteen. Now I'm up to around 30. Oops, I just counted 35. Yikes! Alarmingly, I still have a little room, but then I have an plant from ebay on the way! (One not offered by pft&#33
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Incidentally, if you do a check of the "Identify this plant" forum, you'll see Lowes usually are Ventratas, ventricosas, alatas, or maximas, or unknown hybrids of these. They tend to pick the hardy varieties, for obvious reasons. I've never even heard of a N. gymnamphora!

Capslock
 
I had 1 then 3 then 13 then 30 then 40 then 50 then 78 then 100 then 106 and know 107 and getting couple more.
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Caps you cllection is awsome. Like that amp looks great.
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I just talked to Jeremiah and he said that it would be almost impossible to find a N. gymnamphora is Lowe's.
 
Ok, so given that I probably have a more common type (it's from Gublers,if that means anything), will they be ok out of a terrarium or mini greenhouse? My humidity today is down to 40% and will go lower. I can mist and water them daily of course, but if they'll do better in a more controlled environment I should get them stashed in the greenhouse. They look so healthy and have such great pitchers I want to keep them that way, but I ended up and killed a vft by having it in the greenhouse -- too humid and not enough air flow is what folks suggested. Now all of my plants are out and on a tray by my south facing window.

Anyway, thanks again. Eventually I'll get to know what my neps, sarras, vfts, pings, cobras, and droseras need
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cpwitch
 
I doubt you have found a N. gymnamphora at Lowes. This is quite a rare highland species which requires far more care than most retail locations would be able to give it (most of them can't keep a ventrata alive more than a few weeks). I don't think it would be possible to have too high humidity in a greenhouse. Even the most "sealed up" greenhouses with foggers & misters I've visited were still very dry in comparison to my highland tank which is 90+% humidity all day year round. It's shouded in swirling fog most of the time:
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Do you have a hygrometer to measure your humidity? In the shady areas of a greenhouse a hygrometer may read 80% but in direct light where the plants are the reading may be far lower it is best to take your readings right where the plants are not against a wall as most greenhouse instruction books say to do. Low humidity and good light makes for dead CPs real fast! High humidity and low light will also kill your plants.

With Nepenthes you want to acheive a happy medium of bright light and high humidity (not easy to do without constant damping down the floors or installing an evaporative cooler). Almost all Neps thrive with intense light. Those described in posts as "lowlight" or "low humiidty" indicates they will TOLERATE lowlight or low humidity, very few grow better in lower light, and none grow better in low humidity. Not one plant in my collection of 65 Nepenthes grows better in my lowlight sundew terrariums. But you also must not subject them to low humidity if you want any kind of speed in growth and consistent pitchering.

If you are worried about loosing the pitchers the plant has now then you need to get it into humid conditions fast. Pitchers will dry up and die very fast without it. Don't be surprised to loose all your pitchers and a couple of the lower leaves in the next few weeks (even if you get it into good conditions immediately). The plant is simply acclimating to it's new home and it may be a few months before you have a few new leaves and a new pitcher(which may be smaller than the ones that were first on the plant when you got it). After the acclimation period it should start growing larger faster.

Welcome to the realm of Nepenthes it's crazy in here!
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Thanks for all of the great info. Swords. I put my little neps in the greenhouse (along with a couple of pings -- hope that's ok). I cracked the top a little for some air circulation and I'm watering them every morning from the top. I also put a bowl of water in there -- I figure the water evaporation will help. But it sounds as if my North facing window probably isn't the best and I should switch to a South facing one that gets a little more light?

They are really healthy little things so I do hope they make it. I've looked at photos of several of the differnet neps and find I really would like to learn how to keep more of them -- they are just such interesting plants among many interesting plants!

Oh, and yesterday I slammed the door to keep a fly IN! Mother would be so proud . . .

cpwitch
 
  • #10
What kind of greenhouse do you have? I would suggest opening it only to lower the temperature if it gets over 90*F during the day otherwise you will be loosing your humidity. A bowl of water may do a little but a bowl of water with a bubbling airstone (the kind used for goldfish tanks)  will do a lot more as far as raising the relative humidity inside the chamber. In my 75 gallon lowland terrarium the whole bottom of the tank is agrid with 1" of water beneath it this allows the tank to be filled with humidity without an airpump due to the large surface area of the body of water.

For me there really isn't that much to growing Nepenthes as long as you are able to emulate their natural habitat as closely as possible. These are the guidelines I follow:
1) use as much light as possible for large colorful pitchers and rigid leaves.
2) keep humidity above 80% at all times(the air should feel heavy for lowlanders or cool and refreshing for highlanders), I strive for 90% humidity
3) Keep plants in the appropriate temperatures.
A quick explanation here: There are the highlanders which are cool growing mountain species who desire 60-85*F days 45-65*F nights, some require 55*F or cooler. Then lowlanders  which are warm growing 75-95*F days and 70-75*F nights. You will need to be able to provide these temps year round for optimal growth. I should add highland plants can be killed by having them in too warm temps so you will want to be sure you can cool them off at night all year long or the plants will extnguish themselves very quickly. Lowlanders will not die if they get temps below their preffered ranges (just never below 50*f) but they will quite likely cease pitchering and slow their growth considerably or completely, until temperatures improve.
4) use reverse osmosis or clean rainwater water only
5) feed naturally (with insects) and with lightly with fertilizers only occasionally.

Hope that helps some!
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  • #11
CP Witch

A lot of neps, while liking moisture, also like well-draining media...sort of like an orchid. You don't want to keep them too soggy. However it will vary by species/hybrid....I'm sure others could confirm that or go into more depth on watering. I am not a nep expert!

My personal experience with Lowes neps are that they are often ventricosa...easy to grow. I do believe there are other types they sell as well (in fact I thought there was a thread that listed the various types that have been found at Lowes.) But I doubt you will ever find anything rare there. Those you have to chase down and have $$$!
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Also its often hard to ID a nep if they are very young plants with juvenile pitchers. Once they mature a little, the pitchers will show more of their true form. Took me a while to get my first ventricosa IDed.

I just wanted to mention the water thing in case watering them every day might keep them too wet and rot the roots.

Do you remember me telling you, that it wouldn't be long before you had a BUNCH of CPs? lol Yup...the addiction set in quickly...
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Suzanne
 
  • #12
Thanks so much Josh for the continued information. The neps seem to need a little more attention, and right now I may not have the best set-up. By the way, the picture of your highland tank set-up is very impressive! I hope to turn my aquarium into a terrarium for the neps and, if they do ok, invest in some more, as they are just amazing plants. I figured if I kept an inch of water in the bottom (without sitting the plants directly in it) there would be more humidity naturally and I'd also be able to provide more light by using florescents or grow lights.

For now the plants are in a mini-greenhouse -- 20 inches long x 9 inches high x 9 inches wide -- just big enough to hold around six 3 inch pots. It's glassed in with a hinged top, and has a pegboard bottom. It seems to raise the humidity, though it may be only the heat(?) I don't have a hydrometer. And I'm a little at a disadvantage as the plants only came labled as nep. hybrid, so I don't know if they are high or lowland.

This is my first year trying neps, so it's a learning experience.

And, you're right, Suzanne. I'm addicted! I've gone from four little plants to sixteen, with three of those sarras in six inch pots that look like they could eat a very big bug! But it's such a pleasure to see and fuss over my plants -- great therapy
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cpwitch
 
  • #13
There are many Nepenthes to choose from and if you stick to ones that will be happy with your growing conditions it will make it alot easier than trying to alter the conditions significantly. You can always get into the fussier ones later after your growing technique increases on the hardier types.

I agree you should probably get more light on there. Fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent is a good way to go. Moving to a sunnier spot as you mention is also a possibility but do be careful you don't cook the plants in the sun.

Having the plants above a water pool should give plenty of humidity. Just having them enclosed in a fairly sealed up grow chamber should also keep the humidity plenty high enough for most Nepenthes. Nepenthes are sensitive to changes in environment though and new additions should be acclimated slowly to their new home.
Tony
 
  • #14
Thanks Tony. I moved my little greenhouse to a window that gets bright light, but no direct sun. The plants seem happy with this -- the one is growing two new urns/pitchers almost as I watch!

cpwitch
 
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