Nep cuttings - root in mix, in water, or by air-layering?

[seedjar]

So, as you may have gleaned from the title, I'm wondering which method people prefer for rooting Nep cuttings and why. I have some N. x ventrata vines that are getting too long for their own good (seem to be petering out at the tips, despite other, healthy vines in the same pot) and I think I'm going to try to air-layer at least one of them. I'm also wondering on details of your preferred process - how the notch is held open for air-layering, what kind of mix works best for cuttings, etc.) Maybe if we collect some good information here, we could sticky it.
Thanks,
~Joe

 

[Capensis]

Is it possible that you can do all three?

IMO, I like water the best, the easiest to manage.

 

[obregon562]

my preferred rooting mix is a lot of old coco chips and pumice. They retain moisture amazingly well, yet prevent rot! it also gives the roots plenty of oxygen.

 

[CPsam]

I have had the best results rooting all my neps in pure vermiculite

 

[JMurphy97]

I got some to root in a orchid/LFS mix. Try all three, it's only an ventrata.

 

[Zero]

'Ventrata' will root in just about any moist nutrient free media.
try all 3 if you have the room.
I have never rooted in water, but have had success with both pearlite and lfs.
The pearlite grew leaves quicker and the lfs grew roots quicker. Pearlite is the easier of the 2 for me because I just fill with water then refill when water level gets down to the bottom. With lfs I had to monitor moisture levels more.
At the moment I'm using a 50-50 mix of pearlite and lfs to root some copelandii cuttings.

 

[seedjar]

I have had the best results rooting all my neps in pure vermiculite

How do you water? I wouldn't have thought to try vermiculite.

Try all three, it's only an ventrata.

I intend to, but I have other plants that I want to cut at the same time. The ventrata only inspired me to do this - most of the others I'm not as eager to experiment on. I've never had much luck rooting highland Neps. Lowlanders work well in my terrariums, but I guess until I moved my highlanders out of their terrarium I didn't really have very good conditions for them. Hopefully this time around will be better.
~Joe

 

[JMurphy97]

It's a tough one. I would try water for a ventrata but maybe not for a Predator. I think if it were anything of value other then ventrata or something easy I would be nervous at first. Let us know how the others do.

 

[Zero]

I haven't read about vermiculite being used for rooting cuttings. Is it more prone to rot because of the nutrients in it?

 

[BigBella]

My own preference is for placing Nepenthes cuttings in live sphagnum moss or in the mix I usually use for them, which includes LFS, perlite, pumice, orchid bark, etc.

In the past I've rooted some vigorous Nepenthes in water (N. ventricosa, N. x ventrata, and N. x "Holland") but other "touchier" species seem to prefer a solid substrate -- Nepenthes hamata and N. aristolochoides, for example

 

[CPsam]

Vermiculite is similar to perlite as a growing media. I find vermiculite to hold more water, and what i do is place fresh cuttings in damp vermiculite and mist them occasionally. In a greenhouse setting, vermiculite doesnt have to be watered for a while.

 

[jimscott]

I haven't tried air layering yet but have been more lucky with water than media.