New Terrarium setup with 4 nepenthes

[GregorMendelson]

I'm new to terrariums and have never been successful with nepenthes, but otherwise have a fairly green thumb. I have two T5 bulbs that are on about 11 hours per day. It's in my office, so the temperature is a relatively constant low 70's so far. The humidity is probably pretty high as there is a good amount of water in the soil. I have a Lady Luck (ampullaria X ventricosa), Bill Bailey (singalana X ventricos), Mimi's Kiss (ventricosa x (maxima x talangensis), and Lovely Record [(lowii × veitchii) × boschiana] × (robcantleyi × hamata). After a couple of weeks in the terrarium, the leaves are turning organgish color and not getting much pitcher growth. Otherwise, they seem healthy. Two are grown in sphagnum and vermiculite and the other two are straight sphagnum. They get watered with distilled water about twice a week and misted once or twice a day during the work week. Are these varieties suitable for this setup? Any other advice you may want to give?

 

[bluemax]

You'll have to wait for a better Nepenthes grower than I to get some good advice but that's a nice-looking terra. Good luck to you!

 

[hcarlton]

First thing to note: no matter how big the terrarium, your Nepenthes will outgrow it, often well before they actually reach mature sizes. Second: a couple weeks is hardly getting into the acclimation phase for these plants, determining success or problems (if it's not an obvious immediate decline or infestation of something) is measured on a scale of months to years. Slow growers, they don't offer immediate payoffs. And never mist a plant directly, nor should it be necessary in an enclosed environment like a terrarium; all that will do is invite risk of pathogen infection in there, and cause shock in an open space. Ambient humidity constantly is the important factor, not occasional injections of water a couple times a day. The evaporation and transpiration occurring will provide more than enough humidity for them. Also, while the plants you have a likely tolerant of a wide range of temperature conditions: all Nepenthes need a daily change in temperature from day to night, a constant temperature will eventually lead to problems because the drop helps them regulate their own circadian cycles and metabolism.

 

[GregorMendelson]

First thing to note: no matter how big the terrarium, your Nepenthes will outgrow it, often well before they actually reach mature sizes. Second: a couple weeks is hardly getting into the acclimation phase for these plants, determining success or problems (if it's not an obvious immediate decline or infestation of something) is measured on a scale of months to years. Slow growers, they don't offer immediate payoffs. And never mist a plant directly, nor should it be necessary in an enclosed environment like a terrarium; all that will do is invite risk of pathogen infection in there, and cause shock in an open space. Ambient humidity constantly is the important factor, not occasional injections of water a couple times a day. The evaporation and transpiration occurring will provide more than enough humidity for them. Also, while the plants you have a likely tolerant of a wide range of temperature conditions: all Nepenthes need a daily change in temperature from day to night, a constant temperature will eventually lead to problems because the drop helps them regulate their own circadian cycles and metabolism.

Good insight. Thanks.