Northiana Question

[Rokosauros]

Hi Greg, as it happens, many people in Malaysia and Singapore are starting to turn towards burnt earth as the solution for media-fussy nepenthes. I'm using this method for all my neps. Usually, I use a ratio of 70% burnt earth and 30% peat moss (though it can be 60% burnt earth and 40% peat moss sometimes). This seems to work for all my nepenthes and in a tropical weather, it can last for 3 days straight without watering. If your area is cooler and more humid, you can go straight up to 4 days without watering. Burnt earth is also ridiculously cheap (for an amount roughly a large sized cinema popcorn, it's around $0.30-0.60). However, I'm not sure whether it is actually available in your countries. If not, then go for perlite and a mix of orchid bark. Good luck!

 

[DavyJones]

Burnt Earth isn't available here in the U.S, but I have found that aquatic plant soil is incredibly similar. I have a thread on here recording my results growing this plant, and have lots of information about the media I used there. A quick search should turn it up.

 

[Rokosauros]

I've taken a photo of my northiana As you can see, I used limestone and charcoal with some tree bark for my media. It may look like a topping, but actually the burnt earth and perlite have simply just 'flowed' through the bigger pieces of the limestone, charcoal and tree bark, leaving them as the topping now . FYI, no difference in the plant's growth or any benefit. Also, I put some normal white pebbles at the base of the pot as my original intention was to simulate the growing environment of northiana (it grows on cliffs and has a limestone base, right?) So far, the plant is too small for any conclusions, but I've found that the pebbles provide excellent drainage.