Strange growth

[Tristan]

Today on my routine inspection( checking for slackers and lazey plants) My N. ventricosa x talangensis has done something strange. Its tendril is going deep into the LFS I have it planted in. Its going straight down and I have it in an orchid basket so if wants to it can pop out the bottom. Has any one else had this happen.

 

[Statik2426]

Has happened to me but it only went 1" deep. My plant was small at the time and I wanted all the pitchers I could get.

 

[mindmaze128]

Something similar happened to my N merrilliana with the second newest leaf. It basically threw the tendril into the soil and started producing the pitcher there. I hadn't noticed until yesterday, but all I did was move some of the orchid bark and LF sphagnum off of it. No biggie!

Joel

 

[Tristan]

Mine is down deep like 2 inches down and doesn't want to come out. This 2" down past the lose top soil though and it only took like 3 days to get down that far.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Nepenthes will regularly thrust thier tendrils into the soil to anchor themselves and keep themself upright and straight. The only Nepenthes that will thrust EVERY tendril into the soil is N.Argentii which grows where there are high winds and it simply needs to keep itslef from blowing away somehow! and it is the growth habit of it. I would personally let your plants anchor themselves!

It is pretty cool to have a pitcher halfway subterrainean anyway!

 

[Parasuco]

Oh, kewl... thats really neat... I need more room so that i can use bigger pots...

 

[mindmaze128]

NG is right!! Having a pitcher coming out of the ground is reallly cool. I think that I'm gonna cover that pitcher again!

Joel

 

[Stefano1]

i know this has nothin to do with it but the tendril is the little stem that connects the leaf to the picther right?

( feels ashamed, neps are my FAVORITE species of carnivous plants and im not sure what tenddril is)

but i am 99.9% positive its the stem that connects the leaf and the pitcher right? just wanan make sure

 

[Parasuco]

Yeap, thats right! The leafy part is the base, the tendril is the petiole, and the pitcher is the leave... Apprently...

 

[mindmaze128]

Here's a link that might be useful for Nepenthes plant structure.

http://www.cpjungle.com/nustruct.htm

Joel

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

I was just about to put up that site too! Hehehe! Mindmaze, I would personally (if it is your only Merrilliana pitcher) uncover it slightly. Just so that you have an active pitcher to give the plant some nutrients then you can let your other pitchers do what they want to after that. Just a suggesstion.

And I am happy to announce I will get my very first Merrilliana pitcher soon! My old Merrilliana that was super-shocked came back through! I now have 2 Merrilliana's! Cool eh?

 

[Stefano1]

thanks mindmaze that helped alot

whats the runner and side shoot? is the side shoot a new leaf comin out and the runner is a baby sorta? and i have been meanin to ask, do neps only grow from seeds or if my ventrosica grows really big will ir sprout a baby or 2 next to it? the the adelae and it has its babies under the leafs? if that is so thats cool, it has been buggin me for a bit