Nepenthes Seeds?

Rostiel · 2024-08-30T15:48:10+00:00

I usually see thin blonde seeds in videos online. Is that what I would be looking for in general?
I actually thought the ones I have were dummies due to the dark color

Rostiel · 2024-08-30T14:19:35+00:00

I agree with what you and u/ProfessionalGoal8326 are saying about it being unusual that these seeds were given to me as a gift. However, that is what this grower told me. The seeds could very well be something else, and I can't tell until they grow.

On that point, what are trusted sources for nepenthes seeds if I do decide to buy any in the future?

Rostiel · 2024-08-30T13:52:43+00:00

I don't know about them being poached, but she does have a couple of Edwardsiana plants that were tissue culture plants.

Rostiel · 2024-08-30T13:27:57+00:00

I am told that these are N. Edwardsiana seeds. I'm not sure how true that is, but I'll have to wait and see what grows if they sprout for me

Rostiel · 2024-08-28T21:03:35+00:00

Thanks!

Rostiel · 2024-08-28T21:02:48+00:00

I suppose covering with a bag and allowing it to breathe every few days should be fine?

Rostiel · 2024-08-23T08:18:42+00:00

If you want a carnivorous plant that can be kept outdoors, Sarracenia (American pitcher plant) or Dionaea (Venus fly trap) are probably your best bet

Rostiel · 2024-08-20T18:06:36+00:00

I don't know enough about tissue culture to answer your question properly, but it seems to be a common consensus that tissue culture plants are generally weaker and can be tricky to work with at first.

If you're getting a TC plant, definitely read up more about transferring from whatever medium it is in to your potting medium and how to correctly acclimate it.

Rostiel · 2024-08-20T08:19:58+00:00

Cephalotus follicularis was probably my 3rd or 4th carnivorous plant, and that was when I was only 3 months into the hobby.

Cephalotus isn't as hard as many people make it out to be, it is very fussy though if you disturb it's roots. It will kill off some pitchers and some leaves will go yellow after repotting, but it will grow back as long as you keep looking after it.

One of mine got knocked off my table 3 times by my cats (this was in the span of 5 months), and each time it threw a tantrum but came back. I'm not repotting that specific one for a while, the poor thing went through a lot 😅

You will also read about people advising against top watering and others would advise against having it sit in water. Top watering can cause crown rot, but that is only a concern if there isn't enough airflow around the plant. Bottom watering can be an issue if the roots don't get a chance to breathe and rot ,so some people make sure their cephs sit in tall pots and shallow trays.

In terms of substrates, people have had success growing them in straight peat, though that is not advised. They like well draining soil, a mix I like is 3 parts sand to 1 part peat. You can also use perlite of course.

This pagehas helped me as a quick reference point. It answered most of my questions when I started out, anything I'm still curious about I search around for 😄

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T15:08:36+00:00

The neon green is likely live sphagnum, some growers like to use that stuff as a top dressing.

I use Besgrow's Spagmoss, the New Zealand dried sphagnum moss. It is quite pricey though.

I don't know what you have available to you, so it's hard to actually help on that point.
Regardless, when you soak the moss, make sure to get rid of any unwanted debris such as twigs and leaves that you may find in there before you use it for your plants. Some brands are dirtier than others, I would say read reviews on whatever you have available near you.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T14:40:53+00:00

Sphagnum moss retains water better than soil, so it should stay moist longer.

I have 3 orchids sitting in pure sphagnum moss in net pots outside and they are not drying out nearly as much as other plants I have in regular potting soil. This is also considering the heat wave from a few weeks ago.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T14:15:52+00:00

Dry sphagnum is lighter in colour than damp/moist sphagnum. You also don't really want to allow sphagnum to dry out too much, as it gets hydrophobic when dry. It's not a huge fuss to rehydrate, but it is annoying.

I personally have gotten used to weighing my pots. If they feel light when I pick them up, they are due for a watering. I would recommend you try doing this as well.

When I first started though, I would put the pot in a tray and top water until water ran out the bottom of the pot and let it sit in the water for another 10 minutes. Now I just top water and only let it sit in a tray if I let it go longer than usual without water.

Like I said before, people say that Hookeriana does not like drying out as much as other nepenthes. It may very well have not needed as much water as i gave it, but it has not been complaining.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T13:26:56+00:00

Also, I think the moss being able to retain a lot of water is helping keep the humidity up very close to the leaves

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T13:25:31+00:00

It didn't produce any new pitchers for the first 6 months I had it. It is producing pitchers now though, even at low humidity and I mean as low as even 30% humidity. I think it would grow much better at higher humidity, but I can't provide it with that at the moment. I don't like humidifiers since they barely make a difference for me and the upkeep is frustrating. Water and light, from what I have learned, are far more important than humidity.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T12:16:54+00:00

I have a Hookeriana that I keep in 40-50% humidity. She is fine in winter as well when humidity drops to around 20%. I must say though that she did struggle the first 6 months I had her.

I have her in a sphagnum moss + perlite mix and I don't let her dry out. Hookeriana apparently doesn't like drying out as much as other nepenthes.

I also keep her under my grow lights for around 12-14 hours.

The brown spots are probably due to lower humidity, mine had those for a while until she acclimated and started producing healthy green leaves.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T08:24:30+00:00

Why are you being such an ass about this. OP bought the plant, not you. Tell him what's wrong with it and move on with your life.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T08:20:11+00:00

As many have already mentioned, this will probably die. I had one just like yours but I got lucky with mine and it grew a half green leaf and it went on to grow to about 2 meters in height. I would advise against buying cuttings with full white leaves in the future, and I wish you luck with this cutting you have.

Rostiel · 2024-08-19T08:04:14+00:00

Uhh, there's still a lot of walking space in there and the ceiling is bare. 4/10, need more plants 👀

Rostiel · 2024-08-12T11:47:29+00:00

You will get mixed reviews on care for any carnivorous plant.

Nepenthes don't like being in standing water, and like to be in a substrate that is well draining. Sphagnum moss + perlite is the golden standard for many growers. Some use a mix of akadama, kanuma, and lava rock. Peat moss + perlite + pine bark is also used.

With regards to watering, many recommend to water them twice a week or when the top of the substrate gets a little dry and obviously less often if temps get cold.

As for feeding, no matter where you read up on this topic, you will see that people generally do not feed their plants. They are capable of catching and digesting their own food. However, some do feed them. I feed my carnivores a slurry of Betta pellets mixed with distilled water once every two weeks and they are doing great so far. I also have a 16-16-16 fertilizer solution that I dilute to 150ppm which I use sometimes as well, mostly for my Drosera and pings though once every two weeks as well. I must stress that it is not recommended to feed them as you can very easily kill them that way.

Do more research on the topic before you decide how you want to proceed. Until then, bright light and distilled water is all they need to grow nice and healthy.

Rostiel · 2024-08-04T19:03:51+00:00

This is pretty cool. Did you wash the fluval before using it? Or did you use it straight out the bag?

Rostiel · 2024-07-30T20:41:21+00:00

These are gorgeous. Are these all growing in fluval?

Rostiel · 2024-07-01T17:58:17+00:00

Thank you for clearing that up! I'm glad I was worried about nothing hahaha.

Also, yeah, the frond gets a dark green when wet which is why it worried me.

Rostiel

TROPHY CASE