Which Nepenthes Should I Try First?
Jul 27, 2008 5:48:51 GMT -10
Post by nepsaroundthehouse on Jul 27, 2008 5:48:51 GMT -10
Deciding which Nepenthes to try first can be a bit intimidating if you're new to Nepenthes. Purchasing the wrong match for your growing environment can lead to disappointment or failure when in fact you might have an ideal set up for certain Nepenthes. Here's some general considerations to take into account when purchasing Nepenthes.
1. Am I growing in lowland (60-95F) or highland temperatures (50-85F)?
Temperature determines this guideline. Terrariums, grow chambers, and warm greenhouses are for lowlanders. Basement, cooler indoor rooms at night, and outside temperate zones are better suited for highland Nepenthes. Intermediates can be a little more tricky depending on the parentage. Don't mix the two types of Nepenthes at first.
2. Are the Nepenthes I'm getting "hardened" off?
This just means that the Nepenthes you're purchasing have been growing in a greenhouse for some time and had a chance to adjust from being imported over seas or possibly out of tissue culture. Weak Nepenthes are sure signs for future failure. Solid, greenhouse established Nepenthes are the best.
3. Does size matter?
Oh baby yes! Or at least it can on how you grow them. Smaller, and most likely cheaper, Nepenthes are more susceptible to problems. Larger established Nepenthes can tolerate more abuse so to speak. When it comes down to making a choice, I always go with the biggest Nepenthes in the bunch I can afford and have space for.
4. Should I go with a species or a hybrid?
Hybrids tend to have what is called "hybrid vigor" and that refers that the offspring Nepenthes seem to be more vigorous than either of the parent plants. Hybrids make great starter plants because they are generally cheaper for the size of the plant you're getting. Species are fine too but certain ones can be extremely finicky to get established. Usually the most showy and sought after Nepenthes are species Nepenthes that often need specific growing conditions to thrive. DON'T fall into the trap of seeing a photo of a mature N. villosa, N. hamata, N. lowii, N. rajah, N. bicalcarata or N. northiana for example and think you can get a small plant to turn into one of those. If you find yourself licking your chops and sweating when you see one of those, back away from the keyboard and refrain from hitting the "commit to buy" button.
5. Where do I buy my Nepenthes?
Lately, most Nepenthes can be bought from on-line nurseries. Many of the nurseries sell many of the exact same Nepenthes they purchased from wholesalers over seas, but that doesn't mean all nurseries are the same. Prices, quality, shipping, and experience play a vital role in obtaining a healthy, top notch Nepenthes. I'm not instantly swayed by price. Many times the nursery won't release new Nepenthes for months until they're well established. This drives up the price but the quality is worth it. Once you find the distributor or nursery you're happy with, stick with them. Here's a link to some of the on-line nurseries I've purchased Nepenthes from.
www.nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/vendors.htm
6. Which Nepenthes should I buy?
Okay, here's some of the Nepenthes readily available that I think are good starter Nepenthes from the aforementioned guidelines.
Highlanders
N. maxima (highland), alata (highland), sanguinea, ventricosa, copelandii, tobaica, fusca (not too cold at night), mikeii. This is a good mix of Nepenthes that have a range of color and variation. They're also available at larger sizes and reasonably priced. There's too many highland hybrids to name. But just about any highland hybrid with any of the above parents is a winner.
Lowlanders
N. rafflesiana, ampullaria, alata (lowland), maxima (lowland), truncata, gracilis, albomarginata, reinwardtiana. I'm not a lowland grower but these species were easy to grow for me and gave me a wide variety of pitcher shape and coloration. Lowland hybrids are good as well with any of the the above as parents.
Certainly there's more Nepenthes than I have listed that will do well. I also left out intermediate hybrids that are fantastic only because they may do better in lowland than highland or vice versa. That's an "ask your supplier what they recommend" Nepenthes.
Good luck and good growin'
1. Am I growing in lowland (60-95F) or highland temperatures (50-85F)?
Temperature determines this guideline. Terrariums, grow chambers, and warm greenhouses are for lowlanders. Basement, cooler indoor rooms at night, and outside temperate zones are better suited for highland Nepenthes. Intermediates can be a little more tricky depending on the parentage. Don't mix the two types of Nepenthes at first.
2. Are the Nepenthes I'm getting "hardened" off?
This just means that the Nepenthes you're purchasing have been growing in a greenhouse for some time and had a chance to adjust from being imported over seas or possibly out of tissue culture. Weak Nepenthes are sure signs for future failure. Solid, greenhouse established Nepenthes are the best.
3. Does size matter?
Oh baby yes! Or at least it can on how you grow them. Smaller, and most likely cheaper, Nepenthes are more susceptible to problems. Larger established Nepenthes can tolerate more abuse so to speak. When it comes down to making a choice, I always go with the biggest Nepenthes in the bunch I can afford and have space for.
4. Should I go with a species or a hybrid?
Hybrids tend to have what is called "hybrid vigor" and that refers that the offspring Nepenthes seem to be more vigorous than either of the parent plants. Hybrids make great starter plants because they are generally cheaper for the size of the plant you're getting. Species are fine too but certain ones can be extremely finicky to get established. Usually the most showy and sought after Nepenthes are species Nepenthes that often need specific growing conditions to thrive. DON'T fall into the trap of seeing a photo of a mature N. villosa, N. hamata, N. lowii, N. rajah, N. bicalcarata or N. northiana for example and think you can get a small plant to turn into one of those. If you find yourself licking your chops and sweating when you see one of those, back away from the keyboard and refrain from hitting the "commit to buy" button.
5. Where do I buy my Nepenthes?
Lately, most Nepenthes can be bought from on-line nurseries. Many of the nurseries sell many of the exact same Nepenthes they purchased from wholesalers over seas, but that doesn't mean all nurseries are the same. Prices, quality, shipping, and experience play a vital role in obtaining a healthy, top notch Nepenthes. I'm not instantly swayed by price. Many times the nursery won't release new Nepenthes for months until they're well established. This drives up the price but the quality is worth it. Once you find the distributor or nursery you're happy with, stick with them. Here's a link to some of the on-line nurseries I've purchased Nepenthes from.
www.nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/vendors.htm
6. Which Nepenthes should I buy?
Okay, here's some of the Nepenthes readily available that I think are good starter Nepenthes from the aforementioned guidelines.
Highlanders
N. maxima (highland), alata (highland), sanguinea, ventricosa, copelandii, tobaica, fusca (not too cold at night), mikeii. This is a good mix of Nepenthes that have a range of color and variation. They're also available at larger sizes and reasonably priced. There's too many highland hybrids to name. But just about any highland hybrid with any of the above parents is a winner.
Lowlanders
N. rafflesiana, ampullaria, alata (lowland), maxima (lowland), truncata, gracilis, albomarginata, reinwardtiana. I'm not a lowland grower but these species were easy to grow for me and gave me a wide variety of pitcher shape and coloration. Lowland hybrids are good as well with any of the the above as parents.
Certainly there's more Nepenthes than I have listed that will do well. I also left out intermediate hybrids that are fantastic only because they may do better in lowland than highland or vice versa. That's an "ask your supplier what they recommend" Nepenthes.
Good luck and good growin'
