Encouraging Nepenthes to Flower
Jul 19, 2008 12:05:47 GMT -10
Post by rainforest on Jul 19, 2008 12:05:47 GMT -10
One of the major drawbacks in making creative hybrids, is the timing one requires to get that perfect male and female to be in flower simutaneously. While pollen can be saved from a male and stored for a some time, it is best when fresh pollen is available to opening females.
I have been experimenting with nepenthes nutrition, growing medias and sunlight and have noticed patterns of growth leading to flowering induction of nepenthes.
First let's observe a plant in a natural state, in the wild. While we cannot duplicate this habitat condition perfect for nepenthes, we do see them growing in our care as they would in habitat. A peculiar habit of species is that they are timed to bloom together so that they can produce true species seeds from the process of a timed flowering response. This timed flowering response may be attributed to several factors. Daylength: Some species always bloom when days are short, others bloom prolifically when days are long. The hours per day is a significant feature that triggers flowering in nepenthes. Another factor is light intensity/foot candles: Aside from long or short daylength, the brightness of light and angle from which the sun beats from its horizons also play a role in flowering. Plants responding to these effects always follow intensity as days lengthen or as days deplete. Light quality is also compromised or enhanced as the time would dictate. Spring bloomers bloom at spring because of light becoming brighter-longer duration of time, while fall bloomers, the opposite. Making these parameters clear in your mind will begin photo-periodic flowering response for nepenthes.
Another factor responsible for initiating flowers is rainfall/dry season. For those species coming from Monsoon climates, nepenthes experience annual excess rainfall/prolonged dry periods. Flowering commences on these periods of just prior to a rain session or perhaps during the start of the dry season and hold their seeds until the onset of a rainy season. For these types of wet-dry periods, these are factors to take into consideration upon initiating flowers.
One of the most overlooked flushes for flower initiation is nutrition. The onset of rain/storms contributes to mass solution of nutrients in water. Since water is such a high capacity liquid, the occurrence of dissolved salts, acids, even basic nutrients play an important role for flower induction. For those species frequenting regions where limestone is the basic substrate underlaying acidic media, we find that nutrients dissolved in water which are chemically activated by excessive oxygen through water activity created by rainfall. Rainwater also being hydroscopically active permeates through tissues and surfaces readily. Rainwater unlike tap is highly charged with electricity and combined chemically creates a unique nutrient absorption quality that forces plants to suck it up. Note that when it rains, plants respond to rainwater by getting turgid and standing straight up. Nutrients also flows through the stems carrying needed phosphorus, and other nutrients to initiate flowering.
Many people feel that nepenthes originates from nutrient poor regions. But I beg to differ. I believe that nepenthes originates from nutrient compromised regions. Compromised such that it is present just unavailable until a specific action occurs. Many vegetation from regions of volcanic substrates are accustomed to the processes of nutrient accumulation to lock/unlock necessary nutrients to sustain life. Many of these kinds of nutrient formations are also intricately involved with soil microorganisms from which intensive symbiosis occur.
The availability of nutrients through the root systems also play a significant role in flower induction and development.
These are some of the basic factors which initiates nepenthes to flower.
Now that we can see what makes nepenthes flower in habitat so that all species behaves genetically and physiologically perhaps w can now draw some conclusions.
I will continue to detail what one must do to entertain these premises to encourage nepenthes to flower, next.
M
I have been experimenting with nepenthes nutrition, growing medias and sunlight and have noticed patterns of growth leading to flowering induction of nepenthes.
First let's observe a plant in a natural state, in the wild. While we cannot duplicate this habitat condition perfect for nepenthes, we do see them growing in our care as they would in habitat. A peculiar habit of species is that they are timed to bloom together so that they can produce true species seeds from the process of a timed flowering response. This timed flowering response may be attributed to several factors. Daylength: Some species always bloom when days are short, others bloom prolifically when days are long. The hours per day is a significant feature that triggers flowering in nepenthes. Another factor is light intensity/foot candles: Aside from long or short daylength, the brightness of light and angle from which the sun beats from its horizons also play a role in flowering. Plants responding to these effects always follow intensity as days lengthen or as days deplete. Light quality is also compromised or enhanced as the time would dictate. Spring bloomers bloom at spring because of light becoming brighter-longer duration of time, while fall bloomers, the opposite. Making these parameters clear in your mind will begin photo-periodic flowering response for nepenthes.
Another factor responsible for initiating flowers is rainfall/dry season. For those species coming from Monsoon climates, nepenthes experience annual excess rainfall/prolonged dry periods. Flowering commences on these periods of just prior to a rain session or perhaps during the start of the dry season and hold their seeds until the onset of a rainy season. For these types of wet-dry periods, these are factors to take into consideration upon initiating flowers.
One of the most overlooked flushes for flower initiation is nutrition. The onset of rain/storms contributes to mass solution of nutrients in water. Since water is such a high capacity liquid, the occurrence of dissolved salts, acids, even basic nutrients play an important role for flower induction. For those species frequenting regions where limestone is the basic substrate underlaying acidic media, we find that nutrients dissolved in water which are chemically activated by excessive oxygen through water activity created by rainfall. Rainwater also being hydroscopically active permeates through tissues and surfaces readily. Rainwater unlike tap is highly charged with electricity and combined chemically creates a unique nutrient absorption quality that forces plants to suck it up. Note that when it rains, plants respond to rainwater by getting turgid and standing straight up. Nutrients also flows through the stems carrying needed phosphorus, and other nutrients to initiate flowering.
Many people feel that nepenthes originates from nutrient poor regions. But I beg to differ. I believe that nepenthes originates from nutrient compromised regions. Compromised such that it is present just unavailable until a specific action occurs. Many vegetation from regions of volcanic substrates are accustomed to the processes of nutrient accumulation to lock/unlock necessary nutrients to sustain life. Many of these kinds of nutrient formations are also intricately involved with soil microorganisms from which intensive symbiosis occur.
The availability of nutrients through the root systems also play a significant role in flower induction and development.
These are some of the basic factors which initiates nepenthes to flower.
Now that we can see what makes nepenthes flower in habitat so that all species behaves genetically and physiologically perhaps w can now draw some conclusions.
I will continue to detail what one must do to entertain these premises to encourage nepenthes to flower, next.
M
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