Ask Rainforest

[boris]

Christian Klein made two hybrids with adnata. adnata x "globosa" and adnata x muluensis.
Here are some fotos of my two adnata x muluensis

[philgreen]

Chris has also made mira x adnata. I've got 4 of em

[mikuláš]

Michael- Not to be persnickety, but according to this thread you did try hybridizing with adnata:
lhnn.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=outdoor&thread=2574&page=1
Of course, given the hundreds and hundreds of plants you grow, I think it'd be easy to forget a tiny detail like that

Given that several hybrids are mentioned in this thread (and a search turned up a pic of suska's adnata x ampullaria), my worries that adnata couldn't (for some obscure genetic reason) hybridize well with others has been laid to rest. IMHO, it's a shame this plant hasn't enjoyed greater popularity, or been used to make more hybrids. To me, one of the greatest strengths of adnata as a parent is that it's small but still colorful. I would dare say that there are a lot more growers out there with a just a few square feet of growing space than there are growers with greenhouses, so small-growing hybrids could be attractive to a large market....

[rainforest]

This may have been from a seedling lot which I don't recall. It must have been seeds sent from some one and after flowering, probably male and pollen used and sent away failed. I have discarded many items from record before ever entering them. It probably was in a community flat and it didn't go anywhere. I have had thorelii x truncata sent from growers in Japan, to very oddball crosses which I usually try and send away rather than keep myself.
Someone recently asked if I have a rafflesiana x ventricosa and while I can't answer this right off the to I do believe the cross sounds familiar.
I used to keep my collection in benches of one common parent, f.ex. N. maxima and hybrids with maxima, but this has been more confusing than not. I do try and monitor a sibuyanensis area since hybrids are so distinct and different looking.

M

[mikuláš]

Hi Michael,

While browsing through an old thread on another forum

pitcherplants.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=753&page=2

I found this post where you pictured some of your biggest, most outrageously well-grown plants (or so I gather...) -- giant alatas, coccineas, maximas, and so forth. Unfortunately, those pictures are long wiped from the server, but I was wondering if I could persuade you to re-post some of them here, or in a new thread -- if you still have them, of course. If not, that's fine -- I just thought it was worth a shot in asking. And what better to brighten a cold, Mid-Western winter than pictures of giant Nepenthes?

[rainforest]

Take a look at Leilani's jungle of plants. Unfortunately I have removed those photos from that site to eliminate myself from TPPF, who at the time was turning into the Euro-Nazi of not allowing anyone other than a big fat grower say and post their findings as the ultimate fact and everyone less than were removed. I disliked having my ideas, thoughts and beliefs removed and wiped off the screen because it didn't agree with (at the time Robert Cantley who was jealous about all the positive postings on hybridizing and fertilizing nepenthes. How he had done many blind experiments (I believe he meant one sided and swayed how the results would end up so whatever he said would be the correct answer) and discovered that fertilized plants did the worst of all three experiments to include non-fertilized plants, fertilized at the weakest strength at 1/4 and just insect fed plants and his results was where the insect fed plants did the best, second to non-fertilized plants and then lastly with the death results were the fertilized plants at 1/4 strength liquid fertilizers.
Oh what a blasphemous pile of crock! Any way, my postings were not of the "opinion" of BE's findings so my evidence, photos and the like was removed. That is when I did my wholesale removal of all photos, information and data on any subject I posted. This is not happening here even with the new neo nazi's of not having to contend with their beliefs and ideas.

I am doing a lot of major pruning, trimming and reorganization now. perhaps as these vines restart as cuttings or ground shoots I will begin again to post and show what's new at the other end of the world!

M

[rainforest]

There have been many agendas being targeted at growing more seed original species from seed to seed levels. More smaller, private growers are growing seed grown originals at an alarming rate that in the best interest of sellers of nepenthes species, seed originals are the preferred method of plant forms.

This desired level of seed originals is largely due to the ever growing demand for seed originals and non-sales of tc'd plants. What we will begin to see is the lowering of prices of tc'd clones (let them, it still won't be an attractive investment) as tc'd clones in the end are usually not productive, produce aberrant deviations and alter genetic mutations within. Having variegated N. rajahs may be a desired collector's acquisition but no less compromises the genetic make up of this species. Would you breed a N. rajah that may pass variegation onto its progeny?

Many of the current tc'd species around has shown some variation of sorts. AW's N. clipeata has produced aberrant leaves from time to time and while they may be viewed as a cultural defect, the defect is much more inherent than visual leaf underdevelopment.

BE's Highland truncata (tc'd clones of which I believe there is just four clones available) show much regress in leaf development. Being very slow growing with leaf development variations ranging from distended spur development to inverted tendril positioning. I had the opportunity to have one flower but the spike consisted of three female flowers, somewhat oversized on a long spike. It has produced another spike with the same defect as original. Of course you can blame it on cultural conditions but are these defects really cultural?

M

[mikuláš]

Hi Michael,

I thought I remembered reading somewhere (can't find the thread) that among the many highland plants that you grow (or grew) outdoors, you did grow some rajahs. I was curious what your experience with them was/is -- nice pitchers? plants grew well? I ask because you've succeeded growing a lot of highland plants in not-so-highland conditions, and I was wondering how rajah fared in those conditions -- I have no crazy illusions about growing rajah as a lowlander, but instead was just curious about how it did in your specific conditions.
Thanks!

[rainforest]

N. rajahs need cold, at least colder nights. My stock was sent away to places where they would grow naturally without artificial intervention.

M

[gmart]

I read a post on decreasing leaf size, the other day on another forum, and the general consensus was that the plant being a highlander was grown too warm. Someone stated in their post that the reason for this is the plant basically grows its self to death because there is no cooling/resting period, is this true? If this is true couldn't one in theory just increase light and fertilize more heavily and keep the plant alive and well?

[hegory]

Hey Boris, what plant do you have for your avatar? It is amazing.

[kevnep]

thats a lowii x truncata

[hegory]

It's just that I have never seen coloring like that in a Lowii x Truncata.

[kevnep]

that plant is exceptional. i really want a cutting of it

[hegory]

Me Too!!! but first I would need room for it!