|
Post by rainforest on Mar 20, 2008 7:19:57 GMT -10
This thread will hopefully help those who live in tropical-subtropical climates to grow your plants in the ground. Hopefully shared knowledge of companion planting, what trees-shrubs to use as support plants and what soil amendments to incorporate. This thread will also introduce the benefits of planting nepenthes in public plantings to help reduce insect problems and increase awareness in these fascinating plants. Too often we see plantings of bromeliads and other exotic plantings that actually are detrimental to our environment and while somewhat attractive, they actually house potential breeding sites for mosquitos. In this new era of mosquito transmitted vectors (Bird Flu, Malaria, West Nile, etc.) we must be cautious of what we plant in golf courses, playgrounds, office buildings, shopping malls, schools, airport terminals, and your own garden. There should also be breeding programs to increase nepenthes which are effective mosquito traps with viscous fluids instead of the watery excess pitchers that actually trap and digest mosquitos from adult to egg. Other pests which we can also breed superior plants for are those than can effectively feed on ants, roaches, flies, etc, and who knows, probably a perfect rat trap too!
Michael
Michael
|
|
|
Post by rainforest on Mar 29, 2008 6:30:09 GMT -10
One must consider the consequences when growing nepenthes near shrubbery, trees and other structures. Nepenthes are survivors and will cling and start to grow up/through it. Here is a vining N. ventricosa x sibuyanensis climbing high atop a tangerine tree. Note the sturdy stem and while their pitchers may seem smaller, they are effective traps. The vine is well over twenty feet above the ground. By the looks of the stem, it has gotten a good grasp onto the tree and will soon run out of tree top branches. The result will be a vine that instead of going up, it will scramble across the top of the tree and move around seeking another taller tree or just vine around and around the current tree host. Here is a pitcher from a basal ground shoot. The plant is about five feet away from the tree with just a few branches nearby barely touching this plant. But it didn't take long for the vine to jump onto the branch and start the climb. M
|
|
|
Post by rainforest on Apr 13, 2008 9:15:45 GMT -10
Some of the considerations in creating a garden setting is to know how things will grow out as they get into their surroundings. While planted nepenthes in the ground can get large, potted and basket specimens also grow quickly making a tangled mass of stems, pitchers and eventually flowers. This setting while appearing nice soon became overrun with vines that had a mind of their own. The planting of vines up a trellis is good if each plant had their own trellis separated from any other vines. M
|
|