Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 09:56:40 PDT From: "Trent Meeks" <flaneps@hotmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1662$foo@default> Subject: Aliflor and N. merriliana
>I am using a product called Aliflor with N. merrilliana. I am happy >>with
>the
>growth rate. I have checked the bag that the Aliflor comes in as it >has
>the
chemical symbols on the make up of the product. I couldn't find what some
of
the
compounds are but it is over 50% silicon dioxide. Another major portion is
ferric oxide, which by color as I guessed is a iron based compound. >The
products
pH is neutral. My mix is over 60% Aliflor, 30% Phalaeaenopsis mix, the rest
is
Osmunda fibers and long fiber sphagnum. Growth has been fair to very good.
I
had many of these plants inside a grow room over the winter. In the
controlled
environment they did excellent under lights all growing vigorously and
pitchering very well. Upon bringing them back outdoors as expected the
leaves
scorched due to sunburn and the pitchers dried, however as the climate has
moistened up they are again showing lots of vigor and developing pitchers
while
leaves retain a deep maroon color. I have found this species similar to N.
belli
>in requiring constant high humidity. Fluctuations causing loss of
> >>>pitchers. More
>so than some of the other high humidity species such as N. rafflesiana >or
>N.
>ampullaria (lowland species).
I know I'm a little late on this, but I agree with Mike on the "how to"
methods with N. merrilliana. I grow mine dryer than other Neps too, and it
seems to be happy. Aliflor is a part of my Nep mix now, along with pumice,
fir bark (seedling grade), peat, and even a little sphagnum moss. I put
merrilliana in a heavy aliflor mix, as well as N. merrilliata, and they are
finally putting on some size. N. truncata also likes conditions a little on
the dry side, which seems to be a trait of Nepenthes from the red hills of
Mindanao. What's ironic is even though they are grown drier at the roots, I
also find merrilliana to be very picky about relative humidity, along with
N. northiana. I find these two species will go into shock if the humidity
drops, and combine that with cool weather, as when a cold front moves thru
Florida, and it could be the kiss of death. Since these two species grow to
be large, along with other humidity touchy species like the giant raffs and
bicalcarata, greenhouse cultivation seems the only practical solution.
My two cents, IMHO.
Trent Meeks
Pompano Beach, florida
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:35:09 PST