Date: Wed, 21 May 97 17:47 EDT From: dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2020$foo@default> Subject: Re: Heliamphora Heterodoxa
> From: "kamikaze" <011114@HILLSTRATH.ON.CA>
>
> I have a H. heterodoxa here that was planted in 1992...its 5 years
> old and it still steadfastly refuses to produce adult pitchers. Any
> suggestions from anyone? Should have matured by now.
I was having the same problem with a hybrid, H.nutans * H.ionasi,
which I got during the first CP con at ABG a couple years ago. I
had only tried Heliamphora once or twice and they would die. After
seeing a slide show on their cultivation, I could a least keep this
one new alive, but no adult pitchers or a real increase in the size
of the plant. (BTW, I had been told that this clone is reluctant
to make mature leaves.) It seems that in their natural environment,
Heliamphora get great amounts of rain, everyday, as well as lots of
mist which diffuses the very bright sun. Something like two to four
inches a day (experts, please correct me if this is off) so the plants
are (to my thinking, anyway) growing in hydroponic-like conditions.
The most important factors are to make the humidity and lighting high
for these plants, and the plants should be top watered so the water
flows by the roots and the soil is refreshed and the water in the trays
should be changed often to keep down the growth of fungus. Avoid 100%
humidity during the day, but while Nepenthes like 70-80%, Heliamphora
like even more, probably 80-95% during the day. Finally, after re-doing
my Heliamphora setup to make condition like these, are they growing
(and quickly too) and producing adult pitchers. The hybrid mentioned
above still hasn't made adult pitchers, but they are (now) still
increasing in size and I have some young leaves that are getting on
four inches long.
> I have the same
> problem with my S. purpurea ssp. purpurea. The plant is producing
> large pitchers (4.5" tall and 2" wide) and since it was just donated
> to me by a friend (got it in a nursery somewhere and gave it to me as
> a gift), I have no clue how old it is. Since the plant is producing
> mature pitchers, I am assuming that it is of flowering age. But it
> hasn't flowered yet...are S. purpureas late or early bloomers? Any
> chance that I can see the beautiful flowers this year?
If it growing for the season, then probably not. The last thing
Sarracenia do before shutting down completely for the winter is
to grow a flower bud. It stays protected at the growth tip,
covered by scale like leaves. The first thing the plants do when
they resume growth in the spring is to send up the waiting flower,
if present. Sometimes, if it warms too much after they have set
their flower buds, Sarracenia can flower in the fall. (up here
when it gets this warm, esp. when later on in the fall, we call
it Indian Summer).
> Oh also, I was just wondering wether hybrids of Heliamphora exist?
Yes.
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