Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 15:28:43 -0400 (EDT) From: Perry Malouf <pmalouf@access.digex.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2188$foo@default> Subject: Re: n. alata roots
Adwait Kulkarni wrote:
> ...I have yet to see the roots of a nepenthes... I am unclear
> on certain things....the plant have 4-5 1mm long black protrusions
> (they look a little like VFT roots except smaller). Are these roots
> or are they something else?.... Please let me know wether I should
> treat the plant as an unrooted cutting...
>From your description, I surmise that this is a cutting which has
barely begun to root. I myself like the cuttings to be more
well-established before I send them out as "rooted cuttings".
The larger roots of a well-established Nepenthes are woody and not
too thick, with a brown color. The smaller roots appear long,
thin, fragile and are black in color. The tips of the latter have
a light colored conical growth tip which is hard to see because
of its small size.
It seems that your plant has just started to root and is quite
fragile right now. It should be treated with care. Gently
pot it up in a sphagnum/perlite mix (1:1 by volume), water
it in, then put it in a clear plastic tent under bright
fluorescents being careful that the plant does not get
too hot under the lights. When it is more stable, it
will evidence some new growth.
I've used Superthrive (which contains a rooting hormone) on
such cuttings, but I haven't experimented enough to provide
statistically meaningful results on the treatment.
Regards,
Perry Malouf
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