Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 23:02:31 +0800 (MYT) From: nepenth@pc.jaring.my To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4440$foo@default> Subject: Re:Nep. soil and dolphins
Trent wrote:
>I'm convinced the reason most of the hard to grow species are so difficult is
>because of soil. Check out N. merrilliana, petiolata and northiana. Our
>traditional mixes just are not what they like. Anyone know about that "iron
>-magnesium" soil found in the red hills on northern Mindinao? A lot of
>Nepenthes grow in this area.
The northeast coast of Mindanao is subject to a moderate dry season in the
middle of the year - this may be why N. merrilliana rots so easily in
cultivation when kept wet. I find it best to allow this species to dry out well
between waterings.
>How about those limestone hills near Bau, Sarawak? I'm told N.
>northiana, albomarginata and maxima all grow here. What is unique about
>the soil?
Though Sarawak receives much more rainfall than Mindanao, the limestone hills
are unusually well drained due to the porous rock and thus can be quite dry at
times, especially on the open cliff-faces which N. northiana favours. Perhaps
cultivation of this species does not require limestone rock so much as it does a
very well drained and frequently dry media. Contrary to what is described by
Jebb & Cheek, N. northiana only rarely grows near "permanent water seepages". I
have seen N. northiana *occasionally* growing on steep shale slopes as well,
indicating that it is not entirely dependent upon limestone.
Incidentally, N. maxima does not occur in Bau, and arguably not anywhere else in
Sarawak for that matter.
Ch'ien Lee
Kuching, Sarawak
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