Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 08:52:32 -0500 (EST) From: Perry Malouf <pmalouf@access.digex.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg342$foo@default> Subject: Re: Madagascariensis and then some
Brandon wrote:
> ....The roots of the N. mad (potted in a rather dense
> ball of sphagnum) were coiled around the bottom of the pot. The N.
> sang. roots, on the other hand, (which had a lighter soil - w/ some
> perlite, sand, and vermiculite I think) only went about an inch into the
> soil. The mirabilis had roots about out to the edges of it's pot
> (again, in the lighter soil mix)
> Is it time to repot any of these - Especially the N. mad?
There are as many philosophies of repotting as there are hobbyists.
Here are a few of my observations. First, I've had Nepenthes do okay
for a couple of years when the potting medium was densely packed with
roots. Might they have done better if they had been repotted sooner?
I don't know. But repotting such a dense root ball is difficult if
you have to remove the old potting media; removing the old media will
involve breaking up that tight root ball and damage to the finer roots is
unavoidable even when you're careful.
Repotting is called for when the old potting media is going bad.
Even when the media is still good, repotting is a good idea if the
plant is sucking the media dry fairly quickly. This means that the
plant is trying to grow; those roots are pulling as much water out of
the (small) pot as they can, so you notice the media going dry sooner.
> Has anyone else seen this kind of difference with regard to root
> development and soil type - or is it more likely a species difference?
Off hand I'd say it's a species difference. I keep all my neps in the same
potting media. There are extreme differences in root production from one
species (and hybrid) to the next.
Regards,
Perry Malouf
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