Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 13:22:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Perry Malouf <pmalouf@access.digex.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2092$foo@default> Subject: Re: Nepenthes soil
Johannes Marabini wrote:
> I believe, that Nepenthes like a more neutral pH. Most of the soils,
> where you can find Nepenthes are washed out by heavy rain and
> therefore pure in nitrogen.
This is very interesting to me. What is meant by "pure in nitrogen"?
Does it mean "almost no nitrogen present"? I assume so since it is
consistent with "soils....washed out by heavy rain...".
I am curious if you actually measured the pH of the soils in Nepenthes
habitats. It's something I've wanted to do. What makes you believe
that Nepenthes like a more neutral pH?
It seems to me that the presence of decaying matter in the soil
would tend to push the pH toward the acidic side. The places where
I saw the plants growing had an abundance of decaying matter on top
of and mixed in with the upper layer of soil.
This is especially interesting since the soil you use for your plants
is more on the neutral side and the plants grow nicely. A few growers
I know have found that Nepenthes (especially some of the Kinabalu
highlanders) seem to like the soil mix on the acidic side. That is one
reason why they apply peat tea to the growing media--it reduces the
pH and also adds tannins. And the plants have been observed to respond
well to this.
Maybe Nepenthes aren't as fussy as we think. :-)
Regards,
Perry Malouf
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