Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 21:52:52 -0400 From: "Richard Brown" <esoft@ix.netcom.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2836$foo@default> Subject: Re:N Ampullaria
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>I FINALLY got my foot wide ampullaria colony from SE Asia...I planted it in
a 6" pot with a peat >moss, perlite mix.
Wow! That's impressive! Be careful underpotting ampullaria. I find it likes
lots of pot space. All of my "mature" plants are in ten inch and up pots.
Amps love to sprawl.
>Does anyone know when it will start to grow? Is this a fast grower and how
many pitchers does it >produce in a months time?
I have six different mature plants of ampullaria and I find they tend to be
slow growers, even though some seem slower than others and one plant I have
is exceptionally fast. Transplant shock takes about two months of recovery
time, and don't expect pitchers until the plant is happily established.
Again, how often is unpredictable. They may be produced on every leaf or not
at all. There is an ampullaria at Fairchild Tropical Gardens that has no
pitchers on the vine, but produces multiple little ground shoot pitchers.
Most likely this is because of too much fertilizer.
>better in shade or bright light?
Bright shade. They like it a bit shadier than most Neps. For orchid growers,
grow N. ampullaria at a bright Phalaenopsis light level. Look for bright
green leaves-a bit of a yellow cast-not dark green and lush. They LOVE hot
and muggy. At this time of the year, when my highlanders are hurting, the
amps and bicalcarata are happiest. Mine get 65-85 percent humidity all day
long and 90 F high during the day and about 78 F low for the night. However,
I find them to be very tolerant of cool nights-- more so than N rafflesiana,
gracilis, or bicalcarata They also like more water than most of the other
Nepenthes. Give then lots of water that runs through the pot, and at 90 F
temp., do this every day. Never allow water to sit and stagnate- flush out
the pot. Keep it fresh and aerated.
Good luck with your specimen plant!
Until later,
Trent Meeks
Pompano Beach, Florida
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