Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 11:05:40 -0800 (PST) From: Andrew Marshall <andrewm@eskimo.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3449$foo@default> Subject: droppings as food for Nepenthes
Hi All,
I keep frogs and chameleons (among other creatures) in my
greenhouse, loose and wild. They frequently defecate on the leaves and
even in the traps. Also in the pots. The frogs like to live in the
traps, coming out at night to scavange the loose crickets that escaped
from the feeding bowls. I have never encountered any problems with the
plants reacting badly to the extra bit of nutrients they might get this
way. In fact the orchids I have growing in there positivly love the
stuff. They are rarely out of bloom.
As with everything though, I am sure it can be over done, and
there is a big difference between a terrarium and a greenhouse. Feeding
the Nepenthes traps with frog droppings may not hurt the plants at all, or
it may only shorten the life of the traps. At worst it may accelerate
growth and reduce trap production completely. I have seen Nepenthes that
were fed orchid fertilizer, as if they were orchids being forced to bloom.
These plants were extremely long, very leafy, but had no traps at all. I
had to cut them to the ground, water them like crazy and not feed at all.
It took several feet of new growth before traps began to appear again.
F.W.I.W.
Andrew
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