Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 20:46:02 -0700 From: "Andrew Marshall" <andrewm@olywa.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2181$foo@default> Subject: N. northiana
Hi Folks,
I have at one time had the 'luxury' of having three N. northiana to
'play' with. I found that there were things not to add to the mix, things
it didn't matter if you did or didn't and things certainly to add.
Fir bark is the prefered base for all my Nepenthes mixes. I vary the
size for the plants by purchasing the 'fine' grade and sifting it a bit for
a 'seedling' mix.
Peat, especially old, and in chunk form rather then powdered form is my
prefered second ingrediant for all Nepenthes mixes.
Perlite is the third component. The ratios are 2:2:1
With the N. northianas I had, I had one, believing the idea that they
grew on limestone cliffs, in a mix of perlite, vermiculite with some
powdered limestone added. It did get the plant moving for a little while,
but then it began to show signs of stress and wilting so I reverted it back
to the standard mix. Good thing to as the vermiculite had collapsed and
would have rotted the roots off.
Another I had in a peat sand mix, it also didn't do well. Too wet.
The best plant grew steadily in my standard mix.
Lighting for all was rather shaded, as for an N. ampullaria. To little
light I think, reflecting back now. The plants grew slowly larger, but
rarely trapped.
Temperatures. I second what Jeff Shafer has already said. I noticed
that while it is listed as a lowlander, it doesn't really grow well as one.
If grown as a highlander though, it also doesn't fare well. In either case
it is slow and doesn't trap. Sometimes it will stall for months before
moving again. The best times were during the spring/autumn, when though
they grew in the lowland enclosure, they had a temperature drop which they
didn't get during the summer, and it didn't get too cold as it did in
winter.
I found that if they were happy, they would produce much larger leaves
each time they did actually produce them. I could tell when they were going
down though as they would produce smaller leaves, or just stop all together.
I think the important parts of growing this plant, as I have learned are
drainage, correct temperature and more light then one would give an N.
ampullaria for certain. They didn't like the full amunt given to the other
Nepenthes though, but seemed to like at least some shade. THis has been
mentioned already by several people but is worth repeating.
I didn't feed mine as foliar feeding didn't have any effects and there
were so few traps that it also didn't seem to affect things when I did stuff
a bug in there.
Hope this helps
Andrew
>------------------------------
>
>Topic No. 6
>
>Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 19:00:44 -0600
>From: shafer@sammy.Colorado.EDU
>To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
>Subject: Re: N.northiana
>Message-ID: <9906150100.AA17996@sammy.Colorado.EDU>
>
>Hi Tony,
>
>My experience with N. northiana suggests that it will grow well in a
>mix of charcoal and peat, in the approximate ratio 2:1. However,
>more critical than this, I believe are the species' environmental
conditions.
>My plants do best with moderate light (supplied by 4 4 foot long
fluorescent
>tubes), and temps between 70 and 85 F. Temps significantly higher or lower
>than this seem to retard growth, or it may simply be that this plant
>likes a very restricted temperature range.
>
>In any case, under these conditions, I have been relatively successful with
>this plant. Beware, however, of root disturbances, to which this species
>seems highly sensitive. I recommend using large pots even for small
specimens,
>thereby enabling one to avoid repotting the plants for as long as possible.
>I also feed mine small insects, which I believe has greatly accelerated
their
>growth.
>
>Best wishes,
>Jeff Shafer
>
>P.S. I really enjoyed your book!
>
No. 9
>
>Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 14:08:13 +0200
>From: Catalano Marcello <catalano@internode.it>
>To: "'cp@opus.hpl.hp.com'" <cp@opus.hpl.hp.com>
>Subject: N. northiana
>Message-ID: <01BEB738.822B9B20@ip063.pool-32.flashnet.it>
>
>I have my plants since more or less six months. They come from
>Andreas Wistuba. They grow slowly, but more or less normally for a
>nepenthes. The dimension is increasing, as every time a trap opens,
>I put inside a small piece of raw meat (trick that I use with all my
>neps). I have it in 50% sand and 50% peat pellets. I think it had
>a shock from superthrive and for a period it started to produce
>leaves with a burned tip.
>
>I've also seen that usually a compost containg lime is suggested. I
>think it's not the right way to follow its natural habitat. It
>lives in a dense substratum of peat on these limestone cliffs, so I
>think nothing to do with the lime under the peat. I used for some
>weeks, when I had just received this plant, a compost with expanded
>clay, without knowing that it contained lime. The N. northiana
>started to produce smaller, deform, burned leaves as the other
>plants that I stupidly putted in this same compost. Then I placed
>it in peat pellets/sand and it went on in the right way.
>
>Johannes Marabini wrote in his webpage that this plant require a
>really good drainage, and mine has it. And it also requires some
>shade. Well, I grew this plant for many months very near my lamps
>and it was doing fine, but now I suspect that the fact that it was
>producing pitchers only every one or two leaves is due also to the
>excessive light, and I moved it in a more shaded place of my
>terrarium.
>
>Sometimes my suspect is that the compost is too acid. The lime is
>not ok, but also the peat pellets are too "strong". D'amato
>suggests vermiculite-pomice-sand-perlite. But now I don't want to
>change anymore for a long time. I just would like to know if
>usually when a northiana grows like mine (a pitcher yes and two no -
>also if always bigger) it's because of the wrong compost.
>
>Opinions from nepenthophiles?
>
>Marcello Catalano
>
>------------------------------
>
>Topic No. 10
>
>Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 14:33:49 +0200
>From: "Andreas Wistuba" <andreas@wistuba.com>
>To: Catalano Marcello <catalano@internode.it>, cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
>Subject: Re: N. northiana
>Message-ID: <199906151242.FAA17729@hplms26.hpl.hp.com>
>
>On 15 Jun 99, at 5:24, Catalano Marcello wrote:
>
>> I have my plants since more or less six months. They come from
>> Andreas Wistuba.
>
>Nice to read :-)
>
>Under my conditions I do not make any special arrangements for N.
>northiana. However, as with many other Nepenthes I observed that
>though the root system is not that expanded, bigger pots mean bigger
>plants - this might be related to a need of good drainage.
>
>I grow my plants (in fact all my Nepenthes and Heliamphora!) in:
>
>1 part high quality peat (Flora-brand)
>1 part clay-beads as used for hydroponics 3mm grain Lecaton brand
>1 part Styrofoam beads "Styropor"
>
>for bigger plants I add cork-pieces.
>
>Bye and good growing
>
>Andreas
>
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