QuestionQUESTION: I got the N.Bicalcarata and N.Ampularia that I ordered from you a couple days ago things are going fine for now they look pretty good my question is I'm keeping them at a windowsill the humidity stays around low 43% to high 66% and the temp. Low 75 F and High 84 F will this be fine for the N.Bicalcarata and N.Ampularia also I don't plan to repot any time soon, but I'd like to use the same media for the two neps coco-chips and LFS I have enough LFS, but I'm not sure what brand of the coco-chips to get or where to get and should I wash the coco chips incase there's some salt on it?
I plant to get a compact florescent light bulb soon for days that are cloudy and in the winter eventually I'm making a shelf for my neps to grow on when I do I'll get a shoplight for it would T12 lights be fine?
I know these plants get big so I eventually will build a nice greenhouse big enough for the N.bicalcarata to grow alot.
Thanks alot for the help.
ANSWER: Hi Nicole,
Everything sounds good. You may need to just do an internet search if you don't have any garden centers locally that carry the chips. They will usually be with orchid supplies. If you just rinse them thoroughly with water that should eliminate any salt. The chips seen to have less of an issue with this than coir does.
T-12 lights should be fine. N. bicalcurata and N. ampullaria are true jungle plants being a bit more shade tolerant than many other species. Recently an episode of Orangutan Island on Animal planet showed how Orangutans sometimes drink from Nepenthes pitchers, and the plant they showed was N. ampullaria. It was growing in some moss on the forest floor.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I did do some searching on information online and on forums and I've read that nepenthes bicalcarata like their media more moist then other nepenthes the forum I got this from has the mix of the media as equal parts peat/perlite/vermiculite/lfs does this sound like a ok for this?
Should I repot the two plants now or wait I have a few 6 inch pots are these big enough?
I know T12 are fine, but right now I can only use a CFL for them what type of one should I look for so far I can't find much except just energy saver ones like 9 watts on the package it says equivalent to a 40W incandescent bulbs..
AnswerHi Nicole,
N. bicalcurata is definitely more bog-like than most Nepenthes, so this mix is fine. I've used standard cp mix with them also and had good results although the mix you're describing will have better drainage.
You can transplant them whenever you're ready to. Unless they are already overgrown in the 4" pots they'll be fine if you transplant them now or wait awhile. A six inch pot will be good for several years.
The CFL's should be fine. Both of those Nepenthes are used to lower light than many of their highland cousins.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
