Ampullaria x Sibuyanensis: Tried and tested under terrarium lighting and heat

[funkychips]

Hi all,

I just want to share my growing experience on BE's ampullaria x sibuyanensis hybrid, which I gotten earlier this year (probably in February or March). Surprisingly for a plant containing sibuyanensis parentage, it's proven to be readily adaptable to high levels of light and heat (PLL source - 2 x 55W), although at night it is exposed to temperatures of about 20 degrees C.

The entire pot is also placed in 1 inch of water in a microwave container. The main portion of the medium is actually not sphagnum moss but Singapore moss (Vesicularia dubyana)and cocochips so the mix is presumably porous and will not retain excess water in it.


This is when I first got the plant.


About two months after arrival, older leaves are constantly becoming spotty and yellowish but pitchers remain without browning.


Current appearance of the plant. Spotting has reduced significantly and the pitchers have gotten larger. I find that pitchers that form with their bases supported on the cushion of moss tend to get tubbier than those hanging off the side of the pot.


I think this is a must-try for anyone who wants a compact plant with lots of long lasting pitchers. It has similar requirements and adaptive qualities to the 'Gardentech' but in terms of compactness and ease of pitchering it's on the top of my favourites list. :D


Alvin

[LJ_Tan]

Thank for sharing.

[piscesilim]

Alvin. Your moss is not Singapore moss. I am not sure what it is. But look more close to Fissiden.

[NepNut]

Thanks for sharing Alvin, got to love those vivid red pitcher.

From my own experience, I found N. ampullaria x ventricosa aka N. x Singapoer Gardentech to be a faster grower compare to N. ampullaria x sibuyanensis.

[funkychips]

Lim, thanks for the ID! Edmund once told me the ID also but forgotten it.

Nepnut: Thanks! Yes, I believe it is more difficult to grow it outdoors compared to N. x Singapore Gardentech. It started out as another random red pitchered plant that I bought to try in my terrarium, as ampullarias have taken well to the conditions within.

Thanks for viewing Tan!

Alvin

[kevyn chan]

slow grower is very obvious....another important noticeable feature is the green patches/spots between the wings.....would it be entirely red when the pitchers/plant grew older? anyone has a mature plant pic to share? Or everyone has the same batch of plant? i've got mine from Fauzy....so i believed its a tc clone from BE

[marvin1997]

Yea mine is from Fauzi as well. So they can grow on the moss with no ill effects?

[funkychips]

Yeah Kevyn and Marvin the plant is from Fauzi. Kevyn, I think the hybrid parent for ampullaria belongs to the 'Brunei Red' variety, hence the green streaks between the wings. I have one BE clone that looks so much like the amp x sibu. Same goes for the Gardentech. They might have used the same standard clone for many of the crosses. Would be interesting to see if it turns out to be fully red when mature.

Here's the latest update picture, the latest pitcher is at the right hand bottom. The 'Brunei Red' amp is the lowest pitcher at the bottom of pic.



This is the Gardentech with 3rd pitcher getting a little more reddish. Again notice the similarities between the two.



Marvin, so far it grows fine in the medium. It's the Fissiden moss that helps alot in providing more air spaces in the medium compared to LFS which keeps expanding and absorbing water. The cocochips also act like sponges to provide water when the water tray is dried out.

Alvin