N. Smilesii

[kevyn chan]

Hi all,

anyone has N. smilesii from BE? how is the cultivation like?

please share, mine is still stunted and haven't grown much after i've got it months back....

[alpiner]

From the photos, N. Smilesii looks a lot like N. Thorelii from Neofarm. Can somebody educate the key difference of the two? Thx.

[SirKristoff]

alpiner - that is because the plant offered by neofarm is one of the indochinese species, possibly smilesii, or a hybrid of it....
the true thorelii is not in cultivation... atleast not widespread if it is....

[marcellocatalano]

Alpiner, see if this helps:
http://www.marcellocatalano.com/indochina.html

Kevyn, is N. smilesii the only species that you're having problems with? Do you have a picture? If you know the plant's code, we can also know its origin, if it was from seed or if it was a clone (you can ask the code to your seller)... BE clones are selected for their vigour, while if it's a plant from seed you might have had some bad luck finding a weak individual... N. smilesii is a notoriously easy species to grow...

[rhodelta]

I have this species for almost 6months already. It is a vigorous plant for me and has already basal growth almost the same on its mother plant. Planning to separate the plant anytime this week. My plant id is N. smilesii BE3316 clone.

Cheers,
Arnel

[marcellocatalano]

Originally Posted by rhodelta

I have this species for almost 6months already. It is a vigorous plant for me and has already basal growth almost the same on its mother plant. Planning to separate the plant anytime this week. My plant id is N. smilesii BE3316 clone.

good! As you see here: http://www.marcellocatalano.com/smilesii.htm
BE3316 is a batch of plants from seed and also clones... it's the one from Phu Kradung, Thailand!

[kevyn chan]

hi all,

yes, mine is from the Phu Kradung batch but what is the media used to pot it? i have changed its lighting condition from fully shaded to shaded 50% and then to shaded 30% and even afternoon direct sun for 1 hour but it wouldn't grow much. the next thing that i will do is to change its potting media. currently using dead shagnum moss with charcoal bits...and again yes, i am only having problem with this one at this moment.

what is your recommendation?

[marcellocatalano]

the only problem that comes to mind is that maybe you have too high temperatures. This species is intermediate (around 1000 m, the plants from Phu Kradung grow at 1300 m), but it will also tolerate moderate lowland conditions. Many growers in Europe grow it in lowland conditions, but - for example - Thai growers have problems to grow this species in TROPICAL lowland conditions (which means sometimes just TOO lowland, too hot). I grew it in peat and perlite and even in straight sand, keeping it barely damp, it never gave me problems. It also tolerates quite a low humidity. Plants in the wild grow best in full sun for most part of the day, as most Nepenthes species. If you have a picture of your plant, maybe it could be easier to see what's going wrong.

[kevyn chan]

Now it had been warm and scorching hot weather for a few good months...my n. smilesii is not in its "prime condition"...pic attached here shows "over watering" symptom but the leaf will eventually pitchers and at the same time the oldest leaf dies off....making it looks like as if it never grows at all.... the closest pots are mirabilis, viking, ventricosa x northiana, hirsuta, bellii and they are growing well. what could have went wrong?