Nepenthes Database Project

[arvin555]

Wow this is great David! Thanks to everyone who pushed on and made this happen. I am hoping that this database will be the most comprehensive database of them all, with the help of everyone (specially the members).

I quickly went to the database but couldn't find any way to add any info... My comments and suggestions as follows:

1. How do members offer added information?
2. I know I am pushy but when can we have pure species database? hehehe! I was surprised that you guys kicked off with Hybrids.

3. I am not sure if possible, of course it is, with the tech guys who made this possible... but I wonder... in order to avoid too much clutter in the database, can we put a link to a special cultivation forum topic to the forum, this way everyone can enter their cultivation practices and we just get the most popular and put it in the database? We have discussed this before when you first thought of the database, a way to make a "poll" of what cultivation parameters do each of the members use, so that we can determine a consensus or majority and that is what is posted in the database... would this work?

TTFN
Arvin

[TranMinh]

Great Idea !

[David]

Thank you for your comments and queries arvin.

There are still "bugs" that needs to be cleared out in this database but we will have to do it as we go along and when the Tech Admin is free to do it... He's a very busy guy.

Or, to answer your questions:

All members should be able to see a button "Add New Hybrid" on the database page. It is located on the top left of the page.

At the moment members cannot amend the info that is already in the system. You'll need to ask a database moderator to change that. we're working on that issue. You can key in new data but your data needs to be approved by a database moderator before it is shown on the database.

The pure species databse will be set up later when we've clean out all "bugs" and issues in this hybrid database. So, please fill free to test thsi database and key in information. I noticed no one has keyed in anything. Also, I need to know from all the database moderators whether you guys can amend, approve etc. stuff on the database. If you can't please let me know.

To avoid clutter on the database, the database moderators are there to make sure double entries are deleted etc. but I think we can discuss on the forum the cultivation practices and have poll carried out before the info are keyed into the database. I think it is not necessary to have a link to the threads in the forum form the database.

Appreciate it if members can try out the database. Tks

[arvin555]

David,

Sorry Nope I don't see the button myself, if only to try to see the interface, but I don't see it. I see my user name in the upper left area it is under the Search box for Google. But no add button.

David may I suggest we start the Nepenthes cultivation sub forum in the nepenthes page? And Maybe in that sub forum, 2 more sub forums, Species and Hybrids?

The reason why in my opinion it is a good idea to put this in forum mode, so that those that view the database will be able to get more inputs and options in the forum... for example, most popular potting mix... coco chips, but if it is not easy to get in the US, someone would want to check what is the next best thing... etc. etc.. and that would be good to be checked in the forum already and not the database.

Sorry I am more excited about this than you... if that is possible hehehe!

TTFN
Arvin

[David]

Ok, will check on the button.

At this moment I think a designated thread for both Nepenthes hybrid and species at the Nepenthes boards is sufficient. I do not want to clutter the boards with too many sub boards.

The database is meant as a summary of cultivation info and basic info about each species/hybrid and it is a summary of all the discussions on the forum. It would be a repeat if we create a subboard for this. It will confuse people on what the Nepenthes board and Nepenthes Hybrid/Species boards are for.

We can have threads of the differnet discussions on the cultivation of species/hybrids in the Nepenthes board itself.

[marvin1997]

I always hope that PP would have something like that!

[arvin555]

David, clarification request So you will be making a new Sub board amongst:

Nepenthes ID Corner
Nepenthes Propagation
Nepenthes Of Peninsular Malaysia
Nepenthes Of Borneo (1 Viewing)
Nepenthes From Other Countries (2 Viewing)

So maybe just add Nepenthes Cultivation?

Or did you mean we just start posting in the Nepenthes (general) board?

I feel that if we just postd in the general board, the cultivation topic will be lost, specially when new topics comes out? Or would you like us to start the topics and if it gets cluttered already admins will just transfer them?

I really feel that the start should be in the forum first before the database.

I know we have discussed this somewhere, I'll to a search for that topic.

TTFN
Arvin

[arvin555]

I was just wondering... as there are many nepenthes species with varied watering, lighting needs. I wonder if we can come up with our own Petpitcher standards for Watering and Lighting needs.

For example as of now, we would only say to a nepenthes cultivation guide entry:

N. veitchii - water once a day

or something we say something about water tray.

And for Lighting needs we say... full sun or partial shade.

However full sun for one might not defined the same way as another person, that is why sometimes I even ask where the person is located, because there can be difference in terms of daylight hours and intensity in different latitudes.

Would anyone care to suggest on a good rule of thumb system for us? Maybe a scale of 1 to 3 or 1 to 5 or 1 to 10 and then we discuss about the scale, and so we can publish it in the forum as a reference.

For example next time if we say that we keep our N. x miranda in full sun, we can say Lighting 10 as opposed to, let us say N. Bicalcarata which lighting needs is only an 8. I guess, with lighting as well, we should also include photo period in terms of hours. So we can still say 2 hours of 10 level and 4 hours of 8 level and stuff like that. This is for outdoor grown, of course it is way much simpler if it's artificial light.

Same thing with watering.

Any suggestions? how to we define the standards and graduations?

TTFN
Arvin

[David]

I think a scale range for lighting and watering requirements is a good idea. Please discuss further and I hope more members would contribute to thsi project.

[arvin555]

Unfortunately I have no idea how to really start this, so I'm a bit stumped and hoping for inputs from members.

I read somewhere that I guy used his Camera to measure the light intensity, using Aperture (Fstop) and the shutter speed as basis, but I think that is even a bit technical for general use.

Watering is probably a bit more complicated too Though frequency is easy to measure.

Was thinking either a scale of 1 to 10 or 1 to 5.

Any suggestions guys?

TTFN
Arvin