Read-Only Forum Archive
PetPitcher Forum  

Go Back   PetPitcher Forum > CARNIVOROUS PLANTS > Nepenthes

Nepenthes Everything about Tropical Pitcher Plants



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 25th July 2009, 02:09 PM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Tue Dec 2006
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Posts: 5,047
Default Inorganic media for Nepenthes

I had a good discussion with Dr. Charles Clarke 2 days ago and he suggested that we experiment and try out inorganic materials as media for Nepenthes.

This is becuase when we use sphagnum moss or sphagnum peat, we are contributing to its depletion in the wild. The dried sphagnum moss and sphagnum peat we buy for our "pets" are harvested from their natural habitat in bogs and swamps. Sphagnum moss and sphagnum peat plays a very important part in the ecology of bogs and swamps where CPs grow. As such when too much is harvested, it does affect other life forms there.

I would like to organise an experiment here for members to try out inorganic materials to grow their Nepenthes. Please post your results in this thread. If you are already using inorganic materials succesfully, do post here and let us know as well.

Dr. Charles suggest a mix from the following materials below. These are recommended because they do not breakdown. Some like the clay pellets might be expensive but in the long run we would save money and help conserve sphagnum moss and peat in their natural environment. Also Dr. Charles said that for Nepenthes to grow well, the roots needs alot of air. Unlike sphagnum moss, coconut peat or even flora foam, these materials below will not breakdown or compress over time.

Mix the following media together:
- clay pellets (mix large and small sizes)
- Polysterine (broken into small pieces)

This is a very airy media and we will need to do some adjustments to the pot or our cultivation routine. Perhaps have a water saucer at the bottom that is constantly filled with water. Lets us know what works and what does not.

Please post here if you would like to try this. I hope each person can try on differnet species so we will know later which species is best suited for this media or for different species what additional things we need to do so they will grow well in this. Copy, add your name and species you will be trying this out in the list below and paste in your post:

N. sp. viking - David
__________________
Plant Database - Picture Gallery - Little Shop Of Horrors

Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children. - A Kenyan Proverb

Last edited by David; 25th July 2009 at 04:24 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25th July 2009, 11:46 PM
kentosaurs's Avatar
kentosaurs kentosaurs is offline
Full Member
 
Join Date: Thu Jul 2008
Location: Kuala Lumpur,Kepong
Posts: 2,434
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

Hi David.......Very interesting.....Though i've never heard of clay pellets.....I'm not sure if it'll work but we'll never now till we try...Why not try putting the plant in a mix of moss and the other 2 medium but much less moss first? Perlites inorganic right? I need to wait for my cuttings to root in order to try this..
__________________
"Can anyone see such marvelous things, knowing them to be only plants and feel no wonder?"

Nepenthes.....The king of CPs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To all drosera and sarra etc etc lovers don't kill me
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 26th July 2009, 12:41 AM
NepNut's Avatar
NepNut NepNut is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Mon Sep 2008
Location: Kedah, Malaysia
Posts: 1,787
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

That's why I moved away from using SM and PM as the main ingredient of my nep media a while ago. I now use a large proportion of inorganic media (up to 50%-70%, some up to 100% depending on species) and organic media which consist of coco chips and coco peats. I highly recommend the use of coco media since it's environmental friendly (a by product) and it's dirt cheap.

95% of the neps in my growlist were potted with the mix I mentioned above.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 26th July 2009, 03:42 AM
Boris's Avatar
Boris Boris is offline
Full Member
 
Join Date: Tue Aug 2008
Location: germany
Posts: 128
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

I read in an orchid forum of zeolite. "Zeolites are microporous crystalline solids with well-defined structures." Did anyone tried already as media. It is also used for aquaristic filtering media.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 26th July 2009, 12:54 PM
hongrui's Avatar
hongrui hongrui is offline
Advisor
 
Join Date: Wed Jul 2007
Location: Mandai, Singapore & Tmn Molek, JB.
Posts: 593
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

David, can you take some pictures of the clay pallets for us to see?

i'm currently trying out a mix of charcoal chips/pine bark/LFS. wanted to skip the LFS initially but is afraid that the plants may dry out. Test plants are N. madagascarensis and N. northiana.
__________________
more and more raffs, amps and hookers
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 26th July 2009, 01:24 PM
alcran's Avatar
alcran alcran is offline
Full Member
 
Join Date: Mon Dec 2008
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 249
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

How about sponge? Holds water and can be cut into needed sizes.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 26th July 2009, 08:14 PM
kentosaurs's Avatar
kentosaurs kentosaurs is offline
Full Member
 
Join Date: Thu Jul 2008
Location: Kuala Lumpur,Kepong
Posts: 2,434
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

I couldn't resist trying it out sooooo i went out repotted 2 among my uncountable amount of viking seedlings and repotted them in pure perlite and also baged them up to keep humidty...If cuttings strike in pure perlite why not actually even grow them in it...But this might not work even if it can actually grow in perlite cos of the repotting stress...I took all LFS away from the root so its barerooted..
__________________
"Can anyone see such marvelous things, knowing them to be only plants and feel no wonder?"

Nepenthes.....The king of CPs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To all drosera and sarra etc etc lovers don't kill me
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 27th July 2009, 12:14 PM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Tue Dec 2006
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Posts: 5,047
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

hongrui, here's a picture of the clay pellets I got from the internet.
Name:  hydroton.jpg
Views: 2758
Size:  21.2 KB

alcran, I think using sponge as part of the mix would be a good idea. It would retain water so that the polysterine and clay pellets mix is not too dry.

Boris, I just googled zeolites. Kinda interesting material. Is it a mineral of some sort? Not sure where to find it where I am.

cpnut, using coconut peat and coconut chips is a good alternative from s.moss and I have heard good things about it for Neps. My truncatas are grown in this and they thrive since I did the change. But I have a problem with this media as it decompose very quickly. For the purpose of this exercise, I hope we can find inorganic materials that does not decompose and would hold it's shape over time so that we can save cost in the long run and at the same time help conserve the natural habitat of sphagnum moss.

Ken, do let us know the results of your pure perlite mix.

So who else will be trying this out with the follwoing materials?

- clay pellets
- polysterine (broken into small pieces)
- sponge

Other materials:
- zeolites
- perlite
__________________
Plant Database - Picture Gallery - Little Shop Of Horrors

Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children. - A Kenyan Proverb
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 6th November 2009, 08:10 PM
Vincent's Avatar
Vincent Vincent is offline
Full Member
 
Join Date: Mon Nov 2009
Location: N.idaho,US
Posts: 305
Thumbs up Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

i find vermiculite to be even successful by itself for nepenthes really, but a little orchid bark and perilite would add more air pockets.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 6th November 2009, 11:56 PM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Tue Dec 2006
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Posts: 5,047
Default Re: Inorganic media for Nepenthes

Thanks for the suggestion Vincent. Now we know that using just vermiculite works as well.
__________________
Plant Database - Picture Gallery - Little Shop Of Horrors

Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children. - A Kenyan Proverb
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
CP seed advisable media kentosaurs All Stuff On Carnivorous Plants 22 18th January 2009 07:52 PM
What media?? plantlover All Stuff On Carnivorous Plants 3 8th November 2008 02:13 PM
Burnt eatrh as media Aliamyz All Stuff On Carnivorous Plants 0 28th October 2008 09:58 AM
Burnt earth as media Cindy Nepenthes 31 6th October 2008 10:58 PM
kltower: Potting Media David All Stuff On Carnivorous Plants 0 30th June 2008 03:06 PM


All times are GMT +9. The time now is 03:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2019, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Site by David Tan, Founder and Administrator of petpitcher.net and forum.petpitcher.net