N. eymae x veitchii

[rainforestguy]

This has been my best highland grower to warm conditions that I have encountered thus far.
This is eymae (which is like a maxima but forms infundibular uppers) crossed to a highland striped veitchii.

These have been the largest pitchers I have seen around among growers of this hybrid.

One of the significant points for growing many veitchii/veitchii hybrids is their need to dry out completely. This makes active roots that grow when the plants are water stressed.

M

[wijaya]

Mike, it is nice to see your posted pictures again. What do you mean by dry-out completely? Do you mean they don't like to be too wet?

Ed

[rainforestguy]

They enjoy being drenched, but likes to dry out near wilting, like N. albomarginata. This makes a good growing specimen.

M

[wijaya]

Thanks, I will see to it to my Vietchii variants.

[David]

The red on the peristome is so red and luscious. When you say it is grown in lowland conditions, can I know what the conditions are like for the plants? What is the temperature like in the day nd at night? How about humidity? Sorry, so much questions. Just want to learn the best conditions to give hughland hybrids.

[rainforestguy]

Hawai'i (Honolulu) has a climate variation. I live in the drier regions with a famous landmark of Diamond Head in the background. My days range from 85-98 degrees F with 90's being the average. My nights range from 78 sometimes warmer if we do not have trades blowing a steady 25-30 mph. This year we did not have the heavy rains like last year and that is a minus. With heavy rains, day temps drop another 5 degrees and the plants love it then.
Humidity almost always around 30-50%.
M

[cindy]

David, the temperature that Michael gets is pivotal to the cultivation of many Neps in his area. Our days and night can have as little as one degree celsius or no difference at all for months.

[jk]

I’d just like to make a minor correction about the weather of the general area around Diamond Head, because it may be important to people who are comparing their own conditions to those of Rainforestguy and his great plants. The humidity in this general area is more like in the range of 55% to 80%. It rarely goes below 55% because the air picks up moisture as it sweeps over the ocean before blowing over the island. He is quite correct, though, about the differential in temperature between day and night. Not only is the drop in temperature at night good for Neps, it's good for people too.

[rainforestguy]

I had three readings done from a professional group and used state of the art devices and the readings posted were true and accurate. I live on a windy hill of drying winds not from offshore breezes but from mountain winds drying out by the time they reach me. While most people living near mountain regions where some humidity may be carried from the windward side, by the time they reach me, they are parched drying winds. Dried grasses, half baked mesquite trees and coral base soil describe my growing conditions.
I live in a very dry region protected from Diamond Head and its moist sea air and also farther away from the mountains where humidity levels are well above 70% most of the time, but we have a constant breeze which so many places lack during vog weather. This accounts for my plants drying out completely in a single day.
I have observed how some growers use hanging baskets with internal reservoirs can have very wet soils for many days at a time from a single watering, my region even after twice drip irrigation sessions leave a very bone dry pot of soil by nightfall. My greatest loss is not rot, but when water spiggots fall out from the winds and the plants dry in a couple of days!

M

[David]

Thanks for the explaination guys/gals. Apprecciate it.

[Robert]

Mike's case in Hawaii is a perfect example of day/night temperature and humiduty variation, the insular influence (moisture laden wind) couple with dry air from the surrounding hills. The same reason can be expalin some neps (clipeata,campanulata,northiana) grows in very dry hills and cliffs where they enjoy high humidity with the low clouds laden moisture at night and a hot dry air in the day.

[rainforestguy]

Even in regions rich in nepenthes, naturally, there are zones where nepenthes do not occupy. This may be due to the lack of humidity as the light, even rains would occupy similar territories. The importance is natural humidity. Even here in Hawai'i, the hills have a side where evrything flourishes and a side that do not. It is due to these moisture laden brezes that some species thrive well. Where I am at, the man-made watering systems of auto, misting and hand watering creates an artificial growing condition that allows plants to flourish. Nepenthes do need water. But this water can be added artificially by wetting, misting and drip-auto watering devices.

M