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Post by tarence on Jun 24, 2007 11:34:17 GMT 8
After a couple of weeks of looking around, I finally found what I think to be limestone rocks & have repotted my n.northiana. I used a pot with holes to provide better aeration as I imagine the original location for this plant would be pretty airy & windy....i.e. cliffs.... I`ve put some s/moss around the root areas for better moisture but will probably take it out once the plant stabilises. Do let me know if I could do anything better.   |
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Post by isaacgoh on Jun 24, 2007 12:52:12 GMT 8
Tarence,
My personal opinion is that the rocks you use in the pics could be too big. Anyway, just my own take on this. You can try and error I guess.
Rgds,
Isaac
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ding
Junior Member
ding = pickjian
Posts: 58
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Post by ding on Jun 24, 2007 12:59:49 GMT 8
Hi,
i agree with isaacgoh too. besides, may be you can divide the plant into four for a higher chance of survivability!
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Post by tarence on Jun 24, 2007 23:22:11 GMT 8
Thx Isaac & Ding...appreciate your inputs......
Btw, how would you imagine the n.northiana growing in the wild ? I only know it`s on limestone hills......and my fertile imagination is influencing me to `believe` that it virtually `hangs` on for dear life on these cliffs. Haha. Has anyone sighted pictures? Would be way cool to see them in the wild.
Ding: there are actually 5 branches ! one is hidden. I`m so tempted to break them up but well....they seem to be pretty delicate. Also don`t want to wait for the cuttings to take root, recover etc as some of the leaves are already having pitchers....
it`s been a long, hard, winding road.......naw, just kidding.....
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ding
Junior Member
ding = pickjian
Posts: 58
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Post by ding on Jun 28, 2007 20:53:39 GMT 8
haha. it's up to you! hope that it won't give you any trouble. happy growing ya!
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Post by Robert on Jun 28, 2007 21:07:39 GMT 8
Tarence, try meristem propagation.It will not hurt the plant. Once rooted cut them off and you'll have another northiana ;D
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Post by tarence on Jun 29, 2007 9:31:27 GMT 8
Have you tried it Robert ? Is the plant hormone essential in the technique ? I`m just starting to read articles on it....thx for the suggestion.
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Post by Robert on Jun 29, 2007 17:31:48 GMT 8
yes i have. Sometimes it doesn't root as the plant can heal the cuts by itself ie callus form over the cut area with no roots. The good thing is the section above the cut will not die. Under this situation make another fresh cut (if u wished to).
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Post by tarence on Jun 30, 2007 13:50:19 GMT 8
Ok, i`ll try it then if i`m feeling adventurous......Heheh.
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Post by isaacgoh on Jul 19, 2007 9:57:23 GMT 8
Guys,
How are your northies?
Mine is growing very big now but still no pitchers!! The new leaves are much bigger, at least 10" size leaves(plant is more than 1 feet tall). All the leaves have a small pitcher bud at the end of the tip but they just would not grow into a pitcher for me.
Wondering what I can do to have a northiana pitcher. Someone did tell me to give it more time because northies seems to be a sensitive type to its new surroundings. So, it's not advisable to move them around too much.
Rgds,
Isaac
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Post by David on Jul 19, 2007 10:31:33 GMT 8
Mine is just stagnant in growth. Not getting bigger and no new leaves. Kinda like a plastic plants. Always green but no growth. But I have not given up on this "pet" of mine.
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Post by isaacgoh on Jul 19, 2007 10:36:43 GMT 8
Mine is just stagnant in growth. Not getting bigger and no new leaves. Kinda like a plastic plants. Always green but no growth. But I have not given up on this "pet" of mine. David, I have two small northies that is the same batch as yours. I'm keeping them in my indoor tank. It's not growing too good but it's at least throwing new leaves once in a while with pitchers too. From my observation, they don't like too high humidity in the air. I think it's time for me to move them out slowly into the balcony. Rgds, Isaac |
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Post by David on Jul 19, 2007 10:49:36 GMT 8
Eh, what media u use? I am using 2 parts perlite and 1 part coconut peat. Don't know if this works.
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Post by isaacgoh on Jul 19, 2007 11:25:52 GMT 8
Eh, what media u use? I am using 2 parts perlite and 1 part coconut peat. Don't know if this works. Oh yeah, you reminded me. Maybe I should change the media for the northies plantlets but it's pity to remove the wonderful live peat moss already growing on it. I'm currently growing it with perlite with the thin top layer sphagnum moss. My big northy is growing very well with nursery clay soil mixed with lime stone aquarium pebbles. So, I should probably change the small plant's media to clay soil. If you ask me, coconut peat sounds like acidic in nature. Same goes for Sphaghum. Northies like alkaline media...Hmm.... |
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Post by David on Jul 19, 2007 12:08:45 GMT 8
Hmm, got to move my butt to search for soem alkaline media.
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Post by tarence on Jul 19, 2007 13:25:30 GMT 8
David : you can have my limestone rocks on sunday.....since i changed the medium 3 weeks ago, my plant seems to be more vigorous...in producing dead leaves ! just kidding. the growth seems to be a little faster. you can try if you want.
isaac : Liang told me that the pitcher gotta reach the ground or some support for it to grow properly or huge. i`ve seen pics of it in the wild. usually it rests on the ground as the pitchers are huge.
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Post by David on Jul 19, 2007 13:31:57 GMT 8
Hey Tarence, you're back. Just posted in the interaction section telling members you will be on a short sabbathticla leave from the forum. Glad you are back.
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Post by jonathan on Jul 19, 2007 15:00:43 GMT 8
Erm... when will i get to have my hand on a N. Northiana??? haiz.... haha.... but it's still great to hear story of them from you lucky guys....
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Post by tarence on Jul 20, 2007 12:55:39 GMT 8
I`ll swing in the forum when I`m up to it David. thx....
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Post by rainforestguy on Jul 23, 2007 10:51:59 GMT 8
Greetings and salutations,
I have a little comment regarding the northiana growing media. While they do grow above limestone base bedrock, many of them have a surface layer rich in composted, acidic peat-sphagnum. I have notice how these grow through the acidic supra-layers and have their root tips reach down deep into the lime below.
This is very evident in many northiana hybrids (northiana x veitchii, Mixta, Cincta, etc.) where the roots grow profusely through a thick acidic base media, then when they hit deeper into the lime, they really take hold.
An example I noticed is when I grow some of my plants in black plastic mesh pots pn top of a cement wall, the plants grow profusely until a specific point in time when the roots penetrate the cement wall. A noticeable change occurs and the plants take on a thicker, leathery appearance. Once I decided to repot a large Mixta, I noticed that the mesh pot was glued to the cement wall top. I was puzzled how this could happen. I finally got a machete and sliced through to separate the pot and wall and come to the surprise that a million tiny black roots had penetrated the wall's pores and entered a layer beneath the mesh pot. I did not have any lime or coral chips in the pot at the time this occurred. My conclusion is that the roots had penetrated that layer where the substrate was rather alkaline, even though the media where it grew was acidic.
My idea is to add lime to the bottom most layer of your pot like a drainage material/crock and the roots will enter this zone andthe plant gets more robust.
I have also seen this happen with a sub-genus of hoyas in the section Eriostemma where this group grows best in coral substrates. Once coral chips are added to their soil, the plant takes off and doesn't stop blooming.
I would also be interested how coral in some soil types behave. I bet N. globosa, N. treubniana, insignis, etc. would behave similarly.
Michael
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