Cultivation of CPs

[David]

Please share with other members how you cultivate your cps in your own growing environment. Perhaps we can share notes and learn from each other.

It doesn't matter if you grow in the garden, in-house or under artificial lights. Hopefully this can be a resource everyone...

[3sgjeffery]

Hmmm... Since i saw this.
I shall do the first posting.
I grow mainly VFT some sarrs. I have my VFT on top of my fridge with artificial lighting.
Now I am putting them under two T5 2ft 24W day light & one 2ft PL 55W and a fan.
With a timer of 5am to 8pm (15hr of light)
Water them twice of week with tap water (causes alot of algae growing , due to indoor not much wind.)
No picture due to it is Super gross and plain.

[David]

Thanks Jeffrey for getting the ball rolling.

Just some questions...

How close are the lighting to the plants? I've never used T5 lighting before (kinda expensive) but have heard some good stuff about them. Are they really better than normal aquarium plant lights? I understand that T5 light intensity last longer than the normal aquarium/house florencent lights.

By the way, what is PL 55W?

Are the VFTs and Sarr under this same set-up? I tried growing Sarr under my artificial lights in my set-up but failed. Perhaps it is the lighting I am using. If it works for you with, I'm gonna save money to by me a bunch of T5 lights. ;D

Are the plants sitting on trays of water or you let the water drain out?

[David]

I use normal aquarium plant lights for my terrarium. Currently my neps are about 6 inches from 4 four feet lights and my Sundews are 9 inches from 5 two feet lights.

I use a table fan to blow across the 4 feet lightings to keep temperature down. They are on 14 hours a day. The 2 feet terrarium lighting is on for 16 hours a day and I use 2 computer fans to cool them.

Neps are on trays. I water until the water in the tray is about half-an-inche, and water again when the tray is dry in about 3 days.

My Sundews are on half-an-inche water most of the time. I seldom allow it to dry up.

However, the majority of my neps are grown next to a window that receive direct sun for about 3-4 hours a day from about 2pm to 6pm. But it is really frustrating when it rains in the afternoon, which the weather has been doing for the past few months. Got to get metal halide lights. Perhaps just one will do. Ideally 2 at the window and I don't have to worry about sunlight... hmm... maybe have to worry about electricity bills, haa, haa,haa...

I've also got some neps back in my hometown grown under shade cloth in the garden.

About once every month I spray my neps leaves with a light solution of tillandsia fertiliser if the plants do not have picthers for me to feed. Seem to help in their growth expecially the baby plantlets. I sometimes use plant hormone to spray on the leaves and soil of the nep plantlets.

I usually buy pet shop crikets to feed the pitchers... (note: those with weak heart please stop reading from here) I cut the crikets into smaller pieces to feed to the pitchers. Since the crickets are dead when I throw them in, I shake the picther fluid vigorously so that the plant produces enzyms to breakdown the insect part.

[3sgjeffery]

For lighting T5, i make it very close according to CIndy's advise. I just did that yesterday, so still trying.

PL 55W is the first lighting i try. But it is too Hot and cannot put too close.

Wtaering... I water them twice a week, due to top of my fridge is not that windy.

[Robert]

Hi all, propagating neps from seeds provide many moment of excitement. The time of waiting and seeing them growing into small plantlets and bearing pitchers is a real test for our patience.

I had tried many lowland species. My method is simple.I have germination in all cases. An almost 100% germination with rafflesiana elongata in one month. northiana tend to be most tricky-3-6 months. On average most lowland germinate in 20 days.

I am still waiting for the rajah seeds to germinate which i sow on 25.09.2006. Perhaps it was the lowland weather? the need to straitify ?

Last year i had the chance to take a step further. I use the pollens of rajah to pollinate the lowland ampullaria(red spotted/green body)

pollination date : 23.09.2006
ripen,harvest,sow the same date : 28.11.2006
1st germination observed : 16.12.2006
No.of days germination took place - 18

the young seedlings


This was done in the natural environment. Anything can happen although i had used thin cloth to cover to prevent pollen contamination by visiting pollinators-bees + other winged insects. I am hoping to see an interesting new artificial hybrids and to share with everyone the neps addiction ;D

The medium= prepare and wet the pure new Zealand peat moss. Seeds were spread over and mist till wet.Placed on shaded area with bright sunlight,no direct sunlight. water misting whenever the peat moss show dryness. I believe frequent misting will help germination. It soften the outer protective layer enabling the young plant to emerge.