CP terraium - Plants only

[jbradt]

Great looking plants as usual brad.. Also in your research did you come across the 30/10/10 orchid fert that people say works great at half strength.. any opinions?

Thanks, X! I've see all kinds of mixes discussed. The understanding that I have at this point, is that any urea free orchid food should work. I've been recommended to use 1/4 dose of any fert at first to see how the plants react. This mix will just have more nitrogen. What I've read is that nitrogen encourages folliar growth; phosphorus encourages blooming, potassium encourages longevity of blooms. So a mix with more nitrogen should encourage more folliar growth. There is always the possible downside that if the plants are getting enough nutrients through fertilizers they may stop pitchering due to lack of need.

Nice shots (and neps) JB!

I thought about it but since I only have the ventricosa I shouldn't need ferts as far as I know. Although maybe it would help to get the dang pitchers to open up LOL

I agree. I also feel like I probably don't need to use them, but after a lot of the reading I've been doing, I thought I'd give it a shot. They're all doing well, I just want to see if I can encourage them to do better. =)

Im curious. Do the pitcher plants have the ability to close there pitchers once theyve opened up??? I was wondering cuz I was thinking if it were to rain there pitchers would fill up with water.

They can't close the pitchers once they're open. Rain getting into the pitcher is a problem for some, but a lot of times they will have a mechanism to tip and release excess water. Most will just absorb the water through the walls of the pitcher and use it as a source of hydration.

 

[jpappy789]

I'm interested to see how this works. Are you just using it on the ceph?

 

[GEV83]

Oh ok would be pretty cool if they could close up once they sense rain coming but retaining the water or pouring some out is a good idea as well.

You guys are all talking about using ferts so I was thinking why not do an experiment? Get 2 of the same plant same size and species and try adding ferts to one and leaving the other without. Or use multiple plants and multiple fert recipes and see which give the best results.

 

[jbradt]

I'm interested to see how this works. Are you just using it on the ceph?

I was going to use it only on the ceph, then I realized that based on what I've read there's a faction of a chance that any harm will actually be done. So, I just got done watering them all with the solution. I think the worst case scenario is nothing happens. The other factor here too is that I top water, so the pots will all get flushed in the next couple days anyway.

Oh ok would be pretty cool if they could close up once they sense rain coming but retaining the water or pouring some out is a good idea as well.

You guys are all talking about using ferts so I was thinking why not do an experiment? Get 2 of the same plant same size and species and try adding ferts to one and leaving the other without. Or use multiple plants and multiple fert recipes and see which give the best results.

I would love to do just this... when my collection is bigger, I totally plan on it.

 

[GEV83]

I know I would try it would let you know for yourself which ferts or fert combination would work best.

 

[PaulJ69]

I've been dosing Nitrate directly into my pitchers. I have a ton left over from EI days with my planted tank. I get some water, add some nitrate and syringe it into all the pitchers. All seem to be doing fine.

 

[PaulJ69]

Found a new carnny website. geared more towards neps.
http://pitcherplants.proboards.com/index.cgi?

Ridiculous.
http://pitcherplants.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=fame&action=display&thread=8787

 

[IceH2O]

I pretty much skimmed and just looked at the pictures but I wondered what you are feeding these awesome plants that my wife now hates I've been looking at.
Do you just keep the window open and a piece of rotting meat to draw flies or do you buy freeze dried bugs to feed them or what?

 

[x916krew]

I pretty much skimmed and just looked at the pictures but I wondered what you are feeding these awesome plants that my wife now hates I've been looking at.
Do you just keep the window open and a piece of rotting meat to draw flies or do you buy freeze dried bugs to feed them or what?

While you can hand feed them if you want to some house hold insects you come across for the most part they will catch there own food.

 

[jbradt]

I pretty much skimmed and just looked at the pictures but I wondered what you are feeding these awesome plants that my wife now hates I've been looking at.
Do you just keep the window open and a piece of rotting meat to draw flies or do you buy freeze dried bugs to feed them or what?

I've been feeding the pitcher plants the same frozen blood worms I feed my fish! I'm trying to go the fertilizer route because I think it may be easier than feeding in the long run. Outside a terrarium, I think they would catch plenty of bugs and such on their own.