Anybody have one of these in Texas? Nepenthes 'Alata'
How is it faring? Do you really have to keep the little Pitchers with water in them?
Sylvia
Lookie Lookie LOOK...its a weird one!
Our krogers has alot of these they just got in. I figured I would kill it for sure.
edited to say I really like them and I would love to have one. But too costly to murder.
This message was edited Aug 21, 2005 10:52 PM
Thats where I got mine...they were marked down to five dollars! :)
Sylvia
WOW. Ours just got them in.the one with smaller pitchers was 14.99.
I told my friend they like alot of humidity. That is all I know. Can't wait to hear more about them.
I got one at Kroger too. I may go by and see if they marked them down to $5 yet. Mine is doing okay, but the water here is alkaline and salty. The plant likes acidic or neutral water, so I went and got some distilled water at the store. I had mine inside, but the pitchers started to shrivel. I put it outside in bright indirect light (Pergola with shade cloth), and it seems to be doing better. Outside it has more of a bug selection to lure to the pitchers here as well. I'm hoping not to kill mine either!
Oh my I wish it was worth the drive to Dallas.
Maybe ours will go down in a while.
Nepenthes have 2 types of growth: rosette and vining. Often the pitchers look different in one stage compared to the other stage. I couldn't find the photos of my N. alata in the rosette stage to show last year's pitchers. The pitchers were a deep reddish maroon and between 6 - 8 inches high.
This is my N. alata's second year. I bought 3 for $7.00 each and planted all three in the same pot. Early this spring I thought I had pruned off all the vining growth and later discovered I had missed 2 branches. I left them to see what would happen.
This is a photo of the plant now. I've discovered that leaving the vining branches on reduces the size of the pitchers on the rosette sections. The vining pitchers look the same and are about the same size, but the color is greenish rather than maroon.
Aggiecorgi, I also read that Nepenthes prefer rainwater or water near pH7 so I went out and bought either spring or distilled water. That started to get expensive. So I put the plant in my orchid greenhouse and gave it an ultimatum: live on well water or die. I haven't had a problem, but I do let plenty of water run through the pot everytime I water it.
Sylvia, If the plant has high humidity and is growing well, it will produce it's own liquid in the pitchers. Then again rainwater enters the pitchers in nature so I let some water go into the pitchers as I lightly mist the leaves everytime I water. I'm always on the lookout for bugs to feed my plant. Jumping spiders are my favorite prey. I react badly to their bite so I try to decrease their population whenever I can.
Wow and look at the size of that desert rose. Beautiful.
IloveJesus I will go to Krogers and see if they still have them for five dollars...do you want me to send it to you if they still have it?
Thanks Betty...that Desert rose you got back there....I got one too ...How do you take care of it? I have it outside in the shade now. a pic attached.
Sylvia
I have that plant. It doesn't like too much sun and doesn't like to dry out. It also doesn't like to get below around 50*F. Mine is in a big pot under a salvia that also likes shade. I use resaca water and it doesn't seem to mind.
Suzi, I've discovered that my Desert Rose doesn't like it too dry either (the leaves fall off) which is the direct opposite from the literature I've read. When I bought mine at Home Depot in May it was almost leafless, out of the pot and the soil was very wet. I repotted it in cactus mix and placed it in my orchid greenghouse where it gets direct morning sunlight and a little sunlight very late in the day with 50% shade the rest of the day. I am careful when I water other plants around it and give it water just as the top is going dry. It bloomed in July and has had leaves all summer. I had planned on overwintering it in the greenhouse, but I allow the temperature in there to go down to about 50ºF before the heater kicks in.
Betty I got mine at Home Depot also and you are right about the instructions. I had to get mine out the sun too as it began to drop leaves. Do you think I can take it to the office to overwinter where the temperture is more consistant?
Its doing a lot better now where I have it. When growers talk about sun, I dont think they are talking about Texas. :)
BTW...do you guys know what this hanging thing is? a friend gave it to me.....said it came from mexico.
Sylvia
sedrick,
Do you think it would cost alot to mail on of those to me?? If not I would love it.
As for the hanging plant can you get a closer picture?
Thanks so much,
Sandy
Sylvia,
I may have to overwinter my Desert Rose in the house if the greenhouse gets too cold for it. Most offices are very dry, but you could put a saucer full wet pebbles under the pot.
Your hanging thing looks like String of Hearts, Ceropegia woodii. Does your hanging vine look like this?
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53707/index.html
Veronica
If anyone is still watching this thread.....
I really like the pics of both plants discussed. Can I some how get some cuttings or seeds or something from someone for each the rose and the carnivore plants.?
and also some recent pics of the plants.
calvin
Calvin the I put thePitcure Plant out side last Summer and I think I forgot about ... too much trouble...need distilled water.
The Desert Rose I have no idea of how to share it or where the seeds are on it. I have two now, bought one at walmart on the markdown shelf, I took this plant to office to overwinter, then put it outside when the weather got warm. It will be blooming soon and I will take pics.
love to see the pics when you get some.