Here is my first hot pink hibiscus:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/tdrollo/2006_0602Image0003.jpg

I went to HD today to look for weed and feed, and found some pings for $4.80! I never see pings at HD, only VFTs, sundews, and sarracenia. I probably should have bought all 4 of them but I settled for two. Here they are:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/tdrollo/2006_0602Image0001.jpg

My Nep Ventrata has started pitchering and I noticed the first pitcher has a little "lid" on it...this nep has never made lids before. What the heck is this all about, does anyone know? When I squeeze it (yeah, I squeezed it!) the lid pops up. It looks like it is supposed to be there? CP experts help me out here, is this normal or from poor culture on my part?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/tdrollo/2006_0602Image0006.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/tdrollo/2006_0602Image0012.jpg

most nepenthes i've seen have lids
keeps the water from overflowing the pitchers. plus, and i don't know if this is the case, but it would keep any digestive enzymes from being diluted

Well, I went back to look at last year's pictures and it did have lids, but it seems like they were really wide open. Maybe this is just want they look like when they are baby pitchers? The way it is now it seems a bug could not get in there. I suppose the lid will open up more?

Here is a pic from last year:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/tdrollo/Nep.jpg

Love your pink hibiscus! Your last year's pitchers look great too!
Yes baby pitchers do not open up.
Would like to share a picture of one (Nep Khasiana) that I took on Feb this year.

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/4517/nepkhasi1yl.jpg

WOW Mang that is awesome! I wish I could find pitchers in the wild here. Thanks for sharing!

I feel so much better about my lids now. *whew*:Thnx:

Wow, that pink hibiscus is just gorgeous! Those pitchers are awesome.

Mang, your wild looking pitchers are just out of this world, love it! love it!:cool:

WOW Mang that is awesome! I wish I could find pitchers in the wild here. Thanks for sharing!

You can! You just need to get out to the pine woods of east Texas and see fields of Sarracenia alata! A little further east where Alabama/Georgia/Florida meet and you're in CP heaven!

I feel so much better about my lids now. *whew*:Thnx:

Just don't flip your lid! Honestly, the trouble is likely that the humidity isn't high enough. Nepanthes are pretty easy to keep alive, but growing big, healthy, colorful pitchers on them ain't if the humidity is too low. Then again, maybe it is just immature yet...please keep us informed.

Tom

I recently put my Nepanthes (from Teresa!:) ) outside to try to make it a little happier but it may have gotten a little too much sun to start off with (which surprised me because it is in the shadiest place I have!) It has a reddish tinge to the leaves now (like a catt. gets so I imagine it is the anthrocyanin?) Also, I noticed that it has a new start and what looks like maybe a tiny little bulbous pitcher? With a tiny immobile lid. I'm not sure though. It isn't really all that pitcher shaped. :confused:

You can! You just need to get out to the pine woods of east Texas and see fields of Sarracenia alata! A little further east where Alabama/Georgia/Florida meet and you're in CP heaven!

Just don't flip your lid! Honestly, the trouble is likely that the humidity isn't high enough. Nepanthes are pretty easy to keep alive, but growing big, healthy, colorful pitchers on them ain't if the humidity is too low. Then again, maybe it is just immature yet...please keep us informed.

My parents live east of Houston...maybe I need to make a CP search outing next time I am there. They have 27 tall pines in their yard, and are surrounded by a wood of pines and a bayou...maybe I could find one back there? More likely I would find a copperhead.:cheeky:

I think you are right about the humidity, Tom. I recently moved it outdoors because I was running out of room the dang thing is sprouting all over the place! I think the humidity was less outside and it doesn't like it as much. I moved it back into its happy place in the atrium. I hung it over my stanhopea, those like shade anyway.

Heather my Nep is at least as big again as it was when I divided it! It grows like a weed! I hope yours does too! I got lazy and watered mine with tap water and it did NOT like that. I switched back to rain water and apologized profusely. Now it's rewarding me with this funky hooded pitcher. I made 2 cuttings and one died but I think the other one is rooted. Maybe I need to make more cuttings to keep this crazy plant in line.

Heather my Nep is at least as big again as it was when I divided it! It grows like a weed! I hope yours does too! I got lazy and watered mine with tap water and it did NOT like that. I switched back to rain water and apologized profusely. Now it's rewarding me with this funky hooded pitcher. I made 2 cuttings and one died but I think the other one is rooted. Maybe I need to make more cuttings to keep this crazy plant in line.


I think I was watering with tap, and it hated me, lots of yellowed old leaves, but since it has been out in the rain (or in in the rain - anyone need rainwater? I seem to have a glut - yippeee!) Things are picking up!

Teresa - have you seen this "reddishness" I am seeing? That's concerning me....

I think I was watering with tap, and it hated me, lots of yellowed old leaves, but since it has been out in the rain (or in in the rain - anyone need rainwater? I seem to have a glut - yippeee!) Things are picking up!

Teresa - have you seen this "reddishness" I am seeing? That's concerning me....

I haven't seen any red except on the pitchers. Maybe you could post a pic? There are definitely more CP savvy people here than me!

I haven't seen any red except on the pitchers. Maybe you could post a pic? There are definitely more CP savvy people here than me!


I work this weekend, and it is rainy, but I will try to get a pic soon. Thanks!

Teresa,

I like the last photo you posted! What kind of Nep is it?

thanks

Teresa,

I like the last photo you posted! What kind of Nep is it?

thanks

It is a hybrid between alata and ventricosa called Ventrata. It was sold at Lowes as alata, but someone told me it was really the hybrid. It's about 3 times the size of that photo now!

I It has a reddish tinge to the leaves now (like a catt. gets so I imagine it is the anthrocyanin?) Also, I noticed that it has a new start and what looks like maybe a tiny little bulbous pitcher? With a tiny immobile lid. I'm not sure though. It isn't really all that pitcher shaped. :confused:

Yes, the red is a reaction to more sun than it was used to. The newer leaves will adjust to the increased light levels and open up green again. After the lid opens, it is not does not move. The lid of a nepenthes is a plant adaptation to make sure rain water does not dilute the pitcher fluid.

It is a hybrid between alata and ventricosa called Ventrata. It was sold at Lowes as alata, but someone told me it was really the hybrid.

That person is correct. It is a hybrid between a N. alata (species) and an N. ventricosa (species) which is called N. x Ventrata.

never seen any pings here either, now I'll have to make a trip to HD and Lowes