N. Ventrata cuttings progress

N. Ventrata cuttings progress#434542

By Intheswamp -  Fri Apr 28, 2023 5:17 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Fri Apr 28, 2023 5:17 pm #434542

Well, thanks to Chef and Panman I entered the realm of Neps a few weeks back! Thanks, guys!!!!

I figured I knew more than everybody else so I threw them in a plastic, sealed bag with a pint of water in it and put them in full sun as I had read pitcher plants need lots of sun and water.

Well, not really.

I did put them in ziplocks and potted them in a well moistened 50:50 peat and perlite mix. I added a couple of ounces of water to the bottom of the bags. This was placed in our opened-ended, unheated garage to the side of a large window for nice indirect light. Both bags keep good condensation on their sides.

The Lady Luck went in the bag on April 18. Whereas the Ventrata went into its bag on April 1 (after cutting the cutting into two pieces per Panman's gentle nudging

).

The Lady Luck seems to be holding its own with what appears as new growth coming on. There's one brown leaf and half of another one that I think I need to take out to keep mold from having a good place to start growing...comments on that are welcome! The original tip of the Ventrata (remember I cut the cutting in half) seems to be putting on new growth whereas the bottom half cutting doesn't seem to be putting on new growth though I *think* it looks healthy. While I had them out for the photo op I rinsed the bags and refreshed the bit of water in the bottom.

Anyhow, here's some shots of them. Feedback is appreciated!!! At least I ain't killed'em...so far!!!

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Last edited by Intheswamp on Wed Aug 30, 2023 11:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#434547

By Panman -  Fri Apr 28, 2023 6:23 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
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- Fri Apr 28, 2023 6:23 pm #434547

Those are looking good. It will take a while for the cutting without the active growth point to activate one, but it is definitely headed the right direction. In another week or so, you can start reducing the humidity. If the leaves start to get droopy, up the humidity for another 2 weeks and try again. Eventually they will sustain themselves.

I'm experimenting with some leftover bits of cuttings by just sitting them in a jar of water. I vaguely remember several years ago (before I knew any better) of having a nep cutting growing on my windowsill in a jar of water. It wasn't a ventrata. It was mislabeled as a ventricosa (at Pikes) but is more likely a sanguinea. At any rate, I'll let you all know how the ventrata cuttings do in a jar of water. So far, so good.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#434562

By Intheswamp -  Fri Apr 28, 2023 8:51 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
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Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Fri Apr 28, 2023 8:51 pm #434562

Thanks for the feedback, Panman. I’ll let them percolate along for a while and see how they do. Glad to hear that they look good to you!

The water propagation sounds interesting. I’ll be watching for updates!

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435520

By Intheswamp -  Thu May 18, 2023 3:59 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Thu May 18, 2023 3:59 pm #435520

It's one day shy of three weeks since my last update. The Ventrata seems to be doing good. I cut the single cutting Panman sent me in half. The terminal piece seems to really starting to get going. The lower piece had to figure out that it had suddenly been knighted as a terminal piece but I think that I'm now seeing a couple of small green bumps that have appeared in the crotch of a couple of leaves.

I'm not sure what to do, though. I might should have potting the two cuttings in two separate pots being as the terminal piece will probably be ready to come out of the bag a good bit before the lower piece will be. I don't want to go about disturbing the roots of the lower piece. I've been opening and letting fresh air in regularly but I haven't left the bag open yet for extended periods of time. I might start opening it up at night when the humidity is naturally higher and then closing it back up during the hotter, drier daylight hours.

The Lady Luck was a smaller cutting that was won in the very competitive and WWE sanctioned contest that Chef put on...chain-link fence around the ring and a couple of metal folding chairs in the ring for good measure!!!!

I've trimmed some of the earlier leaves off of it that browned out but it seems to be leafing out more and more. It has basically had the identical treatment as the Ventrata Gang of Two.

Both plants get the old water in the bottom of the bags dumped out every couple of weeks and then topwatered with fresh rainwater. They *usually* get bi-daily venting for fresh air. They're still sitting in the garage close to a large window, but to the side so as no direct sun. There's also a sprig of some type of a cedar tree beside them that I'm trying to root...it shades my wife's father's grave over in Eufaula, Alabama. Supposedly the trees were shipped over here from Sweden or somewhere, years ago, this tree is OLD. Anyhow, I grabbed a sprig when we were over there recently. Just thought I'd add that tidbit.

Anyhow that's an update for the neps. Any comments are, as usual,...welcomed!

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435521

By Panman -  Thu May 18, 2023 4:54 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm

- Thu May 18, 2023 4:54 pm #435521

They are looking good. I would stop keeping water in the bag. Just top water when the medium gets to being damp to dry. Start hardening them off from humidity by opening the bag partially. The outward growth of the ventrata isn't a sign of how the roots are doing. Both ventratas should be at about the same place in the rooting process. Once you cut back on the water and the humidity, watch the leaves. If they start to look week and curling, bag it again but keep the water cut back.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435523

By Panman -  Thu May 18, 2023 5:27 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm

- Thu May 18, 2023 5:27 pm #435523

BTW, these are the scraps left over from the ventrata. I am experimenting to see how they do in just water and at room humidity. They are under growlights with a sunrise/sunset schedule. So far, all three pieces have activated growth points. I had a sangunea cutting that I grew in water for a long time. I hope to see how these do.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435539

By Intheswamp -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:14 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
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- Fri May 19, 2023 2:14 pm #435539

Panman wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 4:54 pm They are looking good. I would stop keeping water in the bag. Just top water when the medium gets to being damp to dry. Start hardening them off from humidity by opening the bag partially. The outward growth of the ventrata isn't a sign of how the roots are doing. Both ventratas should be at about the same place in the rooting process. Once you cut back on the water and the humidity, watch the leaves. If they start to look week and curling, bag it again but keep the water cut back.

I opened the tops of the bags yesterday. There's still some water in the bottom of the baggies. Basically, the water level has been very shallow...more like the drain water from a top watering. You might can tell here the water content from this image...

(Notice how well I take care of my plants...I keep a t-bone steak w/wings on standby at all times for my CPs!!!

).

Thanks for the reality check regarding the root formation on both pieces of Ventrata...it makes sense. The original growing tip already had the "idea" of growing a tip and the lower cutting had the older, calloused cut-end. Both had positive attributes to them in regards to rooting. (Well, my "attribute story" sounds good so I'll stick with it until somebody shoots it down...3, 2, 1...POW!!!

). Those tiny nubs coming out on the lower cutting could possibly mean more work by the plant than the longer growth of the tip piece.

I have a question regarding the tips of a couple of the leaves. They appear to have started growing maybe a stem(?) or pitcher(?) but it looks like whatever it was at the tips dried up and died? I think this has been mostly on the Lucky Lady. What would this be a sign of...too much moisture?...plant is just not ready for such shenanigans?

I'll be checking on the cuttings in a little while. I also opened up the Lucky Lady, though not quiet as wide open as I did the Ventrata. If I see anything dramatic happening I'll post back with it.

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435540

By optique -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:43 pm
Location:  Greenville SC
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- Fri May 19, 2023 2:43 pm #435540

If Alabama is anything like SC in July you can just do cuttings in open air =p

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435541

By Panman -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:46 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 2:46 pm #435541

The tendrils drying up is normal for a plant that is not in ideal growing conditions. Because it is rooting, I would expect that. Once you have roots established, you will not want any water sitting in the bag or in a tray with nepenthes. The love high humidity, but much drier medium than any other carnivorous plant except may drosophyllum. Having any standing water will lead quickly to root rot. For actively growing plants, I top water until the water flows out the bottom. Then I wait until the surface is almost dry before watering again. Indoors, that can be several days. Outdoors it is typically every other day.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435542

By Panman -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:46 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
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- Fri May 19, 2023 2:46 pm #435542

optique wrote: ↑Fri May 19, 2023 2:43 pm If Alabama is anything like SC in July you can just do cuttings in open air =p

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435544

By Intheswamp -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:50 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 2:50 pm #435544

Panman wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 5:27 pm BTW, these are the scraps left over from the ventrata. I am experimenting to see how they do in just water and at room humidity. They are under growlights with a sunrise/sunset schedule. So far, all three pieces have activated growth points. I had a sangunea cutting that I grew in water for a long time. I hope to see how these do.

That is cool! They're looking just fine to me...healthy green and new grow points! Are you going to see how long they'll go in the water or will you pot them up once they get good roots established?

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435546

By Panman -  Fri May 19, 2023 2:53 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 2:53 pm #435546

Intheswamp wrote:Are you going to see how long they'll go in the water or will you pot them up once they get good roots established?

I'm going to leave them in water under lights and see what they do. I am pretty sure that once upon a time I had a cutting growing like that for at least a year. It grew roots and everything. It never pitchered, but it was not getting much care sitting in a fairly shaded window sill.

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Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435547

By Intheswamp -  Fri May 19, 2023 3:21 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 3:21 pm #435547

Panman wrote: ↑Fri May 19, 2023 2:46 pm The tendrils drying up is normal for a plant that is not in ideal growing conditions. Because it is rooting, I would expect that. Once you have roots established, you will not want any water sitting in the bag or in a tray with nepenthes. The love high humidity, but much drier medium than any other carnivorous plant except may drosophyllum. Having any standing water will lead quickly to root rot. For actively growing plants, I top water until the water flows out the bottom. Then I wait until the surface is almost dry before watering again. Indoors, that can be several days. Outdoors it is typically every other day.

Ok, so the top, green shiny side wants humidity but the feet want it more dry. I'll get rid of the free standing water now and give their feet a better chance of breathing. Thanks!

As for the reference to SC and Alabama...the image doesn't seem to be loading. We're kinda in a flux all the time down here...we're affected mostly by the western winds coming in from Mississippi and Louisiana and storm systems that come in from the gulf. We're about 90 miles inland from the gulf. In July it can be oppressively hot and humid...or not.<sigh> Some years usually in late July and August it can turn into a kindling box in the area. The norm, though, is indeed HOT and HUMID.

Right now we're sitting at around 90% humidity and cloudy with chances of rain forecast for the next week.

When I check on the cuttings in a little while, I'll pour the remaining water out of the bags and maybe sit a saucer beneath them upside down. Do you think it would be better to let them acclimatize to a little lower humidity by leaving the bag tops opened or, with the rainy/cloudy weather predicted, should I go ahead and take them completely out of the bags?

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435548

By Intheswamp -  Fri May 19, 2023 3:29 pm
Location:  Lower Alabama (LA), USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  2373
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 3:29 pm #435548

Panman wrote: ↑Fri May 19, 2023 2:53 pm
Intheswamp wrote:Are you going to see how long they'll go in the water or will you pot them up once they get good roots established?
I'm going to leave them in water under lights and see what they do. I am pretty sure that once upon a time I had a cutting growing like that for at least a year. It grew roots and everything. It never pitchered, but it was not getting much care sitting in a fairly shaded window sill.

I remember when I was a kid (amazing!

) we grew a potato vine behind the kitchen sink (our mother was good about letting us "tinker"

). There was a window behind the sink that opened into the adjoining "den". With nothing but ambient room light from the overhead light and some coming in from the den and it's outside windows that potato vine turned into a giant! It grew up and across that window...and back again. Minimum of I'd say 8' long! Naturally, all good things must come to an end and before one of us kids disappeared into the vine never to be seen again the vine was ceremoniously...dumped.

That vine had to have grown like that for a good six months...probably longer. I'll bet, with the affinity neps out for humidity, that yours will make a year mark and then some!

(Hmm, I really can't remember the exact ceremony we had when we dumped that potato vine...I'll have to ask my sister, it'll be something to bug her with!

).

Thanks for the help with the neps!!!

Re: Ventrata & Lady Luck cuttings progress#435550

By Panman -  Fri May 19, 2023 4:28 pm
Location:  Atlanta, GA USA Zone 7b
Posts:  5661
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm

- Fri May 19, 2023 4:28 pm #435550

Panman wrote:As for the reference to SC and Alabama...the image doesn't seem to be loading.

Fixed it.

Intheswamp wrote:Ok, so the top, green shiny side wants humidity but the feet want it more dry. I'll get rid of the free standing water now and give their feet a better chance of breathing. Thanks!

Right. Think of a vine growing in the fork of a tree. It is going to get most of its moisture through the leaves. If neps roots sit in wet soil, they will rot.

Intheswamp wrote:Do you think it would be better to let them acclimatize to a little lower humidity by leaving the bag tops opened or, with the rainy/cloudy weather predicted, should I go ahead and take them completely out of the bags?

I'd leave them in the bags with the bag opened and watch for decline. At the moment, you're not sure that they have roots so you still want to keep them in intensive care for observation.

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