Chams and Nepenthes

[dinomom]

Just a little pictorial evidence of how well these two go together! My nepenthes in all enclosures are putting up blooms.

Normally it is best to cut them off...but on these particular ones it is the first time they have bloomed and I want to know the sex of the plant (which can only be accurately done once the bloom opens).

In this case the bloom is bigger than the little fella but I guess he saw it growing so there is no fear.

 

[Beman]

The joy of keeping chameleons that do not eat their plants. lol

 

[dinomom]

The joy of keeping chameleons that do not eat their plants. lol

There's one in Dino's cage, too but I half expect to come home to see it hanging out of his mouth....

But it is nice, because in the veiled cage even the "tough" plants (like big sheffelera leaves) all have browned triangular marks everywhere. their motto is, if in doubt, bite it!

 

[Beman]

There's one in Dino's cage, too but I half expect to come home to see it hanging out of his mouth....

But it is nice, because in the veiled cage even the "tough" plants (like big sheffelera leaves) all have browned triangular marks everywhere. their motto is, if in doubt, bite it!

I put a bromeliad in Beman's cage not expecting it to actually bloom. Walked in one day to it blooming and him ripping the blooms off. Nothing gets to stay pretty for long in his cage.

 

[MissSkittles]

I put a bromeliad in Beman's cage not expecting it to actually bloom. Walked in one day to it blooming and him ripping the blooms off. Nothing gets to stay pretty for long in his cage.

Pretty = yummy.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

My nepenthes in all enclosures are putting up blooms.

Our 2 nepenthes are currently hanging in the front window; neither has blooms or pitchers (but our VFT is shooting up a flower stem!)

We need to look up when the dormant period and duration are for this species.
OTOH, we might take a road trip to the water garden store and find some different species of CPs.

 

[Beman]

Pretty = yummy.

 

[dinomom]

Our 2 nepenthes are currently hanging in the front window; neither has blooms or pitchers (but our VFT is shooting up a flower stem!)

We need to look up when the dormant period and duration are for this species.
OTOH, we might take a road trip to the water garden store and find some different species of CPs.

Nip that bloom stalk!! It's VERY hard on VFT. I just cut off SIXTY stalks yesterday....

Your neps probably need more light in order to pitcher. Neps don't go dormant (or need to)

but slow down in winter due to lower light and usually come roaring back about now.

 

[Multivitamins]

Our 2 nepenthes are currently hanging in the front window; neither has blooms or pitchers (but our VFT is shooting up a flower stem!)

We need to look up when the dormant period and duration are for this species.
OTOH, we might take a road trip to the water garden store and find some different species of CPs.

My vft recently shot off a big flower spike as well it's a nice unexpected reward for not killing it. I know the vft like a cold snap but in San Diego that's tough to accomplish. I left it out over night during our recent string of "chilly" nights and I think that did the trick

I've veered away from the normal care sheets for my nep. I actually fertilized using a very diluted indoor mix and some tap water vs distilled And have been rewarded with bigger leaves and bountiful pitchers. I think my humidity is lacking as the pitchers don't seem to have nectar. But the new growth is encouraging enough. I've got 3 of the same species and have one as a control using only distilled no fert. One distilled with occasional fert and the last gets tap water. Hopefully they thrive this spring and summer. None are in the enclosure at this time but I'd like to get one acclimated to the enclosure

 

[dinomom]

You are plenty cold in San Diego, mine have to get their dormancy here in hotter Orange Co. It's as much about the shorter days as it is the weather and 50 degree nights are fine.

You can for sure fertilize neps, they are a lot like orchids. I love your controlled experiment and would love to hear periodic results!

 

[Sonny13]

I´ve got one pitcher in Neo´s enclosure under humid condition and directly under the a Jungle Dawn, however less to non growth or bloom.

And also got one in our living room, less humid with only light coming through the windows, and this one almost grows by the day, throwing in new leaves and pitchers

 

[dinomom]

I´ve got one pitcher in Neo´s enclosure under humid condition and directly under the a Jungle Dawn, however less to non growth or bloom.

And also got one in our living room, less humid with only light coming through the windows, and this one almost grows by the day, throwing in new leaves and pitchers

View attachment 322684View attachment 322683

It's like real estate, location, location, location Is it by any chance cooler by the window? That could be it since highland neps prefer cool temps. Either way, enjoy it!!

 

[Sonny13]

It's like real estate, location, location, location Is it by any chance cooler by the window? That could be it since highland neps prefer cool temps. Either way, enjoy it!!

no no, just a cool place in a cheap ass town. Okay, that’s interesting, it’s indeed a bit (much) cooler then in the enclosure. It’s full of light, but no warmth by the sun.

 

[dinomom]

Aha! I remembered you are in a cool climate and figured it is cooler by the window. I have a different version of this problem; in the summer the couple of neps I have by a window do badly, when they should do great due to all the light. But they hate the heat. Spring and fall they have light + cool and go crazy.

It's funny how much plant husbandry is like cham husbandry; sometimes the problem and the answer are right in front of us and we need someone else's perspective to see it. That's why the forum is so helpful!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

It's funny how much plant husbandry is like cham husbandry;

I keep telling people that some botany is part of chameleon keeping.

Missus was watching a vid on dracaenas this morning that went over an hour.
I expect ours will be improving directly....

 

[Sonny13]

It's funny how much plant husbandry is like cham husbandry; sometimes the problem and the answer are right in front of us and we need someone else's perspective to see it. That's why the forum is so helpful!

So true and just love it. It’s amazing how plants can grow within an eye blink and other plants need a year to grow one flower.