Martin Hingst

thanks :) 30cm diameter

thanks all :) Jaicen, these are esseriana. Here a recent shot - I suppose the immaculata are gone Pinguicula bowl Mar 2015 by Martin Hingst, auf Flickr

Thanks again :)

Thanks Steve :)

Some recent shots - enjoy :) DSC01010 by Martin Hingst, on Flickr DSC00997 by Martin Hingst, on Flickr DSC00994 by Martin Hingst, on Flickr IMG_1588 by Martin Hingst, on Flickr

hups - wrong thread sorry ;)

Its OK manders. I am happy with mine.

manders, I am strongly hesitating to take any credits of being "my theory" ;-) Something I observed when growing lowland tropicals, esp. Utricularia, was quite a strange paradoxon: I increased light level in my tanks to avoid etiolated growth, i.e. get shorter flower scapes. From a certain amount of light on, the plants showed even longer internodial distances, the higher the amount of light got. I stopped that at a point of 100.000 lux and started rethinking. The only explanation was the amount of heat increasing at the same time, while the plants had already reached their photosynthetical maximum. Then an observation maybe everyone has made: plants growing outside colour up more nicely and show more compact growth in autumn than in summer, although light intensity is going down. Can be explained by the same reason: temperature is going down as well, so even a few hours of autumn sunlight have a stronger effect on the plants than a whole day of summer sun.

manders, I guess I wrote it elsewhere already: a high light level can suppress the formation of a climbing vine in many Nephentes species. Something I followed over many years - there is quite some information, if you read posts and pictures esp. of habitat plants under this point of view. What makes sense: a Nepenthes in an open clearing will find no support for a climbing vine. And as soon as climbing vines will reach the bright lit treetops, they will stop climbing as well. And light level is a relative quantity, with at least two parameters involved: luminosity divided by temperature. So 100.000 lux at say 35°C may be far less than 50.000lx at 25°C - the latter being my actual conditions. A recent pic that came straight to my mind is this N. maxima, part of the GFP cp calendar 2015 (btw worth purchasing again - and we made it even cheaper this year ;-)

Carl, I made a third tank for the ventrinermis, there I use the MH lamp. Two amps are in there as well. Still have to learn to get the conditions right in there. Here a post in the German forum with some recent pics. http://forum.carnivoren.org/index.php?/topic/37080-hci-beleuchtung-f%C3%BCr-kleine-terrarien/

I do not think the Sphagnum has anything to do with it. It is just a top dressing in my pots (that arent that small either; 20cm square pots, quite deep) Lack of nutrients cant be the point either. I give them a spray with liquid fertiliser about monthly, from time to time I even add Osmocote to the soil. Light level is 600W/m2 of high output fluorescents, in 15cm distance. Plus the sun in the afternoon, at least in summer. Wouldnt call it low light. I am quite sure it is not up to the clone either, as my tricolor shows the same growth. I am quite sure the combination of hight light level with moderate low temps (for a lowlander; just around 20-25°C) is one of the main reasons for this growth habit. Some more recent pics I have posted here: http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51636&hl= Regards Martin Nice ones Carl, btw :-)

Thanks Steve! Yes, my favorite Nepenthes as well. So compact and easy. Most other species are either compact and difficult, or equally easy but far too large for a tank like this. Good luck with yours - Martin

Some recent pics - still compact, and looking better and better :-) My girls seem to like it, too ;-) Some recent close-ups: Regards Martin

here a shot of mine some weeks ago... I do this from time to time ;-)

Eltern? Some nice development on your side?