Kevan Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Hi, I purchased a red ampullaria, nice plant and larger than I expected (15cm diameter). It is growing well, but is growing upwards - vine rather than ground rossette. My speckled ampullaria is only a ground rossette. Question - willl the red one only grow upwards or will it eventually form a ground rossette? I appreciate that it was a cutting and hence is form a vine growth, but if possibel I shpuld like it to be ground only - otherwise it will outgrow my tank in a year. Alternativley - will it grow as a windowsill plant not in a terrarium? Many thanks Kevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 It will probably start growing a rosette sooner or later, but i seems to depend on the particular plant, ive got plants showing both types of growth at the same age... As for growing on a windowsill, i grow mine in a conservatory all summer and once overwintered them there too, never actually tried on a windowsill though. If you can keep it fairly warm ~20+c and give it enough light (i find they like lots of sun or bright light) then i suspect it will probably be ok. Of the clones i grow i found some are more tolerant of cool temperatures than others but they all like lots of lights, warmth and humidity to grow best. Mine have survived winter at between 10-20c, night and day, but they didn't look good by the end of it, and only survived because I put them under a 400W HID lamp when i realised they were suffering from lack of light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) Your two plants will grow the same way, they are just in different stages of growth at this time. Nepenthes usually start out as a seedling which grows into a rosette. Some plants can stay in this growth stage for years; while others start to vine fairly quickly. But then later on, the plant will branch again from the base of the first branch and, in time, grow out more branches. This happens the fastest in N. ampullaria, so you picked the right species; with multiple basal rosettes forming at once making a carpet of pitchers. Check out my web page which has photos showing plants starting to branch from the base: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dpevans/Nepent..._ampullaria.htm I'd say you have to give this species as least 40 cm of vertical space above the soil for it to vine so it can get long enough to start growing branches. Edited October 5, 2009 by Dave Evans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I find a severe pruning helps encourage basal rosettes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benenthes Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 where have you got your red ampullaria from? :) cheers Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Most of my plants, including N. 'Brunei Red' are from Borneo Exotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 hi ben, From member Paulo09 - he still has some on his sales list. Kevan where have you got your red ampullaria from? :)cheers Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Thanks Stephen, I will let it settle in a bit more before taking the knife to it though. Kevan I find a severe pruning helps encourage basal rosettes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benenthes Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted October 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 If I had looked in my historical inbox I would have found this message from Martin Hingst ''[That's why I only have few nepenthes -only those that stay compact. I also like the red and tricolor forms very much (esp. this "Harlekin" plant in the 2008 cp calendar), but at least the red one grows too tall for my taste, so I am not willing to pay these high prices.'' So it's get a new tank or sell the plant! Thanks for the replies guys. Kevan quote name=Kevan' date='3rd October 2009 - 10:42 AM' post='253925] Hi, I purchased a red ampullaria, nice plant and larger than I expected (15cm diameter). It is growing well, but is growing upwards - vine rather than ground rossette. My speckled ampullaria is only a ground rossette. Question - willl the red one only grow upwards or will it eventually form a ground rossette? I appreciate that it was a cutting and hence is form a vine growth, but if possibel I shpuld like it to be ground only - otherwise it will outgrow my tank in a year. Alternativley - will it grow as a windowsill plant not in a terrarium? Many thanks Kevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Hingst Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 (edited) Hi Kevan, I have no proof so far, but a theory, that the formation of a climbing vine in N. ampullaria is triggered by a low light level (among other factors like age of course). Or better - repressed at high light levels. What would make sense - in a bright lit forrest clearing or open meadow there would be no tree to climb. So light could be of more importance than the clone. My speckled N. ampullaria is still forming ground rosettes (at the age of 10+ years) and no climbing vines. It grows on a bright S/E window sill with a 36W lamp above in ~15-20cm distance. Still nice and compact. At this years' EEE in Ghent I couldn't resist and bought a small red one and a tricolor. I have put them in my ampullaria tank and will be able to compair the growth behavior of these three now under equal conditions. Lets see what the result will be in two years. So maybe strong light will help yours to stay compact. Otherwise you still have the chance to cut it and make it produce new ground rosettes again. Good luck Martin Edited October 9, 2009 by Martin Hingst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Hello Martin, It sound like you've somehow bonsai'ed your N. ampullaria. Ten years without much growth? There has to be some limiting factor you've overlooked. By now, it should have two or three vines and several basal rosettes. N. ampullaria can grow free standing stems up to about 1.25 meters before they fall over or need to start climbing on another object. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have no proof so far, but a theory, that the formation of a climbing vine in N. ampullaria is triggered by a low light level (among other factors like age of course). Or better - repressed at high light levels.What would make sense - in a bright lit forrest clearing or open meadow there would be no tree to climb. So light could be of more importance than the clone. I'd have to completely agree with this, all of my amps when subjected to high light levels have grown basal rosettes and starting growing side shoots at various positions along the main stem. The trigger was putting them under a 250W envirolite for 14 hours a day. In previous years with lower light levels basal/side shoot growth has been minimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hi Kevan, can you post a photo of the plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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