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Watering heliamphora


Guest Olivermurray7373

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I grew my Heliamphora in a home made grow case standing in water in summer and in winter they were in an adapted (enclosed) heated propagator with artificial lighting standing in water. Why on earth would I tell anyone not to stand them in water?

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Because the other conditions might not allow that. Don't get me wrong, I have much respect for you and your growing conditions, they are like I said the best conditions.

For Nepenthes I can speak out of own experience (and Heliamphora won't be much of a difference as they can rot too), you can hold them in standing water if your other conditions allow it, but I would say to a beginner to not keep them as wet because a Nepenthes plant can rot. So prudence is required if you are new to that plant.

Don't take this personal, this is supposed to be a constructive discussion with opinions, nothing else.

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I stand all of my Cephalotus in trays of water and have done so for many years. This has only ever caused me problems in the past where other conditions are not right, i.e. poor light and ventilation.

 

I only grow a few Heliamphora, and they grow extremely well for me. I have them potted in a mix of live Sphagnum moss and perlite, in net pots. One of them has a thick top dressing of orchid bark. The mesh pots sit in non-drained pot holders and I flood the pots right up to the surface of the potting medium, allowing the water to drain over time until about half way down before re-watering. If you look at Heliamphora in the wild then you see that many of them sit in water, sometimes quite high up the pitchers.

 

Now, the above works for me, but will not work for everyone, and probably would not for Oliver, as my conditions are different. Conversely, not everyone's methods would work for me. It is a lot to do with environmental conditions. I do not grow Heliamphora in high humidity, nor in non-aerobic potting mixes, I live in a cold climate and I provide them with ventilation and LOTS of light.

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For me there are no uniform rules how I have to water my plants – tray method or top watering. I do what works for me and my conditions.

I do everything as I feel that I should do this - from my experience and from my observations. But what works for me and my conditions, may not work for the others and their conditions…

 

I  water most of my Cephs from 2 months old seedlings to 10 and more years  old plants from above – top watering and it works for me. But

I also keep Cephs in tray with water and that again works perfectly for me.

 

I water R.gorgonias from above – top watering and the plant thrive. But I also keep other plant in tray with water and that again works for me.

 

I water Sundews, VFTs from above and the plants are more than happy but I also keep plants in water.

 

I water U. Reniformis from above and this year the plant has 7 huge and tall flower stalks – happy plant, but I also keep some plants year round in tray with water and again they flower for me…

 

I water the Heli from above  - top watering but I also keep the plant in tray with water.

So, I can not say which of the two methods is better and has advantage because both work for me and I can not reject either of the two.

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It should be pretty clear by now, that the method of watering is not the problem for growing Heli.

There is no reason to 'warn' people away from standing in trays of water - but equally they can be grown ok by just top watering.

Either method is perfectly fine.

 

The issues why peoples plants die is mostly down to light and ventilation. Heliamphora grow much healthier when given strong light and good ventilation - so lets put the blame for deaths where it belongs.

 

Sorry, but you can not compare Heli to Nep growing, they mostly require different conditions. I grow both.

Most Neps do not naturally grow in water logged conditions. A few people are able to grow Neps stood in trays of water and if that works for them then that is fine - but most off us don't grow them like that. Neps do well (perhaps best) in high or even direct light, but they are perfectly happy with much lower light levels.

 

I grow Heli in trays of water under a 300W envirolight. My Neps are under 72W tubes and watered from above, sometimes getting so dry they actually wilt.

Totally different conditions. Neps are much more tolerant of 'poor' conditions than Heli are - at least Highland Neps are, I can't really speak for lowlanders.

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Guest Olivermurray7373

Thanks for all the replies really helpfull. Another question is the top of the pitchers growing brown normal?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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That looks a sizeable plant. Hopefully the brown tips are on old/damaged pitchers. Is that a hole in the pitcher top left?

 

What really got my eye was the Nepenthes pot levitating in the top right corner.  :wizard:

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Guest Olivermurray7373

Thanks mobile it is now in the sunny position of the greenhouse. FredG I like to hang my nepenthes I think it looks cool.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ye it is a hole.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Just be careful it doesn't get too hot.

Like I said, I lost my largest plants in the past when I moved them out into a sunny(ish) 'sort of greenhouse' for the summer.

Young plants seem more forgiving of change and heat, older plants like yours look don't seem to like change - in my experience.

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OK, since nobody answered my topic about Helis, so I have to ask the most important part of my topic: how to water from top? I mean, how to know when have I poured enough water?

 

That would depend on you particular growing conditions. Perhaps you could tell us these, i.e. growing medium, humidity, in a terrarium?

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That would depend on you particular growing conditions. Perhaps you could tell us these, i.e. growing medium, humidity, in a terrarium?

Can't tell you that, since I still haven't got my heli, I was thinking 6o% white sphagnum peat, 40% perlite, and for humidity, I still don't know :( I want to inform myself well, since I don't want my plant to die.....

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