Nepenthes Burbidgeae - Cultivation

Cultivation

Little information has been published on the growing requirements of N. burbidgeae. In Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them, Adrian Slack wrote that cuttings of N. burbidgeae were more difficult to root than those of other Nepenthes species.

In 2004, professional horticulturist Robert Sacilotto published a summary of measured tolerances of highland Nepenthes species, based on experiments conducted between 1996 and 2001. Nepenthes burbidgeae was found to be tolerant of a fairly wide range of conditions, particularly in terms of temperature and soil composition; it grew in every substrate used in the experiment. However, plants showed stunted growth when grown in a mixture consisting of 50% silica gel, 20% Sphagnum moss, 20% fir bark, and 10% peat moss chunks. The highest growth rates were exhibited by specimens in 50% leached perlite, 30% long fiber Sphagnum moss, 10% peat moss chunks, and 10% fir bark, as well as media without fir bark and with a higher percentage of Sphagnum. Nepenthes burbidgeae was found to tolerate temperatures in the range of 9 to 41°C (48° to 105°F). A nighttime drop in temperature below 18°C (65°F) was necessary for good growth; plants that were not exposed to such a drop grew around 50% slower and produced fewer pitchers. Optimal growth rates were observed with daytime temperatures of 20 to 29°C (68° to 85°F) and nighttime temperatures of 12 to 16°C (54° to 60°F). Soil with a pH of 4.8 to 5.5 produced the best results; values below 3.5 corresponded with slower growth. Optimal soil conductivity was between 10 and 24 microsiemens, and prolonged exposure of one week or more to levels of more than 60 microsiemens resulted in foliar burn. The experiments suggested that N. burbidgeae grows best when relative humidity is in the range of 68 to 95%. However, constant exposure to high humidity in excess of 90% resulted in disease outbreaks and increased plant death rates. Seedlings of less than one year proved to be particularly vulnerable to this. Optimal light levels varied depending on the light source used: 8100–11000 lx (750–1000 fc) in sunlight, 7000–9700 lx (650–900 fc) under high pressure sodium lamps, 6500–9100 lx (600–850 fc) under metal halide lamps, and 5400–7300 lx (500–680 fc) under fluorescent lamps. Nepenthes burbidgeae could be grown in lower light conditions, but such plants exhibited etiolated growth and reduced colouration. The species was found to respond well to a fertilizer that was applied to the pitchers on a monthly basis, but a foliar feed using the same solution produced no visible change in growth rate.