Sundews69 wrote:bro, how are you growing a hamata and a hamata x edwardsiana with nighttime temps around 74F?
To clarify, my nightime temps only get up to 74 degrees for a few weeks during the summer. That's the peak. They don't stay up there for extended weeks or months. When nighttime temps get up that high, daytime temps also can peak around 78 or 80. The drop in nighttime temps may matter more than what the temps are, but who knows. I also don't have decades of growth data to compare. One hamata has been growing for me under these conditions since April, and the hamata x edwardsiana since May. I got another hamata and an edwardsiana about a month ago, since the other two have been doing fine for over 6 months. All of them seem to do better when the cold(er) weather rolls around, and seemed to simply maintain their presence in the July-August time frame.
Who knows, they could all kick the bucket in a year or so. But so far they're all pitchering and growing fine. My current assessment, especially after hearing many others that grow hamata and edwardsiana in less than ideal conditions, is that the rumors of hamata's "ultra-highland pickiness" attitude is a little inflated. But again, who knows.
Sundews69 wrote:I have been wanting to get a vogelii. Are they finicky or are they fairly easy to grow and vigorous?
Vogelii's nickname is "slowgelii." It is generally an easy plant to grow, but it has been very slow to put off new leaves and pitchers. Although what it has appears to be healthy and vigorous. Take that for what you will.
The sanguinea grows like a weed. Literally. Can't hold that thing back under any condition.
The edwardsiana x maxima, ampullaria, Dyeriana, and alata are very steady growers.
The burkei x hamata, petiolata x vogelii, and most of the veitchii and veitchii crosses are slow and steady growers (who occasionally pout and pitch a fit if you repot them or change their growing conditions).
The hamata, BVL, and vogelii are on the slow/sluggish side.
All, at least, under my growing conditions, and the particular cultivars I have. Everyone elses' mileage may vary.
But that's kinda the point. What grows well for me won't for someone else. Ampullaria works fine for me, but bical won't. Hamata's and veitchii's work slow and steady, but for someone else may take off like a rocket or die on the spot. Where do you fall? No one knows. And it can be an expensive lesson to jump in and find out. Which is why you're better off finding a forgiving plant. Keep it alive, keep it pitchering, keep it growing. Then, when you've found out the conditions are conducive to nepenthes in general, branch out a little. I started with sanguinea, then 8 months later tried something a little more challenging (petiolata x vogelii), then 11 months after that (19 months total) tried something a little further out of the wheelhouse (edwardsiana x maxima), THEN 4 months after that (23 months total) rolled the dice with something even more challenging (hamata). I didn't jump into a hamata to start. I had 2 years of experience keeping nepenthes alive, testing the boundaries of what is likely to do well.