Sundews69 wrote:I've really wanted a N. hamata for a while, but I don't want to get one if it'll die.
All plants will die eventually. Some won't survive transplant or shipping shock. Some will survive for a few months. Some will survive for a few years. Others will survive for a few decades. But unless you're planning on growing a bonsai, it won't be alive long term. The question is how many years are you looking to enjoy its company before it moves on.
Sundews69 wrote:Has anybody grown them seccesfully under intermediate conditions? If you have, do you have any tips or tricks?
I have a Hamata (3380) that has been growing in intermediate conditions since 4/18/2021. The actual temperature and humidity over the last year is below. It tends to grow slower in the summer months (when temps are higher) and better in the winter months (when you get the cooler nights), but it's put off some neat pitchers. Overall I'd agree that humidity is more important to hamata than temperatures, and temperature differential (drop at night) is more important than actual temperature (within reason). I have a few small heaters in the grow area to target a minimum day temp of 75 or so. During the winter it usually hits 75, but in the summer it can hit 80. The heaters turn off at night, and it's just whatever temperature the room gets, typically high 60's in the summer and high 50's in the winter. Humidity targets 75% during the day, and 90% at night. But there's some variation there.
Because I was able to keep it alive, I got another hamta (4044) and an edwardsiana last November. Both are considerably slower to adapt and grow than 3380.
Sundews69 wrote: I plan to try something that is much cheaper but requires the same conditions before I try a pure hamata. Does anyone have any suggestions?
If you haven't owned a nepenthes before, I'd suggest going with something that isn't expensive and is a prolific grower. A Sanguinea is my go to recommendation. Grows like a weed.
If you want something a little more challenging, and as a bridgeway into a hamata, I'd recommend a hamata cross. I originally thought I couldn't keep a pure hamata alive, so I got a burkei x hamata. It's listed as a "highland" but it grows really well in intermediate conditions. Throws off some nice, dark, toothy pitchers.
If you want something a little more exotic than that, Carnivero has some good toothy (which I consider villosa, hamata, edwardsiana, diabolica, and macrophylla) crosses. Something mixed with veitchii would work well. I have a veitchii x edwardsiana and a villosa x veitchii that both grow substantially better than any of my pure species. I also have an edwardsiana x maxima that appears to love all growing conditions. Puts off some large (semi)toothy pitchers. I wouldn't call any of them cheap though.
FWIW, crosses between the toothy species I haven't found to be very prolific. I have a hamata x edwardsiana that was supposedly going to be more vigorous than hamata or edwardsiana, due largely to hybrid vigor. The vigor might be 5-10% more growth. Which, while nothing to shake a stick at, if it takes my eddy 5 months to put off a new leaf, 5-10% faster would put it at 19-20 weeks instead of 21 weeks. Not much difference really. I would suspect hamata x villosa, or Harryana (villosa x edwardsiana) to perform the same.