anyone use saucer tray?

[wconan]

hello all

I like to know has anyone use saucer tray befor? I like to know how well it works.


http://store.quarteracreorchids.com/saucertray.html

[mayres]

Any type tray filled with pebbles will do. I use many of them under my plants - increases the humidity in the near vicinity about 10% this time of year.

[kmarch]

I like big humidity tray. It's more flexible with a variety of pot sizes.

[tom499]

I use normal ones with pebbles. stops the cats drinking all the water from them

[pikevi]

I do use trays under ALL pots. They are used more to catch the spillage and drainage than for humidity ( except for venus fly trap and nepenthes).

[tom499]

becareful with trays for nepenthes!! They would do better with a humidity try and be watered either from the top or better still dunked in water then left to drain.

Its just that they can suffer with root rot especially in a tight compost like most are in.

[pikevi]

Thanks , tom499.

May be I made a mistake. I remember reading here or somewhere on the 'net that they require constant wetness. I will raise them up today and just wet the moss/dried grass under and around the pots.

VFT is sitting in a tray with pebbles and water and the base of the pot is in constant touch with water. I hope that is alright.

[tom499]

Yes thats perfect VTF do best sitting in a few cm of water.

I have also read that nepenthes should have a saucer of water, and to let it dry out before watering. I can eee how that can come about, but it wrong non the less.

In a funny way, i treat them like paphs keep them moist, error on the dry side.

[pikevi]

Nepenthes go dry!

[tom499]

They look great

some already starting to get good stems. may want to borrow a orchid spike to hold them up. could be taking a cutting off one of them by next year.

taking a cutting may seem a bad idea, but it stimulates growth from the base, and new growth appears from the cutting spot too, so you get a nice bushy look.

From the leaves they are getting good light, very healthy plants

I love nepenthes, you can watch them grow, as each new leave uncoils. Im waiting for a nice spread of new pitchers on a few of mine, as they all start to ripen.

[pikevi]

Thank you, tom499.

I did see a few new baby pitchers on three of them.

After seeing your red I have fallen for the red pitchers. I hope I will be able to find them locally.

I will find some stakes to prop them up shortly.

I may also ask for some info on getting cuttings from them when they are mature and ready.

[tom499]

Depending on your N. variety the pitchers on yours may well go red. Once they start to mature you should get lower pitchers, which with abit of sun should turn a nice red colour. The pitchers you are getting now will still likely be upper pitchers which tend to be greener.

[pikevi]

Yes, you are right. The baby pitchers are green with reddish peristomata.