Nepenthes Rajah

[nepenthes gracilis]

Hey everyone. I want a N.Rajah but I am not sure if I could care for it. I can prvide plenty of humidity and the soil mix is no problem. But i am not sure about temperatures. They are my main weakness when it comes to reducing them at night. How can I do this inside of my house in a terrarium? In the summer temps get about 70-80 F daytime and 55-60 F at night. In the winter I am not concerned if someone answers my question on indoor growing for N.Rajah. So to sum it up I need to know How to cool it in a terrarium in an individual pot. And if I can grow it outside during the summer out of the terrarium on my porch. Remember please tell me how to cool it both ways,inside of the terrarium and out. Thanks a lot Nep.G.

[nepenthes gracilis]

I forgot to add where can I get this plant? I checked Cook's website but it seems it hasn't been updated in ages! Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

I should be getting some nice N. rajah about 3" across sometime early January, provided the exporter can get the CITES 1 export permits.

As for growing rajah.. it is one of the most stubborn, unforgiving tempermental Nepenthes. If you can keep your day temps under 85 and night temps low 60s (preferably lower) and your humidity high during the day and higher at night (90-100%) it will do ok. I also find that rajah needs high quality water.
Tony

[fatboy]

NepG can I ask your reason for wanting rajah so much?
It is, of course, your choice, but there are species with pitchers that are as big or pretty close if that's what you are after. As Tony has said, rajah can be quite difficult and even in good conditions it is a relatively slow grower. Unless you are confident that you can hack the idiosyncracies of this plant it may be better to look at merriliana, truncata or one of the other larger lowlanders that are less demanding?

This is just a suggestion so please don't think I am trying to tell you what to grow.

Cheers, fatboy.

[nepenthes gracilis]

That's OK Fatboy I do grow Merrilliana and Truncata. They are giants too I know. I just want N.Rajah because it is so unusual. And I think it would be perfect for me because I don't like upper climing stems and upper pitchers. I personally think some upper pitchers on some species are rather boring. I also want it because it gets so large(pitcher wise). It is just so neat! And it is at an afforable price for me. Around 30-35 Dollars is what I saw at a website. I also want it to show off in my future greenhouse. If I get a swamp cooler I can grow it good. Now can you tell me (Tony already has Thanks Tony) how to care for it more? Yes I want more instrutions! Nep.G.

[Martin]

Ah... the "king" Nepenthes ;o)

@ Tony, how much is a THREE INCH N. rajah http://www.**********.com/iBhtml/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif!!!
this is relativly BIG for this spezies.

I' m growing my N. rajah (bought mine for less than 15 &#36, it's a great advantage to live in Germany, where so many Nepenthes freaks are ;o) )
...ahmm... I'm growing mine during summer at 80F day and 65-70F nighttime temperature inside my house in an eatsfacing window in a cool room with heating and additional lights during the days. The plant grows faster in winter at daytime tempearture around 75F and nightime drops down to 55-60F.
Humidity is around 80% but can drop soetimes. I give the plants a lot of frsh air with a fan + ultrasonic fogger which helps cooling the temeparture because of evaporating (about 3-5F less).

I have seen plants growing in an appletree ! during autumn /summer here in Germany. But you should definitly NOT try this with new plants a few weeks out of in vitro culture

Nepenths rajah can tolerate high daytimetemperatures even up to 90F or more, but humidity should be very high. At "normal" daytimetemperatures at 80F N. rajah can tolerate some humidity fluctuations if adepted to "hard" conditions.
daytime temperature MUST be higher than 70F, otherwise the plant will grow extremly slow.

Nightimetemperature MUST be SIGNIFICANTLY lower than Daytimetemperature. I don't know what would be best, but 50-55F might be the best.
Nightime humidity should be at leat at 80%, plants are growing faster in even higher humidity.
The plants appreciate air-movement.

Light levels should be high.

Use big pots ! Bigger than the plant diamater !! the plant has a very extensive root system.

Use a airy and well draind substrat.

Hmmm, this is all I know....

One question. My N. rajah has produced several new plants offshot. This is the only Nepenths spezies which has done this as a very young plnat.
I seperated three of the, two have survived but are growing extremly slow (2 leafes, 0,5" diameter)
3 new ones are still connected th the "mother" plant.

has anybody made the same experience ?
Does someone know the reason.
I think, the plant got to much hormones to stimulate devision during the invitro time.

Martin

[nepenthes gracilis]

OK so how can I obtain the correct temperature inside of my house? I think I will be growing it in a terrarium for a few months then move it to my greenhouse if I have ine by then. So how can I heat a terrarium? Place it by my "Laser" brand heater in my dining room? Or use a. aquqrium heater? Thanks Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

Hi Martin

I don't have a price yet but they will probably be around &#3635 usd. I suspect your correct about the offshoots with regard to proliferation while in tissue culture, carrying over to after they are removed and potted up.

Nep G Heat your terrarium?? I would think cooling would be an issue with an indoor terrarium??
Tony

[Martin]

maybe the best way to grow N. rajah (and other "real highlanders") indoors is in an cool room (even during summer) with additional heating and lighting during the day.

There is a very good homepage to this topic on the net :
<a href="http://www.plantswithattitude.com

Martin

" target="_blank">http://www.plantswithattitude.com

Martin

</a>
PS : 35&#36 seems to be a fair prize for a rajah with this size.
Mine is about 2,5&quot; at the moment but does not show mature features (peltate tendril insortion, for excample) There are always only 4 green leafes and 2-3 living pitchers (0,5&quot;) at one time.


(Edited by Martin at 3:20 pm on Dec. 3, 2001)

[nepenthes gracilis]

Ohh Really! Great! I hate heating. Cooling is OK. I grow Ventricosa and Veitchii(I think it is Veitchii) in a unheated tank. Would that be OK for it with a daytime temp of about 50-60 and a nightime temp of about 40-50. I think that is too cold for day temps but nightime temps sound good to me how about you? Thanks Tony and Martin. You are really helping me out ALOT! Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

Why's your terrarium so cold??

I would say 55-62 at night, 75-80 during the day.
Tony

[nepenthes gracilis]

My terrarium is cold?? The Ventricosa and Veitchii grow well in it. Aloong with the P.Ionatha,and D.Adelae. If it is to cold should I move it next to my dining room heater? Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

Well if you feel the plants are growing well I would not move it.
T

[nepenthes gracilis]

OK Tony. Since my Grandmother has a scanner and I have some pics. of all my plants I'll try to get up there sometime this week and post them as well as the long awaited pic of the unidentified Nepenthes! Umm.. last night my internet was screwed up so i'll repost this message since it didn't go through.

For N.Rajah I have decided what I want to know for a sum up. What are the BEST growing conditions to grow it in? Please fill in these or give me a list of the BEST growing conditions.


Soil-
Light-
Temp.-
Natural Growing Conditions in The Wild-
Humidity-

Thank You Very Much! Sorry for all of the endless questions but this plant is so challenging and as well as amazing! Thanks. Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

Soil.. fine mix but loose, well drained
Light.. high
Temp.. Night 55-60, day 80
Humidity..Night 90%+, day not much lower than 70%
(much more sensitive to water quality than most Nepenthes)

Natural growing conditions:
Open grassy sloping areas in loose soil. 1500-2600 m elevation.

(Lowland is generally considered 0-1000m)
T

[nepenthes gracilis]

I have plenty of pure water so that isn't a concern. About the soil could you give me a mix you or someone you know uses that is suitable for it and that it grows great in. Also what soil does it grow in naturally? Thanks. Nep.G.

[Mondo]

Hmm this picture might give u a clue as to the type of soil it naturally grows in,though i doubt it.

http://www.vcps.au.com/pics/plants/n_rajah.jpg

(Edited by Mondo at 10:35 pm on Dec. 4, 2001)

[nepenthes gracilis]

Whoa! That one BIG Pitcher! Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

I would be less concerned with what the soil is that it naturally grows in. Potting mix must be tailored to your own growing conditions. BUT as a starting point:
It naturally grows in loose gravely ultramafic soil.

I can't really say exactly what mix or blend of ingredients you should use. I have used 100% New Zealand sphag. I have also used a mix of peatmoss/perlite/laterite. I have also used a mix of fine coconut husk chips/Chopped NZ sphag/perlite.

I can't say the plants have down better or worse in either mix. More critical to success as long as the potting mix is very well drained will be temperature and moisture levels.
Tony

[nepenthes gracilis]

What the heck is ultramafic soil??? Tony you know the sphagnum that grows around here don't you? Could I use that? I have a Truncata growing in it and it seems to be doing fine. Nep.G.

[Tony Paroubek]

Mafic means: of or pertaining to rocks rich in iron, magnesium or other dark minerals. Ultra being Highly.
SOO Ultramafic soil.. soil highly rich with rocks containing iron, magnesium etc... As opposed to soil containing sedimentary rock (sandstone, limestone etc)..

Basically means a very gravelly soil but one which is pretty unaffected by the gravel since it is very dense and insoluable. The important thing here is that it is loose and drains FAST because of the high gravel content.

I would imagine the Sphag would be fine as long as it is not over compressed.
Tony

[nepenthes gracilis]

Ok I didn't know that term. Thanks Nep.G. One question is it nessasary to feed Rajah rats or small mamals such as mice. Or do you just feed it very large quantitys of insects. Nep.G.

[Martin]

Hi Nepenthes gracilis,

I Think you have the wrong imagination of growing N. rajah.
You will NOT get huge pitchers. If you can provide your plnat with good conditions, than you will have 3 cm pitchers after 2 years and maybe 6 cm pitchers after 5 years.
IF the conditions are good !

So you don't need to hink about feeding them rats or something else.
Johannes M. has the biggest N. rajah I have ever seen in cultivation. The plant is more than 10 years old and grew up under excellent conditions (Johannes has a greenhaous only for highland Neps) The plant flowered this spring and had no pitchers when I saw it. He showed us some dried old pitchers and they have been about 15cm in high.
Getting huge pitchers will take many, many, many, ma.... years !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(in nature the plants are producing about 2-3 leafes in one year. the internodes are about 2-3cm, so some big plants are more than 100 years old !!!)

Martin

[Tony Paroubek]

I will let you know when I have a rajah that considers a mouse a nice midnight snack food. I suppose occasional feeding with pesky neighbor body parts wouldn't hurt either.

On a serious note...no you don't need to feed it small mammals. My understanding is that although they can catch them in the wild, it is probably very occasional and purely by accident. I would also think that such a meal would most likely rot the pitcher. A slow steady diet of insects would be much more preferable. Providing the plant with a steady intake of nutrients for steady growth vs. the occasional huge meal.
Tony

[nepenthes gracilis]

That is OK Martin I just thought it would get large over 3-4 years. 100 years!! That can live out human life! Old plants in the wild!

Tony what is the largest pitcher you have ever had on Rajah?(In inches please) Also if it does grow (even if I get it) what rate will it grow at? As fast as Merrilliana? Speaking of Merriliana how long will it take to get it's large pitchers? As long as Rajah? Thanks,I love talking about Nepenthes! Nep.G.

[nepenthes gracilis]

Forgot to mention I have LOTS of pesky tourists in the summer here in Alexandria Bay NY.The big attaration usually is Boldt Castle. I'd say to a drunken one. &quot;Hey you&quot; Yeah&quot; &quot;Come here for a second sir.&quot; He walks in and I shove him in the pitcher! Nep.G.

[nepenthes gracilis]

Just joking about the above post! Nep.G.

[RamPuppy]

NG&lt;

I just read that apparently N. Rajah is a surface rooting plant, meaning it doesn't usually put it's roots deep into the media.

A suggestion made in the care tips I was reading said to put the plant in a shallow wide tray, so that it can spread it's roots out, and that perhaps this assist it in growing larger...

That being said, i wouldn't go too shallow, as it will dry out faster, if you go this method, keep the tray deep, so it holds more moisture.

[nepenthes gracilis]

Cool Ram. I think I will go with Rajah sometime once i get a green house so I can have good growing conditions to put it in. Nep.G.