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Highland Problems

I just wanted to know why my plants are doing this: The leaves are smaller and the pitchers are smaller. On some, like the Ventricosas the change isn't real dramatic but my fusca has now started growing faster with fairly average leaves and puny pitchers.
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All the lowland plants are fine and one Amp is even has two sprouts at it's base. I can't think of any other reason for this to happen...
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Can you describe your set up.  

Type and duration and intensity of all light sources (including the sun)
Temperature range between day and night.
Moisture levels?
Are you feeding the pitchers?
Tony
 
I THINK that as with cephalotus, it goes strong light = small wi/ lots of colour (protecting from burn, and the fact that they dont need to spend as much energy to get what they need from the sun, hence the smaller leaves), and vica versa for bigger leaves... They are bigger kuz they need as much surface area to absorb sun as possble, but the colouration is bad kuz its not protecting itself from burn...

I THINK thats how it is, but don't quote me... I'm guessing theres a huge error in my logic...
 
Yes Parasuco that is true. Plants will often make smaller, thicker, lighter green leaves when they are subjected to higher light levels. My plants tend to get smaller when they establish in my greenhouse. Usually by the time they are back to the size when I got them, the pitchers are much larger than when they originally arrived.

There is one troubling point that Gafoto makes though...
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">and the pitchers are smaller[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
There are a number of reasons why this could be. Or a combination of factors. More information will be very helpful in determining what might be the problem
Tony
 
As Tony already pointed out, leafes do get much thicker when grown under high light levels. And they are also much sturdier than the ones grown under low light levels. Touching them with your fingers will tell you what is happening.

Joachim
 
And thicker leaves means better toleration of environmental changes. IE: humidity fluncuations,pests,disease. And thicker leaves means a healthier plant.
 
They had been living in a much smaller terrarium but now they have a little bit more room. The day tempeture is between 84 and 90 degrees during the day and drops down to about 75 at night. I have a hygrometer which is wildly accurate but shows be big changes in humidity which I alwa counter with misting. They aren't sitting in water and they're about 7-8 inches away from the light. They seemed to bet doing fine after I transplanted them from the small terrarium this spring. The only major climactic change might have been the air conditioner going on. This doesn't seem like it would help but it keeps the terrarium from getting up to a roasting 95 during the day and I don't have any problem with it dehumidifying the air. I'm so confused... Even stranger is the fact that the N. Fusca is producing leaves quite quickly, and seems far healthier (Except for the tiny pitchers) than before. There, I'm done.
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well light sounds fine. Humidity should not be an issue inside a terrarium even with AC going in the room. Unless it is fairly open but that is not the impression I get.

I am figuring your temps are too high. The temperature range your indicating 75 night 85-90 day is lowland conditions. The 85-90 day is not the end of the world but if you want to keep your highlands happy it really needs to get to 60-62 range at night. Lower than that even for the less tolerant and the ultrahighlands.

Tony
 
Other than fusca what are the highland plants in your collection? Most of them like around 65* at night (and even colder is better). Also an airconditioner will dry out the air (thanks for the info a while back Tony) so you'll need to have a humidifier running at the same time you have the AC on if the plants are in contact with that cooled air.

I have my highland enclosure hooked up to an airconditioner by a dryer duct & vent hose with a hose from the humidifier intercepting the vent hose just before it reaches the enclsoure (horray for duct tape). This gives me 80-100% humidity at night and 50* (maybe less in winter-we'll see). I hooked up the ultrasonic humidifier and AC to timers so it's all done automatically and All I have to do is water, feed and enjoy my plants (and refill the humidifier)!  At this time of year you can get a 5,000 BTU window airconditioner at hardware superstores and drug stores for about $99 and it'll keep a real large collection cool (a 10'ft x 10ft room I think...) and the Vicks 2 gal capacity ultrasonic humidifier (model V5100) will run about $30-$45.
 
  • #10
hehh.. swords, maybe those things can keep a space where YOU live that cool... in Texas, that's like, enough for about 10 square inches!
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jk... seems like it sometimes though!

Seriously though, I have noticed since summer has arrived and ambient temps are higher, that the Rocco X Fusca I have has not been doing as well... I am thinking about trading it, as long as I can turn around and get a cutting off it at a later date... Who knows...

it's a pretty cool plant...
 
  • #11
I have one Fusca, three Ventricosas, two sanguineas (one chocalate and one ordinary), and an assortment of lowlanders who are quite happy. I suspect the light might have been the case bcs my Merriliana (one purchased from this site) was getting a reddish tinge on the leaves so I had to move it to the side, away from the light more.

Another question I recently bought and ampullaria and it was leaning heavely so I tied to a small bamboo pole to keep it from crushing stuff I noticed my Hookerianas (Amp x Raff) are doing the same thing. They have totally started growing sideways. It's not too much weight I just assumed they did that. Perhaps they are growing away from the light...

I've moved one ventricosa to a location with stronger light. I will see what happens with it. I'm inclined to disagree with you Tony bcs the plants have been in the same terrarium before the AC came on for about 2 months. It was about 90-05 degrees during the day and 85 at night. They seemed happy. (All except the fusca which has never been happy)
 
  • #12
Plants don't grow away from too strong light. They grow towards the strongest light source. Merrilliana should have a red tinge to the leaves.

What kind of light source are you using? How many watts? and how close to the plants? Also is the terrarium getting any light from a window or something nearby?

Ventricosa and sanguinea although technically highlands will tolerate warm temperatures usually without difficulty. Fusca is less likely to take it as well. A clear sign the plant is heat stressed is that it is growing fast with smaller pitchers. (not to mention you do say that the fusca has never been happy)

You mention they were happy (except the fusca) for 2 months before you had the AC going and that temperatures were even higher than they are now. 2 months is not enough time to gage how well a Nepenthes is doing with it's growing temperature range.
Tony
 
  • #13
OK, I'll track them for a while and see what happens...
 
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