N. rajah, outdoors.

[Capslock]

I've been toying with the idea of growing a N. rajah outdoors here in San Franisco for a while, and finally got the guts. The light seems right where it is, and the temperatures and humidity are generally in the right range. Here it is (thanks Tony!), and that's a D. spatulata I put in the front corner. I really hope this works!

Capslock

 

[superimposedhope]

You never know until you try. I want to try growing outdoors here in Omaha,NE. Griffin says that it dont work (if I remember right), but if acclimated right it should. Avrg. temp in summer mid 90's with 90+ humididty. Thats about as lowland as it gets. I have no greenhouse.

Any way, its always cool when something out of the ordinary will grow in your area.

Joe

 

[superimposedhope]

BTW nice basket! Is it one of those "orchid" crate lookin things. A companion is good.

Joe

 

[Tony Paroubek]

After years of struggling with this species.. I have determined that they like to eat...ALOT!

Look forward to progress reports as the plant settles in and starts making new growth.

T

 

[Borneo]

We're growing them outdoors in a field just like rows of potatoes and have found to our amazement that the results have been far better than we ever achieved in the nursery. I'm not sure if it's because there is more room for the roots to spread out sideways or whether because of natural prey, ore perhaps both. Anyway, good luck Capslock!

 

[Electric Carnivores]

San Franisco has great temps for out door cultivation i dont think at all you would have a problem. Good luck looks great!

: Electric Carnivores :

 

[Stefano1]

Quote[/b] (Borneo @ April 09 2004,10:45)]

We're growing them outdoors in a field just like rows of potatoes and have found to our amazement that the results have been far better than we ever achieved in the nursery.  I'm not sure if it's because there is more room for the roots to spread out sideways or whether because of natural prey, ore perhaps both.  Anyway, good luck Capslock!

thats interesting, im assuming by you saying for their roots to spread out farther that they are not in pots and that that they arnt for sale?

 

[Borneo]

That's right, they're just planted out in the ground, no special media. Actually they aren't for sale because of the risks of infestation by pests such as nematodes. It's an interesting experiment though and the results are surprising me very much.

 

[trashcan]

My short experiment with growing Nepenthes outdoors, planted went well. I tried it with a sturdy N.ventrata that made the typical half red pitchers and flared peristome.

It was already grown outside, but in a pot. I planted it in the only section of the yard that wouldn't get mowed, some red clay beside a water utility access thingy.

After planting, there was no growth for approximately six months. Nothing. Then, it started to take off. It formed new leaves very quickly from a basal shoot, and was making 2-3" solid red pitchers. It was also very popular with the local ants, who quickly filled up the pitchers. Sadly, I moved after about two months after it started pitchering, so I have no idea what happened after that. Maybe the new occupants of the house thought it was a weed, and threw it away, maybe its still growing... No idea!

If anyone is interested, the climate in Okinawa is very tropical. Very warm, and very humid because it is a small island. The climate is probably very similar to Hawaii, but I've never been there in the winter.

 

[schloaty]

This will be my second year putting neps outside.  I found last year that some loved it, and some didn't like it.  I think that was because they were acclimated to a terrarium, so even though my humidity in the summer is almost always over 65 or 70%, it still wasn't what they were accustomed to.  However, sturdier plants like tha ventrata just went bananas.  All of my plants were potted, as winter here is not exactly nep friendly.

Good luck capslock, let us know how it goes (that means we need a new pic in the thread every single day

)

 

[The Griffin]

What a thread.
Rob, I know living in the midwest of the US has probably got some advantages over living in Sri Lanka, but you make it hard for me to think of any when you post things like this, lol. I just have this visual of you in overalls whistling behind a plow while tossing Nepenthes seed over your shoulder, LOL.
Superimposed Joe:
My experience of trying Nepenthes outdoor here in Lincoln(Nebraska) was a N. x ventrata and it did not produce any additional pitchers. Our humidity seems to be around 50% in the Summer. I know you have the Missouri River close by, but 90% is quite a change from 50 miles away. If your humidity is that high, you should be able to put some lowlanders out for the Summer. I say go for it and let us know.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I like that mental image of Rob

Superimposed.. I have a hard time believing it is 90% humidity.  That is incredibly high.  I don't think my greenhouse gets that humid with misters running continuously from just after sun up to just before sundown.  Not to say you shouldn't try some of the hardier types though.  I think that everyone should at some point and most would be pleasantly surprised that some Nepenthes are very tolerant and will perform quite well given time and careful acclimatization.
Tony

 

[superimposedhope]

Ok Griffin and Tony, Come late May in to June check weather channelon TV or online and look at the humidity in Omaha,NE. You will be surprised, we are downright tropical for at least 2 months but closer to 3-4.mid May to August is intense here. I don't blame you though people don't typically think of any part of NE being that way.
Ok, guys I have bical, truncata, merrilliana which do you think would take the heat (90-100+) and intense light of July/August? Bical ?

Joe

 

[Spectabilis73]

Seeing Rob doing that would make my day!

The 90% humidity is probably from fog, or its like that right before or after a light drizzle.... I too find it hard to believe that at 100 degrees the humidity would still be 90% ! That means the dew point would be at around 30ºC!

No way!

 

[superimposedhope]

No man,
All day most days and when its not in the 90's its still in the 80's. Beleive it or not there are alot of days that are absolute saturation at 100%hum. It is miserable in July/August here.
Griffin, maybe this summer you might make a journey to see and feel for yourself. This is true. Its not this way 100% of the summer but the middle 3 months are this way 6 out of 7 days a week at least.

Joe

 

[Borneo]

Joe, you're spot on with the imagery. Only thing wrong is that I can't whistle! I'll have to learn!

 

[schloaty]

I beleive Superimpose! I've felt days like that in New York (though not often). But we do get several days a summer with both temp and humidity over 90%. I love it! It's the only time of year my nose doesn't run....

 

[The Griffin]

Okay, okay. I will visit Joe sometime and check it out. It's only a 40 minute drive. I know people around here complain about the humidity in the Summer, but when I check the weather on the internet, it's usually 50%. My parents lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a while and I visited one Summer.
My God! I went fo a walk and I was soaked! It was like walking underwater, except you could breathe!

Now, if you were going to try any of those three, I would recommend the truncata. It is the most accomandating of the three, as merriliana may have humidity flux issues and bical likes it a little shadier. Michael Catalani had a cooling failure a couple of years ago in his greenhouse, and the truncata survived 120 F temps for a day.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Trent]

Ha, ha, ha ha!,
You want heat and humidity in July, try Florida! More the central part-oh, anywhere from Gainesville down to Lake Okeechobee. Over here in southeastern Florida it's a little cooler (he said smugly). Palm Beach County has never had 100 F temps as long as records have been kept (I think our record high was 98 F). Right now we're having southern California temperatures with moderately high humidity. The Nepenthes and Sarracenias are going wild!

Trent

 

[Spectabilis73]

Quote[/b] (Borneo @ April 15 2004,5:44)]

Joe, you're spot on with the imagery.  Only thing wrong is that I can't whistle!  I'll have to learn!

Or you could go to one of those kiddy fairs and win a whisle by getting a ping pong ball in a wine cup

Er wait, in sri lanka its a Nepenthes pitcher!