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Secrets to growing n. madagascariensis

I am planning on getting a N.madagascariensis. I've heard that it is difficult ot grow. Why is it difficult, and what can I do to get it to grow well? Does anyone here grow it? What are it's requirements? I can give standard lowland temps. and humidity.

Just to clear up confusion, N. madagascariensis is a LOWLANDER, growing near sea level in swamps. The nicest specimens of the species I've seen were grown in a stovehouse in Florida along with N. bicalcarata plants the size of volkswagens.
 
I grow it (or actually jsut got it 2 or 3 weeks ago). Really easy outside in Florida so far.
 
Yep.
A friend of ours grew a beautiful specimen in standard Florida lowland conditions. She even bloomed regularly.
 
I grow mine as you woudl a bical. Its in muggy hot and humid conditions. It is starting to grow really fast now that its putting on some size.


The grow parameters its currantly in are as follows

80-85% RD
Day temps : 88º-92º

Night temps : 70º-75º

Thats what all my lowlanders are growingf in and they grow like whoa for me.
 
Can it grow in typical nepenthes mix?
I have heard it grows in ultramafic soil.
What do you grow yours in?
 
The wild soil is mainly quartz sand and a peat moss, not Ultramafic. I've got mine in a similar mix, only with some perlite and sphagnum moss added. Really keep it HOT HOT HOT. It does NOT like cold temperatures.
 
It might work just for me, but my best growing plant is in full unobstructed sunlight. when it was first placed where it is now, it really got burned, then the newest leaf emerged very leathery and firm. Not the soft easy to tear type it came with. The leaves became much shorter and vary rigid. The plant is now a vine with upper pitchers of pure green. I would like to see if it is a male or female before making cuttings of it.

Its grown in a coral chip/cinder/ fir bark and LFS mix. It gets good watering and the leaves are wet whenever I get a chance. The plant is about a year from a 2 inch pot plant (I believe its a tc starter) and is growing in a 2 gallon pot.

I am not sur eif I have a green colored form, but when it arrived and grew for me, it had slightly pink-red pitchers like a ventricosa, but has uppers that is pure green. Anyone else experience this color?

I would like to eventually get another clone or seedlings would be ideal.

But this plant is really tough to grow, be sure to get a vigorous clone. The clones from MT all died upon arrival. If your clone was from MT, please tell us more about it.

Michael
 
We don't really have personal experience, but our good friend grows his large female in a greenhouse. Conditions are like what Jess outlined. Night temps would be a bit higher during the summer. Light is bright but not direct sun. Color of the pitchers are exactly like Michael described: pure green uppers, a pinkish red cast in the upper portion of the lower traps. The vines get long and weedy.
 
Believe it or not, I've been growing my biggest madagascariensis for about 2 or more years outdoors as a highlander yearround. I did this only by mistake. I bought the plant from the CP Jungle and put it outdoors with my other guys not really knowing what conditions it preferred. I've had no problems with it at all. It's in the vining stage with some basals as well. It hasn't flowered yet but appears big enough. It is under some shade cloth but gets direct sun as well. It's an easy grower for me as a highlander.

Here's the other kicker. I got a clone from the Nepenthes Nursery as a backup plant and put it directly outdoors with my other highlanders. The plant was a small size 3. Not a rooted cutting like my big guy. I figured, Hey, what's good for the other, is good for the newbie. It stressed a little (like most of the Nep Nursery plants when they first arrive) but is doing fine.

I've never grown this species as a lowlander, but mine seem to tolerate the summer temps no problem and hang in there in winter when the temps easily hit the 40's. They do slow down in winter. Surprise, Surprise! So maybe this species is hardier than we think.

Joel


Nepenthes Around the House
 
  • #10
That's a really nice nepenthes that i would like to find !

About his culture, how long does it take to see those typicals uppers pitchers from a young plant of 5 inch in good lowland conditions ?

Thanks !

Kinabalu
 
  • #11
i grew one in intermediate conditions and it went from lower to upper pitchers when it was about 12" high.  here is a bad pic right before it started growing uppers.

madag.jpg
 
  • #12
Hey Ice,
That is an awesome pic of N. madagascariensis! I got mine as a seedling/tc start and it had a couple of red lower pitchers, then started to vine up and the next pitcher after that was an upper pitcher. So I had two red pitchers and the rest has been green.
I really like yours Iceman, its very nice. My plant is rather boring with just curly Q tendrils and nondescript green pitchers.

I even have a N. madagascariensis x ventricosa from EP and again its a long vine with plain green pitchers. Perhaps if they used the red or dark red ventricosa, perhaps it might be red on the uppers as well!

Michael
 
  • #13
Hello Iceman,

Nice plant ! Which soil do you use for your Madagascariensis ?

you said " before it started growing uppers "

Have you got pictures of the uppers ?

Regards,
 
  • #14
Interesting Joel! I was told it was a highlander performer as well, but all my chances with it in highland conditions have failed.
 
  • #15
Gracilis,

Sorry, forgot your first name! Oops! Like I said, I only grew it as a highlander because Catalani at the CP Jungle told me his plants did alright in the greenhouse when winter temps got somewhat low. Plus it was like 10.00 back then. I've found that the leaves are pretty thick and tough, not like bical or worse, mirabilis. It will be interesting to see if my little guy will make it through winter, but it should. Considering it came from the Nep Nursery in Germany, went straight outdoors in spring, and appears to be doing well, this species must be pretty hardy.

Oh, I believe I also had difficulty finding species information on this guy as well. None of Clarke's books have profiles, and the internet is somewhat lacking.

Joel
Nepenthes Around the House
 
  • #16
i don't have the plant anymore, but i was growing it in pure LFS.
 
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