TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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Well since you asked what I think:
I think that if these plants you keep asking about were meant to grow with lowland temperatures they would be found in the lowland.
If you are unable to give highland plants a fairly cool night temperature. No 75 at night is not fairly cool, low 60's (or cooler) is. Then either give up with the highland plant idea all together OR give it a try realizing that most will either do poorly long term or simply die eventually.
Sorry if this sounds mean but you really need to focus on other types of plants. Lowland or intermediate species and hybrids with some lowland influence, lowland x highland would be ok. I would rather see you find some plants you like in these groups and have success growing them well.
For what it's worth N. burbidgeae (note the spelling) is at least more tolerant than most highland Nepenthes.
Tony
I think that if these plants you keep asking about were meant to grow with lowland temperatures they would be found in the lowland.
If you are unable to give highland plants a fairly cool night temperature. No 75 at night is not fairly cool, low 60's (or cooler) is. Then either give up with the highland plant idea all together OR give it a try realizing that most will either do poorly long term or simply die eventually.
Sorry if this sounds mean but you really need to focus on other types of plants. Lowland or intermediate species and hybrids with some lowland influence, lowland x highland would be ok. I would rather see you find some plants you like in these groups and have success growing them well.
For what it's worth N. burbidgeae (note the spelling) is at least more tolerant than most highland Nepenthes.
Tony
My conditions, for most of the year, are no lower than intermediate. Winters are like highland conditions, and summers very lowland. I live toward inland san diego by the way. Humidity here almost always above 50, unless it's unusualy dry outside. I have been able to grow everything satisfactory under theese conditions, exept ultra highlanders. The point is, the plants can adapt a little. Just ask Neps around the house .
I know a grower in south Miami who had a N. burbidgeae in a greenhouse for several years. The greenhouse was not equipped with wetpads, but had large pulling fans at one end and a fantastic automated slat shading system over the top. . The slats were not laying on the roof of the greenhouse, but were located about a foot above the glazing, and they moved with the sun, creating a controlled degree of shading over the greenhouse. The result was a cooler temp inside, and it could be quite balmy and humid in there during the hottest Miami summer day. During the summer the burbidg would slow down, grow smaller leaves and pitchers and kind of pouted. Once the cooler weather would arrive, typically late Oct., the plant responded favorably. Unfortunately, all of this is gone now courtesy of Hurricane Andrew.
Rainforest guy has uncanny success with highland Neps, so nothing is engraved in stone, but must warn that what Tony stated is what we've experienced, along with a number of other Nep growers here in Florida. It's one thing to keep it alive, its another for it to thrive. Why not grow some of the fantastic lowlanders that do great in warm climates...even some of the heat tolerant highlanders like maxima, sanguinea, ventricosa (not all clones -do homework first), and really grow them well. You could even specialize. Build a collection of ampullaria cultivars! There is nothing more beautiful than a well grown Nepenthes plant.
Rainforest guy has uncanny success with highland Neps, so nothing is engraved in stone, but must warn that what Tony stated is what we've experienced, along with a number of other Nep growers here in Florida. It's one thing to keep it alive, its another for it to thrive. Why not grow some of the fantastic lowlanders that do great in warm climates...even some of the heat tolerant highlanders like maxima, sanguinea, ventricosa (not all clones -do homework first), and really grow them well. You could even specialize. Build a collection of ampullaria cultivars! There is nothing more beautiful than a well grown Nepenthes plant.
Sounds like it has been through some rough times. It can take 6months+ in some cases to grow and produce pitchers properly after such an incident.
If we were talking about a happy healthy vigorous plant I would say next thing to humidity causing problems with pitchers is light level. What kind of light and how much is it getting? I suspect it is not bright enough.
btw root problems will often exhibit as symptoms of water stress in a plant. Lids not forming or opening properly is a major result of water stress.
Tony
If we were talking about a happy healthy vigorous plant I would say next thing to humidity causing problems with pitchers is light level. What kind of light and how much is it getting? I suspect it is not bright enough.
btw root problems will often exhibit as symptoms of water stress in a plant. Lids not forming or opening properly is a major result of water stress.
Tony
I would say to at least try. When I first started nepenthes, I was told this and that. I had to try for myself. EVERY person (orchid growers are liars) I talked with said that nepenthes would NOT thrive in Hawaii. I was also told that growers in high elevations who tried to even grow cymbidums couldn't grow any of the intermediate types.
During the summer, its very hot, sticky and humid. The really coole growers are at a standstill. N. hamata has many new leaves forming with potential tips, but has not passed the tendril stage. N. lowii is growing a lot slower. Other species such as N. maxima, N. ventricosa, sibuyanensis, eymae, and ampullarias, bicalcaratas, rafflesianas, etc. are vining, sending up many shoots and new leaves and attractive pitchers. During the cooler months (late December through early April) plants like N. bicalcarata would seem to be in a suspended animation while N. hamata, macrophyllas and lowii's are just growing like mad!
I believe its the timing of microclimates and avoiding or excellerating the summer heat that makes something thrive or grow extra fast. Plus I fertilize them regularly, so this is my key point in helping a seriously hot situation turn into a positive component for growth.
N. burbidgeae is just a funny plant. The recent acqusition from BE for seed grown stock shows a very high rate of variability. Some have typical green longish leaves, others show maroon tinged leaves, to even leaves with parallel venation like N. rajah. Some the leaves are rounded squat with plants having a whole diameter of eight inches, others have spreads of twenty inches across. On the average, they are slow pitchering now, maybe just one healthy pitcher per plant. But lots of new leaves coming out everywhere!
I wish I could tell you exactly what I'm doing to make these grow well. But I'm surprised myself as well.
But I have had some that upon arrival they just simply sat and then died at the end. So these would be the best survivors of the lot?
I will post more photos as I find time to do a survey on them later.
Michael
During the summer, its very hot, sticky and humid. The really coole growers are at a standstill. N. hamata has many new leaves forming with potential tips, but has not passed the tendril stage. N. lowii is growing a lot slower. Other species such as N. maxima, N. ventricosa, sibuyanensis, eymae, and ampullarias, bicalcaratas, rafflesianas, etc. are vining, sending up many shoots and new leaves and attractive pitchers. During the cooler months (late December through early April) plants like N. bicalcarata would seem to be in a suspended animation while N. hamata, macrophyllas and lowii's are just growing like mad!
I believe its the timing of microclimates and avoiding or excellerating the summer heat that makes something thrive or grow extra fast. Plus I fertilize them regularly, so this is my key point in helping a seriously hot situation turn into a positive component for growth.
N. burbidgeae is just a funny plant. The recent acqusition from BE for seed grown stock shows a very high rate of variability. Some have typical green longish leaves, others show maroon tinged leaves, to even leaves with parallel venation like N. rajah. Some the leaves are rounded squat with plants having a whole diameter of eight inches, others have spreads of twenty inches across. On the average, they are slow pitchering now, maybe just one healthy pitcher per plant. But lots of new leaves coming out everywhere!
I wish I could tell you exactly what I'm doing to make these grow well. But I'm surprised myself as well.
But I have had some that upon arrival they just simply sat and then died at the end. So these would be the best survivors of the lot?
I will post more photos as I find time to do a survey on them later.
Michael
Its been warm for us. Like 90's, but with intense sunlight. What prevents us from getting to the hundreds is our constant trade winds of 10-15 mph. When these winds come from the north, they are cooler, but not like cold winds, it is warm winds but these winds brings down what would otherwise be a hundred to 90's and when we have cloud cover, down to 80's. Pray for rain! When it rains it crates wonderful humidity and also brings down the temperatures to just less than 80's.
Night time is not that much different in temperature, perhaps just 5 degrees lower.
Michael
Night time is not that much different in temperature, perhaps just 5 degrees lower.
Michael
