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  • #21
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
 
  • #22
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.
 
  • #23
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
 
  • #24
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
 
  • #25
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.
 
  • #26
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. "Hey you" Yeah" "Come here for a second sir." He walks in and I shove him in the pitcher! Nep.G.
 
  • #27
Just joking about the above post! Nep.G.
 
  • #28
NG<

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.
 
  • #29
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.
 
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