What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Regias

  • #21
Jim, your Regia is looking much better. Keep feeding it! The premature death of your leaves makes me wonder if your media is either too waterlogged or too dry (I'm guessing the first), but you mentioned how you don't think this is the case.
Here is a pic I posted before that shows how much D. regia can curl on its prey (3 weeks after receiving this plant from BobZ:
regia_bigeasy_eat-2.jpg


I didn't know this until last month, but the leaves will actually uncurl all the way back again after they've eaten everything AND they will produce huge dew globs again. What an awesome plant!
 
  • #22
Updated photo:

Picture035-1.jpg


The hardest part is providing the day/night temp differential.
 
  • #23
For fun, here's an old pic of a Regia tentacle coiled up around a fly

HungryKing.jpg



Forked Regia?

King2.jpg
 
  • #24
Once again, beautiful!

I think I've seen that pic somewhere... ICPS?
 
  • #25
My plant is now begining to uncurl. Hopefully, now, it will grow a little better and have a few good leaves out at the same time.
 
  • #26
Once again, beautiful!

I think I've seen that pic somewhere... ICPS?

The forked Regia?
If you've seen it before, it was from me... my pic of my plant
 
  • #27
Matt - nice stuff! Nothing like seeing it in person but what a death grip it has!

Thanks for sharing,

xvart.
 
  • #28
I'm trying regia for the third time:

What conditions are you successful growers growing your regia??

How wet do you keep the media? How humid (or dry) can you grow it and have it thrive?

How much light and heat can they tolerate?

thanks,
 
  • #29
What's up Xvart? Gonna make it to the show again this year?
I think I'll take it easy at the bar this time.....

Fryster, Cool & Bright are the main things... loose mix, not too wet. The tray is pretty much dry by the time I water. If it gets big, it can soak up a lot of water. Let it do it at it's own pace and do not swamp it.

Temps... keep it as cool as you can. Cold in the Winter. Less than 80F in the Summer.
Either A/C or keep in a basement or something.
They can certainly withstand short periods of +80F, but extended periods and they won't like it much.

They can go through alot. They die back but return from their roots when conditions improve.
Unless they got root-rot, those first two attempts were probably still alive.
 
  • #30
What's up Xvart? Gonna make it to the show again this year?

Hah. We'll see if NASC decides to send me again or not; although, I'm looking at moving and may end up somewhere on the east coast so it might just be within driving distance regardless.

I think I'll take it easy at the bar this time.....

Well if that's the case I might just stay home!

xvart.
 
  • #31
Fryster, I've only had my D. regia 'Big Easy' for a little over 2 months now, but it is a very easy plant if you feed it and give it a lot of light. I am using the Joseph Clemens recommended mix (the publisher of the cultivar), which consists of 1:1 dead LFS: redwood bark topped with live sphagnum. (I'm using Cypress right now, since I don't have any Redwood mulch). I also added some peat:sand mix in for kicks. Others use a peat:sand mix with great success. So do what you think will be best for your growing conditions.
If you want your plant to be as tall as possible, give it a tall pot. I'm only using a 6-7 inch pot right now, but once I get more room, I hope to move it to a pot twice that tall to accomidate their extremely long roots.
I use the tray method, and it gets huge dew globs, since there isn't much airflow. I normally have to leave the tray with .5-1 inches full of water (since my mom only waters the tray once or twice a week when I'm gone). Originally, it didn't seem to like this, but it definitely isn't showing any signs of complaint anymore. If you have a tall pot, it won't matter much at all, though. Bob Z doesn't use the tray method and only top waters his plants, so you can pretty much grow this plant any way you want.
If you feed it, it will get a very nice boost and send out a ton of new leaves.
Evidently, the D. 'Big Easy' can handle higher temps well compared to the normal variety- I'll have to test that out this summer though.
Quogue- have you not had much luck with the D. 'Big Easy' in higher temps? Temps will be in the low 90s for all my sundews (didn't cause any problems last year).

Hope you have better luck- Of course, 3rd times the charm.
 
  • #32
I think part of my problem is not getting enough day / night temp differential and the pot is only 3" deep. I need to get a taller pot.
 
  • #33
My little 1" high regia starter looks rather stressed to me.

I currently have it in a standard CP mix (peat/perlite) with dead LFS as a moist top-dressing.

It's under a plastic baggie for humidity reasons. BUT, every time I trim off a tiny corner for ventilation a leaf tip turns black.

Getting this regia to settle-in to lower humidity is truly a bear. I'm also concerned about too high of humidity and the possibility of molds accumulating on my plant.

How susceptible are regias to molds and fungus? I remember my previous regias molding away to their death quite quickly. Call me paranoid I guess. [shrug]

thanks,
 
  • #34
Evidently, the D. 'Big Easy' can handle higher temps well compared to the normal variety- I'll have to test that out this summer though.
I 'summered' my 'Big Easy' outside here in NJ for 2 years. The 1st year, it was stressed but pulled through fine. The 2nd year it died when the heat hit. So far, this species & I have not been compatible - at some point - I hope to change that .... :down:
 
  • #35
Hah. We'll see if NASC decides to send me again or not; although, I'm looking at moving and may end up somewhere on the east coast so it might just be within driving distance regardless.



Well if that's the case I might just stay home!

xvart.

Well, I'll still be one of the last people at the bar!:drunk:
Those dollar drafts made Sunday a bit tough though:sleepy:
 
  • #36
As for Regias... Big Easy are more tolerant of heat. But they're still no Capes, which grow much better under cool conditions as well.

Heat tolerance: well after a few months the plant will like it less and less. Probably start to die back and put out smaller leaves that brown quickly.
If conditions improve through the Fall to the Winter, it will come back. Do that year after year and it will not like you for it but survive and never flourish.
They do return from their roots from some pretty bad-looking situations though!

I think the colder it gets in the Winter, the more heat it can take in the Summer, but don't quote me on that.
I don't let mine get over 75F(including the growlights) in the Summer, extended periods over 80F and you're asking for trouble. Especially with Regias(non-Big Easy)!

Cool & bright is what you should be looking for if you want to grow these guys....
Under a Basement window(for cold Winter temps, decent Summer temps), A/C, something like that. They love Sunlight, but I just grow em under lights. Right under the lights.

I never had a problem with humidity, the baggie might actually be the problem you're having Fryster.

The Regia I've had since August 03 and the Big Easy since Oct 05 btw

Hope that helps
 
  • #37
I just left my big easy out in the greenhouse this winter. I thought I lost it due to pests and it being moved all over the house, but I found a sprout off the base yesterday!

I was really shocked.

It's actually a pretty hardy plant.
 
  • #38
I just put the plug into a bigger pot. It didn't notice the change. I wish I had the dynamics of our previous place of residence - a coldish window between the upper and lower apartments. The window sill gets a little cold but not cold enough in the winter.
 
  • #39
I have my regia about 6" away from my T12 cool white lights, lowest shelf. It seems to be a constant 80°F right now in the Spring/Summer.

Is that too warm you think??
 
  • #40
I have my regia about 6" away from my T12 cool white lights, lowest shelf. It seems to be a constant 80°F right now in the Spring/Summer.

Is that too warm you think??

Heat tolerance: well after a few months the plant will like it less and less. Probably start to die back and put out smaller leaves that brown quickly.
If conditions improve through the Fall to the Winter, it will come back. Do that year after year and it will not like you for it but survive and never flourish.
They do return from their roots from some pretty bad-looking situations though!

I think the colder it gets in the Winter, the more heat it can take in the Summer, but don't quote me on that.
I don't let mine get over 75F(including the growlights) in the Summer, extended periods over 80F and you're asking for trouble. Especially with Regias(non-Big Easy)!

If it's 80F this early in Spring... by August/Sept I don't think the plant will be too happy Fryster.

Either a basement or this sounds like a good spot to grow a Regia:
I wish I had the dynamics of our previous place of residence - a coldish window between the upper and lower apartments. The window sill gets a little cold but not cold enough in the winter.

I'd try growing the Regia in morning sunlight outdoors as soon as you don't have to worry about freezing/frosts Jimscott.
Although I must admit, the English growers would have more experience growing these outdoors in the cold than I do.
I grow my plants indoors in a basically unheated room that's A/Ced during the worst of Summer.
 
Back
Top