N. rajah & N. villosa

[rajah]

Hi to everybody

This summer, in North Italy, I grew my Nepenthes rajah and my Nepenthes villosa in the same conditions of my Sarracenias: outdoors, day temps over 30°C & night temps over 25°C, full sun (around 8 hours of direct sun a day).

-The only problem I noted it was with N. rajah: the leaves and the pitchers turned yellowish, but now with lower temperatures, the same leaves, are green again and the pitchers have a better colour.
-The N. villosa didn't show any problems.

Question: is that a right pitcher's colour for a young N. rajah, or does it lack something?

Here some pics:

Kind regards

rajah

 

[dlybrand]

Young rajahs are supposed to be that colour, or a little darker red if you grow them in brighter sun.

 

[MrAga73]

Mario,
Not bad for a 4 years old rajah ( I red the date on the picture ).
I am also asking myself why your rajah is not so dark red like other pictures you see on the web.
Is there someone who knows the answer to this?
Mr_Aga
Milan - ITALY

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

That's typical color for an N. rajah, it is still a very young plant and will need some time to color up, this will be when it ages and becomes more mature and exhibits adult characteristics, you can see th pitchers are still polymorphic (ie: non adult). Just give it time.

 

[MrAga73]

ok Nepenthes Gracilis!
Because, you know exactly that looking to other pictures on the web...you sometimes wonder about already dark purple red color of some more littler plants! ( more than the one shown on this topic ).
It is just because of differents clones? There are sold many different clones of rajah?
Thanks Nepenthes Gracilis!

Mr_Aga
Milan - ITALY

 

[agustinfranco]

Hi all;

Small plants tend to be more resistant to abuse (meaning growing these in conditions other than the ones they are naturally found).
The plants look great rajah, but i don't know whether you can manage to keep them alive for another summer under the same conditions.
Please prove me wrong.

Gus

 

[MrAga73]

I have noticed and also some people have told me about this argument, that for example villosa does well and does not care about high temperatures.
And the villosa of Mario is another example.Even I am sure that it grows much slower that would do in nature.
Right?
Mr_Aga
Milan - ITALY

 

[agustinfranco]

Hi all:

There seems to be a bit of confusion for the growing conditions which apply to a particular species vs. those which apply to a particular plant.

There is variation in the growth pattern amongst several rajahs and villosa. For example, there is a villosa clone from BE
which seems to be easier to grow and may withstand higher temperatures to some extent than other villosas. This does not mean that all the villosas around would be as resistant as this particular clone. So, extreme care should be taken as not to take the exception as the rule.

Gus

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Well, I have seen with many other plants, by no means with nepenthes yet, that they can addapt to different conditions if given time and they are resiliant enough. I have transitioned many plants into FULL GA sun where they were suposed to be houseplants that take little light. Granted some don;t do as well as others, or do not look as good when grown like that. I hope it comes to conclusion that we can slowly transition these highlanders into a more house tempurature where more people can grow them. Somtimes it takes some selective preading of more temperature tolerant plants to get seedlings that can tolerate temperatures different than habitat, but it can be done if someone is willing to take the time to do it.

I hope you prove to have a temperature tolerent plant Rajah. I would love to grow some more of the highlanders. So far the coupole I have are doing ok, but they are still young. I am hoping since they are young they can addapt to the less than optimal conditions.

 

[rajah]

Hi to everybody and thanks for your replies

I wanted to add that the unconventional growing condition (I know, very hot for 2 ultra-highlanders like that) in northern Italy lasts every year less than 2 months. Right now day/night temperatures range is 23°C/9°C. It is interesting to note that the growing rate of the 2 plants didn't slow down during the hot summer season.

kindly

rajah

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Very interesting! I want to grow more highlanders, but I have been afraid to spend the money on a plant I may not be able to grow. Since it may take generation to addapt a plant to the warmer conditions.

 

[agustinfranco]

Hi Josh:

There are cases of acclimatization of plants from one kind of environment to another. In the case of Nepenthes, i have yet to see a bicalcarata growing outdoors in temperate climate or a villosa growing well in Florida.
There is a limit to adjusting a particular plant to an environment very different to its original one.
I have seen cases of pseudo acclimatization (fake acclimatization) where the grower manages to keep the plant alive in hostile environments but it eventually dies anyway.

Again, as i have said it many times before. What's the point to keep a Nep alive if it won't produce pitchers. there is a big difference between surviving and thriving and my guess is that most of us wants our plants to thrive and not just survive.

 

[rajah]

Hi

I agree with you agustinfranco that's why I renounced to grow lowlanders: My all year round climate is too cool for them.

An exemple: I had a N. ampullaria well, it started pitchering in July and it stopped in the middle of September, too few for a nice looking plant. My Highlanders start pitchering at the beginning of March and they stop at the end of November.

Of course there are exceptions like a N. rafflesiana, a N. mirabilis and a N. truncata they do pitcher very well in my conditions.

kindly

rajah

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Well, I am not talking about just keeping it survivine without pitchering. Heck I am against keeping a human alive if they are just surviving and not thriving. I do believe though that with selective breeding and study the plant can addapt to more drastic condition than we give them credit for. Like I said it may take several generations to do it, but it can be done. I had just hoped it coule be done in one, but I ralize that is a long shot.

 

[Clint]

IIRC, N. villosa can take higher temps when younger but not when older. OR it could be visca versa but I know I read it somewhere.