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I got it....my holy grail :)

vraev

Carnivorous plant enthusiast
Admin
Hi guys,

*gulp* ... I know the warnings....I know the cold nights required...I know how consistent it needs to be....but, I got it... I finally got the nepenthes rajah. Its inside a bag still. I am getting a pot tomorrow morning for it .

Please give me some advice, growers who already have this plant. Jeremiah, please help if you can read this.

I am planning on using just pure long fibered sphagnum from "sun glow brand" and I plan on taking the moss from the bag, putting it in a 18'' urn or what I can find tomorrow, soak the moss and then put the plant carefully in. I plan on top dressing it with LIVE newzealand sphagnum that I have been growing for 4 months. :)

The size of the plant is around 10 inches. There are 3 pitchers on it. One is old,, top is kinda black, the other is perfect, the thrid is still forming. I will get pics tomorrow. :)



I will get the pics of my plants tomorrow. This is just a pic of it in the bag.. I do not want to touch it....well...I did kinda to feel it...but I am a wimp to take it out. I rather wait and take it out tomorrow. I do not want to damage it. I am sooo honored to have this plant. finally! the rajah!

But please tell me if I am on the right idea.

thanks,

vraev
 
A word of caution on long fibered sphag. I used it on my rajah and after 3-4 years it had compacted without me knowing it and caused the plant to cease pitchering for 2 years after that till it was discovered. SO, I had to soak it in water and rinse the roots well to remove the compacted and mushy moss, now it was replanted into a really chunk, coarse mix namely, coconut chips, perlite, some peat chopped sphag and i think maybe a bit of some orchid bark. So, I would say stick chunky, moist and well aerated. Your plant is a fairly decent sized one so it would probably take that mix well.
 
well...:
it can grow really slow
gets really big
has a big root system****
can be temperamental if it dosen't like its conditions.
likes humidity high
likes it cool

your plant seems HUGE though and if its anything like N. hamata, it will be more hardy after it has reached a certain size.
Alex

****SUPPOSEDLY the root system grows far OUT rather than DOWN. someone said(with experience of his rajah) that the rootsystem didnt really go far down. but went really far out.****
 
yes....the roots are really WIDE....they are sooo distinct and branched....but grow mostly wide. I am thinking about getting it a 12 - 16'' pot....if I can find one. :(

hmm.....I saw jeremiah's plant which seems to be in pure LFS/ Many other ppl said also that pure LFS is better for neps.

To judge the size of the plant, the pitchers on it are 2 inches in size. So its pretty decently sized. there is a very extensive root system and yes! another nep grower on OCPS, flytrap, said that the bigger one is better to get..so I got the bigger one.

So should LFS be fine for 3 - 4 years??

ohh...the LFSS is canadian sphagnum....I will be top dressing with newzealand LIVE sphagnum...is it fine??

thanks sooo much guys,

vraev
 
I have problems growing 2 of my neps and N. rajah is one of them.

I use equal parts perlite, peat moss, and dried LFS. I grow it a s a windowsill plant.

The problem with both neps is this. I do not have the room need to place the plant in a big enough pot. I will increase the pot size a little and the plant will grow great for a few months and then stall on me. When I increase the pot again it takes off for a few months before stalling again........ I need more room.........
 
gosh! i thought u were saying something is BAD with the LFS pure mix...lol! thats acutally good that u have the rajah touch. I hope I have that too. :)
 
If you fertilize, don't use LFS. I have multiple qualms with LFS and tend not to use it at all. My rajah is in a 12" or so pot thats only about 4" deep potted in orchid bark.
 
no fertilizer EVER!! I am only using the "rootshield" when I am making the mix. I already potted the ramispina and bical. I took LFS...dampened it with distilled water> sprinkled small amount of rootshield...then put in pot....stacked it up....loose..and then put the plant in ... carefully just built a mound around the plant's stem...did not compress it. left it loose.

I still have to pot the rajah.





Basically rajah-- 12 inch pot with 8 inch depth: However there seem to be lack of drain holes...though the water goes into this 2 inch reservoir at bottom. Should I punch holes ??

the other 2 are 8 inch and 6 inch...the bical is in 8 inch...the ramispina in 6 inch.

The rajah still needs to be made
 
I would get it potted up asap. The worst thing you can do is leave it hanging around.

As with all nepenthes, they will grow in most mixes. Ask different growers you will get a different mix. They are more fussy, in my experience, in a controlled environment rather than the media.

My rajah, isnt as big as your but is growing happily in an orchid bark : peat : perlite : spag moss mix. Grown in more of less full sun for 6 - 8 hours which a drop from 25C - 30C to 15C. Humidity ranges from 45% - 95%

Joel
 
  • #10
I'm on it Joel. Thanks soo much. I have been waiting for a reply on atleast one of the 3 boards. :)
 
  • #11
Fertilizer is good. Any reason you won't use it EVER besides the LFS decay?

Oh and PS I'm in Hiawassee for a few days, pm me.
 
  • #12
I'm on it Joel. Thanks soo much. I have been waiting for a reply on atleast one of the 3 boards. :)

Good luck and DONT worry if you loose a few pitchers or leaves. Aslong as the growing tip stays nice and green you doing good :rookwoot:
 
  • #13
I finished potting it. I will post pics soon. :) its sooo cute. :)

I don't want to use fertilizers or any other chemicals on all my plants. I rather give them insects than do that. I don't want the risk of over fertilizing and jeopardizing the plant.

Thanks again Joel. :D
 
  • #14
You'll only over fertilize if you don't follow the directions. Fertilizer is a lot easier to use than bugs, and works a hell of a lot faster. Its just giving the plants the nutrients instead of making them work to break the bugs down to get the same nutrients. The top 15 nep growers I can think of all love fertilizer...except for one or two, that i've never talked to and don't know their preferences
 
  • #15
Hi guys,

here they are:

Lets start this off as a diary. Here are the pots that I have used to pot the new neps and the pure lfs that I used as the ONLY MIX:



Here is my ventrata



HOWEVER, notice the right vining shoot....the tip has blackened :( Is this normal?? But, in its place...u can see a small new shoot there in the next pic....the small leaf?? its a new shoot Is this good or bad??



Now, here is the bical



Next up, the ramispina




cont,
 
  • #16
And finally, my holy grail, the rajah, note: that yellow is the water droplets causing refraction of the flash colour or whatever...but the leaves don't have those spots.



pitchers & the hard grown "LIVE newzealand in the past 2 months...finally put to use as a top dressing"





NOW, the final picture after putting the lights, putting a piece of cardboard to minimize the water falling directly on the light.



Inspite of all the spraying and all..this is the temp and humidity. But, the guages are on the grill at the bottom....but u notice the plants are closer...so I am guessing the temp should be higher. The humidity also should be generally higher around the plant due to soo much moss.



Thanks to all those who have constantly being providing advice and help.

cheers,

varun
 
  • #17
wow!! very nice! its gonna be interesting to see the bical and rajah grow together. however. one is going to good while the other will not. it seems pretty chilly. bical wont like that at all...
Alex
 
  • #18
i grow bical and rajah together for about 6 months and everything seems ok thus far.
 
  • #19
well...the thing is the bical is on top....near the lights. I know in the top shelf, the temp is 70. thats as high as it goes...maybe a few degrees over. is that fine? the bottom shelf was meant for the rajah....since its direct on the basement concrete....at night temp drops to like 50's.
 
  • #20
before I forget, the maxima is pitchering...lol! yay! it did this without that light u see. I added the bottom 2 tubes today and lol just with the low light from the top one..it was already making this :p

maximamy0.jpg
 
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