New nep leaves are smaller

[vraev]

Hi guys,

If you guys remember... I bought 3 neps recently from BE: rajah, ramispina and bical.

Well....after 4 weeks...here is how they are now. The new leaves have formed on both except the ramispina.

But...there have been leaf losses as well. The rajah unfortunately lost a full leaf...as I foolishly tried to feed it an ant. The leaf yellowed and blackened in 2 days along with the pitcher.

Well...the ramispina....hasn't done ,much...just sitting there. But after 4 weeks its still looking green and nice...without a single leaf loss....I am guessing since its roots were practically NON EXISTANT..its making new roots.

The bical made a new growth point inside the leaf and the pitcher is growing...however, 2 leaves have blackened and died.

here are the pics:

Please advice me WHY the leaves are now smaller. especially the rajah. Is it the transplanting? is it light?

thanks,

varun

pics:

WHEN I GOT THEM

Ramispina

Bical

Rajah

NOW

ramispina

Bical

Rajah

Any suggestions or help will be appreciated.

thanks,

vraev

 

[vraev]

on a side note....here is my new miranda pitcher:

and here is the entire setup

 

[phissionkorps]

When i first got my rajah it made a puny leaf. After about 1.5 or 2 months it started to make leaves that were bigger than what it came with. My rajah has also lost about 5 leaves in the past couple months...3 at once when i first got it and then the other 2 slowly over about 6 months. I figure its due to transplanting and if you leave it in stable conditions for a while, it'll be fine eventually. Leaving neps in stable conditions for a long time is the cure to pretty much every single problem but root rot and pests

 

[vraev]

thanks for replying dude. What do u think? Is it looking good? Are my neps ok? Are there anything I can do to make them better? How to know if they need more light? I know VFT's make crappy leaves when grown in less light. How about neps? Do the new leaves look bad?

thanks,

vraev

 

[phissionkorps]

They look shocked but otherwise fine. If you give them stability they should all recover. The ramispina actually doesn't look bad at all from the pic.

In terms of light, I think neps should be given the brightest light possible. They make better colors and whatnot that way. If they aren't getting enough light, the pitchers won't be colorful and the leaves will be dark green and longer than normal. I use the same grow-chamber thingy as you do, and I have 3 four foot double light fluorescent fixtures in it running vertically. So...thats a pretty tiny area and I have 6 tubes in there (I use a variety of spectra though...3 diff types of bulbs).

 

[Capslock]

I think you're doing fine. That's simple transplant shock, and they look fine. Also, if you move them into more light, sometimes they make smaller leaves (but bigger pitchers) too. Most of my plants go through a phase like that. Anyway, your plants look good, now you just need patience. Oh, not sure how damp you keep it, but with an enclosure like that, you can invite root rot. I'd pop some big holes in that plastic if I were you. Neps like open air.

Max

 

[vraev]

I can't put 4 feet tubes in there. These are 2 feet tubes. They are the GE gro and sho. The middle tube is GE warm white for a little change. In total 3 tubes. I plan on adding more in winter. Now its sooo warm here and this house has no AC. Sometimes temps go up to 85 or more. Thats when I keep the fan in front of it.

For ventilation...on top of the enclousure...I cut open a patch to allow air to escape.

BTW,,,those pots all have drainage except the rajah, it has drianage..but the water goes into a reservoir at the bottom. I keep checking and dump out extra water by pitching the pot a bit.

Thanks for all the comments and help guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[Zero]

is it possible for you to put some 4 ft shoplights vertically on the outside facing in? they are only $7-8 at wally world.
shouldn't produce much heat.
I have the three tier version of your greenhouse as my lowland house, and the lights REALLY heat up the air inside.
peace,
zero

 

[Jefforever]

It's probably low humidity or somethin. It doesn't get cold enought for the rajah.

 

[vraev]

for coolnes: Every night, I freeze an ice pack and 3 bottles of water...then I place 2 of these over the shelf, above the rajah. I can feel air like 10 C hitting the rajah. I do it similarly with the ramispina.

Hmm humidty...for the most part its around the 70 range and higher at night.

 

[vraev]

But, zero, shoplights are cheap..I agree. The fixtures are expensive. I bought the one I use for my VFT's and all for 36$ since it has an electric ballast and T8.

 

[xvart]

Fixtures aren't very expensive; but, it probably depends on your bulbs. I'm not sure how they are for T8's; but you can get seriously cheap T12 fixtures. Of course, you won't get as much power and light from T12's but they work well enough.

xvart.

 

[vraev]

So you guys are suggesting that probably low light is an issue?? Is there any other tips for the rajah, based on my conditions that i am providing?

thanks,

vraev

 

[Zero]

4ft shoplights come with everything but the bulbs, including ballast and cord for $7-8. You just put two bulbs in and plug it in.Bulbs are $2 a piece or $10 for ten cool spectrum. they work great for me.
peace, zero
ps
I'll post a pic if you want

 

[celox]

I'm not too sure if low light is whats causing your plant to grow like that, it might aswell be a shock.
The reason why I dont believe in the low light theory is because:Low light -> less photosynth. -> grow bigger leaves -> more photosynthesis from the same power of light.

A vft grows wider leaves aswell if it doesnt get enough light.

~C'

 

[phissionkorps]

Yeah the reason the rajah looks like that is from shock. All I was getting at is the fact that more light never hurts...unless you put it in the sun of course

 

[vraev]

hmm...thats what I thought too....but all the pictures I have seen of rajah's in people's collection seem to grow leaves which are bigger than the last one. I mean its always growing as this is basically a baby compared to the adult. Even I agree that more leaves = more photosynthesis area...= more energy for plant

well...my plan is to later PUT THE ENTIRE setup on top of a table in near a window like this when I go back to univeristy in sept.

BTW...this was a pic of my room last acedamic year when I just got my new nepenthes.

 

[phissionkorps]

Just wait, your rajah will start growing bigger leaves. Mine was making 3" leaves when I got it, then threw out a 1.5" leaf, and is now making 4" leaves...and I grow it in like 85°+. In fact, I grow pretty much all my plants in the same tank...rajah, bical, talangensis, 2 northianas....its cuz i'm magic

 

[Zero]

I know it's shipping/transplant shock that is causing the smaller leaves, but there is insufficient light in the greenhouse. I have one of those 24" lights and it puts out very little light. the ramispina leaves should show at least a little bit of coloration. mine are purple.
correct me if I'm wrong nep folks
peace,
zero

 

[vraev]

hmmm... I guess then I will get an additional tube for the lowest shelf. My concern is that it will just heat up the entire greenhouse even more.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help guys. I guess I just need to be patient and see how the rajah goes from here.