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Bical

  • #21
Thanks for the comments.

Your raff is purdy. How big is your Dyeriana?
The N. x dyeriana is a rooted cutting. It's not very tall, Just over 6", but it's leaf span is the same as the N. raff, 2'+.
 
  • #22
Um, I not sure but I know it is facing more west then east, also It doesn't really get direct light, it gets some shade for a little while, at least it is growing and no leaves are browning, so it should be alright in there and if it is un happy atleast it won't just die and I will notice it not growing. btw make sure you don't leave it standing in water, the tank should keep it wet for a long time to, but be sure to check it often as you might forget about it if you don't. Oh, also how long should it take for mine to pitcher again?
 
  • #23
Yea my widow is almost exactly like yours Ant except for the fact that it gets a lot of light through the window(thats indirect light right?)
 
  • #24
Um, well by shade I mean that it gets hidden behind a thicker bar part of the day. What I did was take a small glass tank with a lid (also glass) that has some small gaps between the lid to allow some air flow. I filled the bottom with water. I place a round water tray upside down to keep the pot out of the water and that is it. It has started growing again and it didn't take that long for it to start up again. Just watch it though, I am not sure what will happen with the temps. in summer witch worries me.
 
  • #25
Lots of people do advocate bicalcs in standing water. Have you had bad experiences? I guess it is like soil mixes with everyone having a different opinion. Some say "yes", others say "NOOOOO". The reasonings that I've heard is that they're more swamp dwellers than others so they like the extra water. Maybe I'll try one in water and one watered as the other neps.

Anyone experiment with this before?
 
  • #26
I have heard that they like really wet soil, just not that drenched, and it has be growing for me, and I haven't had to water it since I got it, I think that the water on the lid drips into the plant and keeps it watered. (I still check every friday) It is on its second leaf and I am hoping that the pitcher on the last leaf the unfolded will inflate but, I can't tell it it is.
 
  • #27
Just for some perspective on windowsill N. bical growing, here's a picture of one of my plant's pitchers:
 
  • #28
freakin' gorgeous!
 
  • #30
Thanks guys! I thought I'd add that I grew this plant on the tray system and it did really well for me.
 
  • #31
wow LLeopardGGecko you inspire me to grow mine on a windowsill =)
can you give me tips?
 
  • #32
SLOW DOWN!!!! Your profile says that you're new to CPs. Perhaps trying a traditionally finicky nepenthes outside of its preferred conditions is not the best route to take at this time. Put it in a tank and grow in under lights if you have the room. You can enjoy it until you get some experience and some understanding of what the different plants' requirements are and then move it out to a windowsill.

It is possible to grow, but these guys that are posting the beautiful pictures have been at this for a long time and don't forget that as mentioned before, elgecko has a magic window. Much like Stonehenge or the Grand Canyon, it is a phenomenon that only seems to occur in one place in the world.
 
  • #33
I know Bicals are SUPPOSED to grow insanely fast...but my bical grows at the rate of my nepenthes rajah and sometimes even slower. It has made 6 leaves in the past 8 months....but it pitchers on each leaf and leaves are thick and glossy. It takes nearly 2 months to open one LEAF
 
  • #34
Um, mine has grown 1 leaf in about a week and a half (I know that is slow but it is faster then what you said yours is growing like.)
 
  • #35
I have thought many times, can lowland plants be grown with a warm soil, or does there leaves and stem need to warm as well. What I'm talking about here is the thought I've had about growing N. bical and other lowlanders on some Flexwatt Heat tape set to 78 - 80 degrees. This way the soil the plant grows in would be at a warmer temp then the surrounding air, and would the plant grow faster because of it?



Last winter I placed my bical and amp on the top of the lighting fixture of my terrarium to keep them warm for about two months. The soil was definitely much warmer than the surrounding air and the plants did fine. Not sure about keeping them that way in the long run though...



Pix of my bical:

bical02.jpg


old pitcher with dark peristome. I thnk it looks kind of nice
bical.jpg


the whole plant
bical03.jpg
 
  • #37
Ooh, that dark peristome makes that bical pitcher look absolutely MENACING! :0o:
 
  • #38
I know Bicals are SUPPOSED to grow insanely fast...but my bical grows at the rate of my nepenthes rajah and sometimes even slower. It has made 6 leaves in the past 8 months....but it pitchers on each leaf and leaves are thick and glossy. It takes nearly 2 months to open one LEAF

Maybe that's because your growing it in conditions tailored to a plant that requires completely different conditions. You're growing an ultra lowland with an ultra highland (some clones), so don't expect both of them to grow their best. I'm surprised your plant's alive at all in those cold temperatures. Your plant would probably be double the size it is now had it been growing with 90+ degree days and 75-80 nights :)


I mean... you don't have a reason to act surprised when you add bottles of ice during the night :)




Good beginner plant if you have the conditions, IE a sauna. Other easy plants that would grow well with this are N. ampullaria, N. gracilis, N. rafflesiana, N. truncata, N. veitchii, etc. They all get large, with N. gracilis and N. ampullaria being the smallest (but still large!)
 
  • #39
@ Oceana,

Absolutely amazing bical. WOW!!!!! terrific.

this is mine:

2404996434_c9e3781dbd_o.jpg


lol JLP! I agree. But I think I like it this way. As I grow this in such a small chamber...it means that I can use the chamber for a lot longer than just a few months.

However, my concern is if the plant will croak in the long run. I mean plants like N.rajah can take intermediate conditions for a month or so...but then later they will go into decline unless given proper highland conditions. Its been an yr with my bical....last summer was the only time it got proper lowland conditions with temps up to 90F when my highlanders were frying. :p This summer I am in the basement and max is only like 75F.

Anyways...it is still growing. But I agree....I am skeptical of the long term with this plant.
 
  • #40
I have kept bicals in intermediate conditions for years with no loss of plants due to temp stress like rajah will show when kept at too high a temp. They just do not grow as fast, actually slower than a rajah. As long as humidity is kept high, will continue to pitcher also.
But give bicals proper lowland conditions with high humidity and look out. I have had a plant go from 6" leafspan and 1-1/2" pitchers to 3ft leafspan and 8" pitchers in 8-10 months. They become awesome monsters. I love them. My most favorite lowlander.
 
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