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Nepenthes rafflesiana Adaptability

I've found Nepenthes rafflesianas to be very adaptable plants. Although their growth is definitely more lush and "juicy" in a hot and humid environment, they can be grown in less than optimal conditions and do just fine. Below are examples of the same clone growing in different conditions. The only thing that is that same is the photo-period under the lights. Both plants are quite healthy, and there is only one inch of difference in the size of the pitchers.

Example 1: This one is growing in a lowland plant case with consistent high humidity, and a daily rise to 90º from nighttime low temperatures of 75-80º each day. This pitcher opened recently, and is 8.5" from the bottom to the top of the lid. The plant is an established cutting from the plant in the second example.

RAFF3135.jpg


RAFF3139.jpg


Example 2: This one is growing out in the open in the basement with low humidity. Temperatures rise to about 70º each day from nighttime lows in the low 60s. These temperatures have been consistent since October. The pitcher is older than the one in the lowland case, and is 7.5" from the bottom to the top of the pitcher. I do mist the plant well once each night. (I have found that all the plants I have growing in an open situation seem to appreciate a good misting at night.)

RAFF3132.jpg


RAFF3140.jpg
 
Indeed a beautiful, tough, and adaptable species! Your plants are beautiful.

Mine grows and inflates pitchers in 30% Humidity, and in HL conditions.
 
Hey your avatar right very nice pitcher.
 
Define "low humidity"......because where I live, 30% is considerted low....in places like some parts of florida low might be considered 50%
 
Indeed a beautiful, tough, and adaptable species! Your plants are beautiful.

Mine grows and inflates pitchers in 30% Humidity, and in HL conditions.

Really? Do you think 45-50 at night for a couple months won't kill a raff, with 80ish % humidity at night and 10-30% humidity during the day? I reeeeaaally want one with the frilly tendrils :-O
 
Define "low humidity"......because where I live, 30% is considerted low....in places like some parts of florida low might be considered 50%

I'd suspect that low humidity is pretty much the same in Pennsylvania as it is in New York. It gets pretty dry in my basement in the winter because it's not airtight. I do try to put water into the air by various means, but I'm pretty sure it has gotten down into the 30% range at times when it was particularly cold and dry outside.
 
well i guess i know what im buying next ive been wanting one soooooo bad, do u think id b better off with a younger plant?
 
I don't know what you mean by "better off," rball. Age doesn't make a difference in culture except for the size of the pot. They do grow pretty slowly, so if you get a younger plant it might be a while before it has any size to it.
 
i meant would a smaller plant be able to adapt to cooler temps where a larger one that grew longer under warmer temps i thought would have a harder time adjusting......just wondering if there was a diference
 
  • #10
i meant would a smaller plant be able to adapt to cooler temps where a larger one that grew longer under warmer temps i thought would have a harder time adjusting......just wondering if there was a diference

Smaller plants are always more vulnerable to damage when conditions change than a larger plant. This said, I believe that if you start it off in high humidity, aka a bag, and slowly harden it off, it may do well. I believe a raff will be my next experiment, after I get my hamata on it's feet after it arrives.
 
  • #11
If you dont mind me asking what is the plant that is purple directly behind the main pitcher in the second last picture
 
  • #12
Glen, you forgot to mention your all powerful "Green Thumb". They are beautiful, as always. Thanks for sharing the pictures and you expertise!
 
  • #13
I think that's right about gradually hardening the plants you mean to grow in lower humidity than they were getting. They can get shocked and take a while to come back if a change is sudden. Better to be sneaky about it.

The purple pitcher in the background is a N. boschiana x densiflora.

Keith, that's not a green thumb. I got into some algae and had some trouble cleaning it off.

---------- Post added at 08:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 AM ----------

rball: I just want to add that I have a lot of confidence in the ability of these plants to adapt, and I don't think you should have any trouble acclimating a plant of any size. I never had any trouble like that with them, and I have been brutal sometimes. (I have since mended my ways.)

Here's a picture of the N. boschiana x densiflora, in case anyone wants a better look at it:

DSC03142.jpg
 
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  • #14
some of the most spectacular N. rafflesiana's i have seen yet :hail:. makes me want to go out and get my own right now :awesome:
 
  • #15
Really? Do you think 45-50 at night for a couple months won't kill a raff, with 80ish % humidity at night and 10-30% humidity during the day? I reeeeaaally want one with the frilly tendrils :-O

I don't think it will be easy in those conditions. I tried growing a medium raff (~6" leaf span) in similar conditions, and it didn't last long at all. Maybe if you started with a very large, well-established plant it could hold on for a couple months.
 
  • #16
I don't think it will be easy in those conditions. I tried growing a medium raff (~6" leaf span) in similar conditions, and it didn't last long at all. Maybe if you started with a very large, well-established plant it could hold on for a couple months.

I thought thez_yo was being rhetorical in his original comment, and I thought it would be a moot point to say that adaptability has limits (for any plant). Mine never seemed to mind an occasional drop below 60º, but I don't think it would be a good idea to put a N. rafflesiana where nights go consistently down into the 40s or even the 50s for any length of time. Having said that, I must admit that I've never tried it.

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:20 PM ----------

Glen, you forgot to mention your all powerful "Green Thumb". They are beautiful, as always. Thanks for sharing the pictures and you expertise!

I was thinking about the comment you posted, Keith, and while I really appreciate your confidence in me, I'm a little uncomfortable with being designated as having a green thumb that is "all powerful." I'm not sure I can live up to it. I tend to think that any successes I've had must be due to the sheer mercy of God because I've killed an awful lot of plants over the years through dumb mistakes that could have been easily avoided through a little research or just paying more attention. I'm not sure I am safe yet. Thanks, though. I'll try to live up to your kind enthusiasm and make sure my murderin' days is over.
 
  • #17
I thought thez_yo was being rhetorical in his original comment, and I thought it would be a moot point to say that adaptability has limits (for any plant). Mine never seemed to mind an occasional drop below 60º, but I don't think it would be a good idea to put a N. rafflesiana where nights go consistently down into the 40s or even the 50s for any length of time. Having said that, I must admit that I've never tried it.

Looking back on the thread, you're probably right. However, if I was naive enough to try it, I might as well share my experience and save others the trouble.
 
  • #18
Oh no, I was perfectly serious - I really want one, and I'm not quite sure how low it can go before getting cold damaged. I really wish someone would go scavenge up a highland raff and amp... I've just had an amp for about 6 months from 1200 masl and it didn't do well in highland conditions at all, and I get the feeling it will want lowland conditions after all even though it's from intermediate-ish temps.
 
  • #19
Oh no, I was perfectly serious - I really want one, and I'm not quite sure how low it can go before getting cold damaged. I really wish someone would go scavenge up a highland raff and amp... I've just had an amp for about 6 months from 1200 masl and it didn't do well in highland conditions at all, and I get the feeling it will want lowland conditions after all even though it's from intermediate-ish temps.

I understand. I still think you could grow a N. raffesiana, but you might have to think differently about how to do it. Assuming your household temperatures are normal, and not the ones you described (I hope!), and assuming your heat in the winter does not dry out the air so much that you bleed, you could grow a raff inside as a houseplant all year in a bright location near a south, east, or even west window, no problem.

A raff will slow down considerably in the winter, or even stop growing for a period due to the shorter days, but it will start up again in the spring. It would be even better to grow it inside as a houseplant under artificial lights (cool white fluorescents are fine). I say that because raffs grow slowly, and in natural light you probably won't be getting mature pitchers before the summer. That won't happen under lights, assuming it likes the conditions you can give it.

If extreeemely low humidity is a real problem in the house, you can mist the plant occasionally or make a humidity tray to put under the pot. It also helps to create a micro-climate for it within a grouping of companion plants. Those things help a lot more than you might think they would.

I failed in my one attempt to grow a N. ampullaria as a houseplant, and never tried it again because they grow pretty well in my lowland tank, but I believe it's possible because some trustworthy folks told me that they have successfully grown them that way. However, if you like amps, I have a suggestion that might be a nice alternative: N. x hookeriana is a hybrid between N. rafflesiana and N. amplullaria, and many clones look just like amps, only bigger. I am assuming that they grow very well as houseplants, because mine does. The only thing with them is that you probably won't be seeing many ground rosettes, like you do with an amp.
 
  • #20
Hmm... yeah, the window didn't have enough light for the amp to not-get poutey, so I might just not be able to grow lowlanders. It's a shame :(
 
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