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Which nep to buy

Whcih nep. produces the largest pitchers but is also the easiest to take care of? I was thinking of maybe getting a nep. rafflesiana, is this a good plant to get? I also want one that grows fairly rapidly, so what is the best one to get?
 
That what I would say N.Truncata,N.Rafflesiana,or N. Bicalcarata if you have a LARGE space and nice and warm ( 75-90F) temperatures.
 
my first nep ever was nep. rafflesiana

its growin huge, just gave some superthrive today cus it wasnt producin as bg pichters as it was when i got it, hopefulyl the ST will boost it up
 
If you didn't overdose it too much it should make nice sized pitchers for ya. My first ever Nepenthes were N.Veitchii x Truncata and N.Ventricosa "Red" whom I both raised from 2 inch baby's. I bought both at the same time from a Lowe's. They are my ole and BIG! friends.
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Hi all,

Do the above plants (Truncata & Rafflesiana) grow large in cooler conditions - I live in London, UK and would grow them on a windowsill.
Still looking for a large growing specimen for my conditions!

Thanks in advance

Jock
 
Both are technically lowland although they both are very hardy and able to take a wide variation in temperatures without difficulty. I would still recommend truncata over rafflesiana. Rafflesiana is more sensitive to pitchers drying up or not forming in low humidity. I also think that it will slow down more in cooler temperature than truncata. In upstate NY I have had a raff. and a truncata growing on an East window for a couple years, and the truncata increased much more noticably in size and pitchered more often than the raff. The truncata is now in the Ghouse because it's too big to fit on my windowsill.
Tony
 
Tony, when you say windowsill, you just mean windowsill right? Not like humidifyer and stuff?
I live near hamilton ontario, which is the same as toronto i guess, do you think a truncata in a west facing window would do well?
 
Yep right on the windowsill.. There are a few other plants with it but without any kind of humidifying equipment or anything. I just water it when it's getting dry. I think a west window would be fine. Truncata can take full sun once it's used to it. Currently I have a khasiana vine in my west window that's about 2 feet long.

We don't have any airconditioner removing moisture during the summer months and heat during the winter is by hotwater baseboard and a wood stove in the cellar.

Tony
 
  • #10
Tony you know where I am right (Alex Bay) and my Truncata was REALLY slow in low humidity. So I put a plastic bog over the entire pot and it seems much better. It wasn't producing any new leaves or pitchers without the bag so I covered it up and it seems better, a new leavbe is VERY large and may punch right through the bag! :eek: Tony what humdity was your Truncata in your house? Also your Rafflesiana?
 
  • #11
I dunno.. whatever the humidity is outside..

I am only responding on my experience with a truncata I had on my windowsill for over 2 years with no special treatment.. It went from a 4" plant to over 12". I also did not say it grew at the same rate year round or that it made spectacular pitchers with every single leaf.

Personally I don't think you gave yours long enough to adjust to life on a windowsill. I would say it would take at least 2 months or more for a plant to adjust from growing in a warm southern greenhouse to life on the windowsill in the northeast. When plants have to adjust to a dryer atmosphere only the new leaves will be able to cope well with the change. The plant must also increase its root mass to account for a larger uptake of water to compensate for more transpiration from the leaves. As Nepenthes are for the most part slower growing.. this takes time.. alot of it.

I would also ask.. how can you be sure it was just the humidity change? Temps in our area have increased along with daylength. It could be a combination of a not fully established plant with the increase in temperatures daylength and humidity.
Tony
 
  • #12
I say it was the humidity change that did it because before the bag was put on (in March) it was slower than Rajah! Now that the bag has been on from March till now it is MUCH faster than it was 2 new leaves with a developing pitcher hopefully. But after I put the bag on, it took about 3-5 weeks before I noitced any changes. And it wasn't swelling up any immature pitchers but now the new one coming look as though it may be elongating and swelling. It will be going in my soon to be here greenhouse anyways but it was a question that was bugging me a little. Thanks!
 
  • #13
Food for thought.....

Could be just coincedence also... If I recall you have had the plant since last fall? With cool temps through the winter I would expect truncata not to grow fast. Also keep in mind that with establishment of the plant through the winter months it would take longer... 4 - 5 months is not an unrealistic time period for a plant to settle in and start to grow with vigor.

Humidity itself imo doesn't affect the rate a plant grows at. It will affect how well the plant grows, how well it pitchers, size of the plant and in extreame cases whether the plant lives or dies.

Think about what has happened. Your comparing growth rate during cool winter months of a fairly unestablished plant to growth rate of a more established plant during warmer weather and longer days. Enclosing the plant in a bag not only increases humidity but it will hold more heat around the plant.
T


sorry I'm in one of them debate moods I guess..
 
  • #14
Don't be sorry your in a debate mood! That is what these forums are for! :biggrin: But yeah I put a thermometer in there a few minutes ago and it is in the sun right now and the thermometer is fast acting so leme go check the temp.........OK it is 85F compared to the winter months where it was only 65-60F in the house and it didn't have a bag on it then. Yeah it was back in Nov. when I got it from Catalani. So I see your point. Should it be fully established yet? Also will snipping off an immature pitcher give me a larger than average one? It does doesn't it? I would like an 8 inch one which is what it was making until the 2nd pitcher came out and it was only 6 inches probably from shock when it came from Catalani but yeah how would I get a pitcher it is accoustomed to producing? Which is about 10 inches tall and about 1 inch diameter.
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(Edited by nepenthes gracilis at 7
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6 am on May 3, 2002)
 
  • #15
Sounds like it is doing well. A healthy growing truncata can grow in spurts where all of a sudden the new leaf is huge compared to the old ones. Particularly if they are fed a steady diet!

No clipping off an immature pitcher won't force the plant to make an even larger pitcher on the next newest leaf (it may be larger naturally but not larger than it would have been if the other had not been clipped). It may infact cause the plant to lose vigor since you will no longer have a nice fresh pitcher to feed. This is my thinking on it.. but I can't say I have tested it and there probably isn't anyway to say for sure whether the newest pitcher is any bigger than it would have normally been anyway.
Tony
 
  • #16
Just because I like to debate too...while I do not have experience with lowlanders on windowsills (Colorado really wasn't the place to be trying that
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) but for 18 months I grew a ventricosa from 4" to 24" and a khasiana from 4" to 16" on a windowsill with no added help, just like Tony. These same plants were on the windowsill for the winter here in Atlanta and are now out on the patio throwing out basal shoots and growing like weeds.

I personally think many Neps are much hardier than we are led to believe and if everything else is just right then the humidity factor can be fudged a little.

Just my 2 cents

Pyro
 
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