OK, another VERYYYYYY long post by me!
Tony,
[b said:
Quote[/b] ] Hard to say on the vining issue. Could be coincidence as the cutting originally looks like it is just starting to hit the vining phase as the internodes appear to be spreading apart when you got it.
No Neps generally just so seeming instant from non-vining to vining. In the case of this plant at least it seems like such a quick change.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I think your just going to have to wait it out until warmer brighter longer days return.
I concede, at this point, that that is about my only option.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ](note on the observation about newly acquired plants changing color)
Many nurseries grow their plants soft.. ie lower light, higher moisture, heavy feeding. This produces larger plants quicker. With Nepenthes however this is of little value except for them to list nice big plants on their pricelist. Some nurseries are better than others. Properly grown plants will experience little setback and adjustment period while those pushed into large soft growth can experience a very nasty longterm adjustment period.
I have been led to believe this is the case with a/some local growers but I do not know about the supplier of this plant. Admittedly it does not bother me much as I have been VERY impressed with the size of some plants I received recently. However, I have noted that they do seem more prone to an initial shock response.
Volker,
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I see four leafs on the vining stem.
Yes 4 fully developed and 2 new forming (you can just make them out as one is opening/unfurling and the other is just a 10cm long spear).
All of the leaves on the vine section have developed since in my care though as Tony noted, the growing tip does appear to be vining already in the earlier picture.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Try measuring the buds every day, maybe you can see an increase.
'm not actually measuring (I do check every plant and every undeveloped pitcher morning and night, on my way out and back from work) but is does appear that the newer leaves have a slightly longer tendril. Though, it is hard to tell as the leaf unfurls from base to tip and it is the pitcher end that widens last, revealing what the pitchers will do. The pitcher buds do not appear to be swelling but they do seem viable and alive, as mentioned earlier. Plus each new leaf SEEMS to have a slightly better developed pitcher bud.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]It sounds like you are in the temperate climate. Isn't February very cold month to aquire a Nep?
Temperate to cool climate but with HOT summers. Winters rarely go below 0C (current lowest this year is about 3C at my place but the average is still around 10C) and summers average say about low-mid 30C with occasional high days in low 40C.
Note that my glasshouse is AROUND 15C night and 25-30C day, as mentioned in more detail earlier..
We are Southern hemisphere so February is mid/late summer with long days and hot weather. In fact at that time of year I am still combating heat and trying to get the nightly temps down to suit the highlands/intermediates.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]How short are your days in winter? Then: if it was, wouldn't it be a well known fact to growers?
As at today sun-rise 7:20am and sun-set say 5:12pm so day length is 10 hours. However, I am getting about 6 hours of direct sun on the glasshouse at best. We are 3.5 weeks from he shortest day of the year so I would expect that timeframe not to go below 5.5 hours at worst.
As for the " well known fact" I don’t know. I'm pretty new back into CP's and am going through my first set of seasons with the glasshouse. I can't compare to other growers as I have not caught up with many form the local society yet, but I can compare to the other Neps (25-30 specimens so far) I have in my collection. I have mostly highland/intermediates with a few lowlands (Raffs, Truncata’s, Amp, etc). All other Neps are still pitchering other than an N. ampullaria (which is another issue).
I know that speaking to a few other local Nep growers they seem to have trouble with lowland plants in general, though I believe I am the only one that is heating their glasshouse.
Given all of the great options and feedback that has been provided here I don’t know if there is really much I can do other than hold off, be patient and see what happens. As I said, the pitcher buds (newest 3-4) seem still viable.
Thanks,
Aaron.