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Post by vraev on May 20, 2007 13:58:35 GMT -5
hmm...its interesting though....consider this : I just saw this and was blown away. This guy grows everything on window sills. Look at that hamata. Look at that rajah...the bical. its surely LUCK, the plants themselves (the induvidual's ability to adjust and survive). www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108509Trust me....see that hamata...I was blown away.  |
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Post by insectivore on May 20, 2007 14:15:59 GMT -5
If you keep them humid they will pitcher but any nep can grow on a window sill without any problem as long as you respect there Temps! Humidity only affects the pitchering... My Truncata Thrive on my windowsill and Sometimes it pops out a HUDGE pitcher (last one was 9 inches) Cya  |
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Post by vraev on May 20, 2007 14:55:06 GMT -5
hey buddy, I just did this: will the rajah like it? Also, the water is tap water. Will it make a problem? should I still use distilled water?   |
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Post by tom on May 20, 2007 16:01:45 GMT -5
It should like it, especially if the relative humidity in your enclosure was low (below 50-60%). Beside, take care that water condensation from fog/bubbling water dont end in the axil of your plants leaves or growing point, especially if you dont have a fan running in your enclosure, its the best way to have a rotting shot in a few days!
Btw, nice rajah, I'm green with envy!
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Post by sdeering on May 20, 2007 16:13:19 GMT -5
Ya be careful not to have water droplets on the green parts of the plant all day.
I try to water in the morning so the plants have time to dry off during the day so they are dry during the night.
I’ve lowered the humidity in my greenhouse to 55 to 60 to start to harden off tings so I can take some outside this summer. My rajah is throwing out a new leaf so hopefully it isn't minding things a little dryer.
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Post by Flytrap on May 20, 2007 16:14:25 GMT -5
Couple of thoughts:
Rajahs are not too difficult to grow if you give it a few important requirements:
1. very bright light
2. evening/night temperature drop
3. fast draining compost
Your setup looks okay, but I worry about the intensity of light... the supplementary fluorenscent fixtures you have may be just enough to encourage some growth. But to get serious growth, you must give the plant bright natural light...and plenty of it.
I wouldn't fuss about with foggers or misters... your tight nep enclosure will provide enough humidity on it's own.
Again, my concern is the quality of light, duration of it and the ability of the compost to drain and breath.
Good lighting is the key. Cool evening temps, clean water and humidity around 70% will encourage pitchering... but it's always lighting that is the key ingredient... otherwise, your plant will just grow green leaves. This applies to most ultra highland neps (which rajah, villosa, lowii and edwardsiana are).
Ventratas and other "common" neps will grow and pitcher anywhere ...even in lower light quality.
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Post by insectivore on May 20, 2007 22:49:27 GMT -5
Hey Vraev! I beleive that FT concluded everything that was needed to be said the mister looks cool just make sure it doesn't keep the plants leaves wet ALL THE TIME otherwise you might have rotting probs but hey I wouldn't worry about it! Cya BTW... Tap water in a fogger doesn't really changer much and personally I've always used Tap water(24hr sitting) with my plants but I don't live in the city so theres no chlorine, it 100% Natural! |
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Post by vraev on May 20, 2007 23:13:36 GMT -5
actually, I am moving tomorrow. And I will keep this setup in a brighter location...which is not the basement...so definately there will be added ambient light. Over here...its a dark basement and the light. And mostly its the camera which had to adjust to reduce the glare in the pic. I guess I am now using distilled water in the mister...but I guess i am going to scrap it. I will figure it out later....I know what u guys mean....the mister is going to be turned on occassionally....like for 1 min when the lights go off. the fog actually goes NO WHERE near the growth point..its too far away...the fog basically goes near the blackened pitcher and mostly the moss. But some goes around in the pot and over it...so I guess it hopefully shouldn't do too bad. I am actually worried now...I dont know...it feels like that was such a harsh move to go for this baby now.  I don't know....I guess I got to see how it goes. pretty worried now. By spraying on all plants just twice or thrice....the humidity inside is definately at 75+.The bottom shelf is a concern as the humid air escapes a bit. I don't know....I am certainly worried...it seems pretty humid and warm in there...like around 70 or so. the top shelf is even warmer...cool principle...warm air rises. I guess it should help the bical. the rajah is what I am concerned about. I don't know.....!! |
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Post by vraev on May 21, 2007 1:37:57 GMT -5
I am honestly at the point where I am regretting stuff. I am not going to get any more plants...either regular house plants for decoration or so or CP's. I guess I am at the saturation limit and my brain is fried. It was the same feeling I had when I got like the 4 VFT's from keehns. In fact, that was a bit lesser, as it was all in one same unit, the small 5 gallon terrarium. The success on it made me go on this CP rampage which the rajah has effectively put to a stop with a slap on my face. . It is the same situation, the VFT's were said to be hard, require lot of light and all...and I started with tat 13 watt light....eventually getting another one and seeing, in my opinion, the success which I wanted. Now everything is back at square one. All my VFt's except the single typical...is seeming still slow...sluggish, red dragon is kinda looking bad..as it still is putting shock traps...B52 seems to be coming back as the shock traps have stopped...but the biggest concern is the "SCALE" My dad's concerns are now hitting me! I was talking to Rick about this on friday. My dad was pissed when I brought plants and said "Are you even thinking of what you are doing? U are going to be moving soon...have u thought of the transport and even the place u will keep it and all?" Tomorrow, I will be moving back to hamilton. To a offcampus place till september. Now, obviously, I am taking my plants. but the single terrarium with like 4 plants when I started is now into a big shoplight fixture, the setup, around 10 6 inch pots of plants. Aside from that..the nepenthes enclousure: I got to take it apart, once again subjecting the plants to moving....however, I hope it shouldn't be too bad... I mean...its just a matter of a couple of hrs (1 hr to go there...move stuff into the place...first thing to put together: the enclousure and put back the neps in). would it??? And earlier, I had a single pot of ventrata...now that thing is bulging at its seems and begging a repot...I mean there are 5 offshoots in the pot, one,, the oldest one has the blackened tip after vining and there is in its place a new offshoot in the soil. But to add to that....I have that immense miranda: which is FINALLY showing signs of pitchering and I am moving it. On top of that, the new rajah, bical and ramispina. alongside that, the little tub with seedlings and my only non CP companion plant: the iron cross begonia. Holy crap thats a lot of plants. I am serious guys, I feel I have commited a big blunder by getting into this commitment of growing the rajah. I am sooo scared that I might ruin a magnificent specimen....of such size. Of course, I COULD NEVER give it up....that would just eat me up inside. But, what do I do: I got it the best pot I could find, I regularly tip over the potted rajah to remove water from the reservoir (excess), I am giving it the "plant GE light: 40watt" which gave me those perfect red pitchers on the ventrata, it will also get some more ambient sunlight and room tube light, the humidity as expected will be definately around 75+. The temp drop doesn't seem to happen much as the enclousure is kinda buffered, if you know what I mean. FOr instance, the rising warm air should keep the bical happy...but the humidty on top is only 70 or so...as there is more interception now and more lights and I read that bical goes BLACK when has insufficient humidity, i.e., less than 80. The ramispina.... just hope the guy comes along and grows well. the humidity is I guess NOT BAD...as it is definately better than putting them out in the room at like 30%. Now temp : the temp is like 65+ apparently when lights on, I expect the temp to be higher at the place at go since its not a basement, but a carpet at the bottom. ALso the biggest concern about the temp drop for the rajah. I definately see one of like 5 degrees...but I don't know if it can go lower...the guage is horrible as u can see...only goes 60 and higher. I was thinking about getting this pc case fan and using this old motorola phone adapter: output:5.9 V DC, 350 mA and hooking them up. However, I am also finding this nextech USB powered "external mini fan" www.thesourcecc.com/estore/Product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Fans&product=2616482I was thinking if I could get a program that could turn my PC on when I was not there, turning the fan on and maybe that the air movement over the rajah present on the wet moss would do a cooling effect. HOWEVER, there is another issue: that would cause a drastic reduction of humidity. What the hell do I do? Seriously? I love this freakin plant! I can't bear to see the pitcher wilt or something like that as, I am not providing it optimal conditions. I just don't know what to do....I spent soo much money for all this..which I seriously cannot afford to in my current situation...and frig...I am even getting doubts of this entire hobby right now . You know seriously now... I only hope that the rajah can atleast please...for heaven's sake just "live...put out fresh new leaves, without succumbing to any problems of illgrowth and all". I don't care about any pitchers. I just care about the plant. I have had the fantasy of getting this plant FOREVER...its just that I didn't realise the scope of the situation. Sorry for boring you guys. PS:: Screw it!! I just removed the mister thingy. I rather see the plant grow healthily without having problems than risk the excess humidty problems of rot and stuff. I guess I don't care about it making any new pitchers anymore...I just want the plant to live and "ATLEAST" put out healthy new leaves...like my ventrata did when I grew it in like 30% humidity. |
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Post by insectivore on May 21, 2007 10:50:57 GMT -5
HOLY CRAP! Vraev! Calm Down, breathe, listen up DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! Your plants will be fine for the move! you got them 3 days ago they don't have time to adapt to your conditions in 3 days it takes weeks to months TRUST me! Your Rajah will be fine in those conditions as long as the tempos goes down a few degrees it will be fine! As for the Miranda Yes its making a new pitcher but seems to me you just bought it... Its still adapting itself and its making a pitcher that should tell you something... Its an easy plant it will adapt and thrive on a windowsill, look Dom1234 had it on a branch outside! As for the bical I grow it in very similar conditions as you! If keeping humidity is a concern ad a plastic sheet over your shelves (Take a normal garbage bag) Thats what I do and I barely loose any humidity! And It will help keep the higher temps for the Bical! Seriously Rajah isn't that hard to GROW its hard to PITCHER so just relax and take everything one step at a time! The mister is fine it will help the humidity factors! Your plants shouldn't have many effects from the move! VFT's are never really efected from it and your neps are all still adapting so they could think that there still in the mail! lol Don't worry about it! Take it easy! Cya |
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Post by vraev on May 21, 2007 11:54:53 GMT -5
well..its been like 3 weeks since I got the miranda. So thats why I was surprised. It adjusted and is putting out a new pitcher finally! Well! I guess you are right, miranda is an easy plant..so technically it should be fine. well....the poor ramispina...its still like in the floppy state due to "being bagged up". well...I guess I just went over it there, like the thermometer in those old cartoons, going over the limit and the bulb exploding. Now i guess there is no more elation, I am just wating for fate to unfold to see where this hobby of mine goes. thanks vinc! This is why I was saying, "how you would move your big collection when you go to uni later?". I am just a scary cat for this kind of situations where, I have something that I absolutely love and craved for...and I am just trying to baby it....but i do know better that, I am maybe giving it everything good except the "night-time" drop. lol! You know what....I got this idea....I will just freeze a water bottle and put it near the rajah pot every night  ! lol! |
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Post by insectivore on May 21, 2007 12:29:25 GMT -5
Hey! Well when its gonna be my turn to move I'll move but I'll have a permanant residense by then if i'm not still here... And If I have to move well its gonna be one trip of JUST plants! Lol! I'm not to worried! Cya BTW! The Frozen waterbottle might work! |
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Post by lloyd on May 21, 2007 12:43:23 GMT -5
Why are some threads really wide on the screen and you have to scroll back & forth? Is it the settings on my computer? I could hardly read Vraev's panicky essay.
Anyway, Vraev: TAKE IT EASY, breath in through your mouth and out through your nose, or is it the other way around? Your plants will be fine. As for your parents, with all due respect to them, if my kids were into nothing worse than CP's, I'd be content. (Not that they cause me any problems.).
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Post by mabudon on May 21, 2007 13:04:21 GMT -5
Lloyd- maybe try re-loading the page?? I find that sometimes if I start to scroll down while the page is still loading, all sorts of goofy stuff can happen with the rendering, not sure how or why but it DOES happen Varun- don't worry, I think all of us have felt like we were in a little over our heads after getting certain specimens- I kind of "regretted" my first Ceph, I was SOOOO freaked out by the thing that I could hardly even think about it for a while. All is well now, and so will it be with you. And your parents sound like they know a LOT about being parents, they are reading from the parental playbook |
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Post by lloyd on May 21, 2007 14:04:56 GMT -5
I just figured it out. When a picture is loaded that scrolls off the screen to the right, the whole thread and the words scroll off to the right too, so I have to constantly scroll left and right to read the thread. Does anybody else have this happen or is it just me? Any suggestions?
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I don't know....I guess I got to see how it goes. 
! lol!
