N.rhombicaulis Grown in Lowland Conditions

[kltower]

I bought this rhombicaulis last December from YG Park, Cameron Highlands. The plant is grown in the high humidity tank amongst my heliamphoras. The room temperature range are 25°C - 31°C. The humidity are kept are 85% to supersaturated. Three 2ft florescent tubes light the 2 ft tank.



When I got it it has two pitchers (dimpled and other cut off), since then I have 7 new pitchers. The large pitcher is as big as the came with the plant.

I also bought two pots of cephalotus from Cameron Highlands. One was kept near my bedroom window and the other amongst my highland nepenthes plants. Night temperature in my bedroom averages 17-18°C.

The one that kept near the window died after two months and the one that grow amongst the Highlanders almost went that way. It had only one pitcher and one big leaf left. So I moved it into the high humidity tank. And voila the plant is regenerating with new leaves.


I can only conclude that humidity is more crucial than temperature drop. And that you can grow heliamphoras and highland nepethes in high humidity.

Choong

[simpang1]

Interesting finding!maybe I'll do some experiment in the future.Thanks for sharing.but one question,won't the florescent tubes light heat up your tank?cos recently the temperature in Malaysia gone quite high,around 32-35 C at day time (at least at my place), so the temparature in the tank will be higher after you switch on the florescent tubes light,right?just wonder will the high temp kill the plant although the humidity is high?

[David]

Thanks for sharing this information. Nice to hear from you again after such a long silence.

[alcran]

Nice, its good to see someone experimenting.

[eboat]

Thanks for sharing,in soon i will got pne from wistuba too.

[kltower]

Yes Simpang1 it must be warm inside the tank. But the plants and the mosses are thriving inside. I intend to add one more light to increase the brightness.

However, there is a small fan to cool the lights and also to circulate the damp air. The light and fan is controlled by a timer switch.

Choong

[soonsuseong]

nice to hear your rhombicaulis is doing well. i have been searching for more info on rhombicaulis in lowland conditions too, as i bought 2 of them and a spectabilis too. this time i put them in my office, with cool temps of maybe 16-20 degrees. so far, they look ok and are putting new leaves. i have since put the other not-doing-so-well highland plants there, too early to know which way they will go.

as for cephalotus in lowland conditions, i got 2 pots that are thriving, 2 that died and another 2 which are half alive,half dead! the 2 that died were in terranium, must be a fungus attack.

some other highlanders that are ok for now (in lowland conditions), chaniana, glandulifera, tobaica, sanguinea, gymnanphora, fusca, stenophylla, maxima, khasiana, ramispina, sibuyanensis, diatas (surprisingly). in fact, the best 2 are sibuyanensis and gymnanphora, as long as there is some wind, plenty of humidity and water, with good drainage. chaniana is my curse though, they almost always gradually decline..... some at risk of decline: gracillima, spectabilis and rajah.

any experience with spectabilis in lowland?

[simpang1]

thanks for the reply,kltower.glad to know that the plants can survive the heat if got superhigh humidity.may try get some highlander to try out.

[funkychips]

Choong and Soonsuseong, I say that's a rewarding attempt because the plants, being continously propagated by artificial means, could very well show some new traits which make them hardier than any other plants in generations past. Thank you for sharing with us!

[footefanatic]

Hi Choong do you give night cooling for your HL neps?