Loakesy Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 I'm getting a bit worried about my Nepenthes ramispina. I've only had it since October and I'd wanted one for ages. Now, 3 out of the 6 small leaves are dying and the other 3 are looking very limp. As I don't have a terrariom I'm growing it as a windowsill Nep. in my kitchen. It is next to my N. sanguina and underneath my hanging ventrata and unknown maxima hybrid in the same conditions and they're all doing beautifully. I water them all regularly, but not too regularly, and it's always warm and humid in the kitchen. What can I do to help it? I really don't want it to die! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Was it doing fine for the past couple months then all of a sudden started going downhill rapidly? Or has it been a gradual decline. The other Nepenthes you mention are very durable and hardy growing plants. N. ramispina is very much a tender highland plant and picky about temperature and humidity level. Not sure what you mean by "always warm and humid" though. Your deffinition of humid is not necessarily the same as someone elses, or the plants. Warm is helpful but an estimated average of day and night temperatures would be more descriptive. Limp leaves could be from lack of humidity, lack of water, a root problem preventing the plant from absorbing water. Hope that gives you some ideas.. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visee Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 N. ramispina is a highland plant originating from mossy forest or exposed ridges and summits of moutains in the Malaysian Peninsular. Therefore, the plant likes day temperatures between 25C-28C and night temperatures dropping below 15C. If these temperature requirements are not met the plants will slowly wither away and die. Also, you need to make sure that the humidity never drops below 80%. Futher details on Nepenthes cultivation: http://www.cpjungle.com/nepenthesuniversity.htm http://www.plantswithattitude.com http://www.malesiana.com/html/tips_pg8.htm First, make sure you get the temperatures right, then try to control the relative humidity. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 It was doing fine amd has produces a few leaves since I got it and has just recently been looking sickly. Maybe I'm just being too optimistic to think that it can survive under conditions I have it in. I'd be sad to see it die off, but perhaps I should wait until I'm better kitted out. I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens. Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 For what it's worth (probably not much) mine seems to thrive even when the outside temps (open greenhouse) go to freezing, but many other highlanders of mine don't like it at all, and let me know! Perhaps a temperature drop, if you can manage it? But when it comes to die back, it's often fungus of some sort. Have you sprayed? They seem rather slow growers to me, and often slow growers particularly hate dampness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Cornish Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Hi Loakesy, I also brought a N.ramispina this autumn off Simon and it has been growing well although not pitchering yet. I must admit that the temperatures on the window sill where it has been growing have been pretty low during the night so as mentioned above maybe it is being kept a bit too warm. The humidity doesn't get below about 70%. Your plant is till going through it's adjustment period and hopefully it's just a temporary glitch. Regards Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SydneyNeps Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 All I can add is my personal experience. I have about 50 ramispina all growing outside. Whilst not quite as rapid or as tough as sanguinea, they are pretty hardy nonetheless and grow well under 'hard' conditions, so humidity shouldn't be a problem. They also cope well with strong sunlight. Old leaves of ramispina don't last that long (in comparison with the likes of ventricosa and sanguinea), and you often have a plant with a bunch of dead leaves up the stem, and only 5-6 good leaves at the top (a lot like densiflora). Hamish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunaSurprise Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 All of those plants you mentioned Loakesy, are very tolerant. Ramispina is more picky, not the pickiest in the world, but definitely more so than sanguinea, x Ventrata, and maxima. Try to get the temps in the mid 70s- mid 80s in the day and 50-60 at night, with an ultimate hight of 65 at night, and 90 in the daytime. Humidity should be above 70% for the best growth, i have found that my plants are more tolerant than that. I have found that some of my plants are just sickly in general though. I've had a D. capensis in as perfect conditions as i could get them. And it kicked up and died. It wasn't even fully grown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Well, thanks for this info everyone. I'll go but a thermometer and keep an eye on the temperature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunaSurprise Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Try to get a combo thermometer, and hygrometer (humidity measurer). You will kill two birds with one stone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 I'll try that! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted January 18, 2005 Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 Loakesy, N. ramispina is one of the easier highland plant and also will forgive some cultivation mistakes but I think it’s more demanding than a hybrid or even N. sanguinea. The plant may also need more time to adapt to your contidions which are harder than in a greenhous or in a humid terrarium. Just try to spray the plant as often as possible and also sphagnum as a top layer or as media works well for the plant. All I can add is my personal experience. I have about 50 ramispina all growing outside. Whilst not quite as rapid or as tough as sanguinea, they are pretty hardy nonetheless and grow well under 'hard' conditions, so humidity shouldn't be a problem. Wow, 50 ramispina... :o I would love to see a photo of the plants. They also cope well with strong sunlight. Old leaves of ramispina don't last that long (in comparison with the likes of ventricosa and sanguinea), and you often have a plant with a bunch of dead leaves up the stem, and only 5-6 good leaves at the top (a lot like densiflora).Hamish Mine are always fresh from bottom to top. If you always keep the humidity high enough the leaves won’t suffer that much... Markus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 The plant may also need more time to adapt to your contidions which are harder than in a greenhous or in a humid terrarium. Just try to spray the plant as often as possible and also sphagnum as a top layer or as media works well for the plant. I put a top layer of live Sphagnum on a few weeks ago, and I reckon it's since around that time that it's been heading down-hill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_mtl Posted January 18, 2005 Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 I had a similar experience, but with a D. capensis. Not sure it has anything to do with your problem, but here goes! I once put a layer of *dead* long-fibered sphagnum on top of the mix of sand/peat. A few weeks later, the plant was forming smaller and smaller new leaves. As time passed, my capensis lost all of its leaves. I didnt have the slight clue of why this happned. It's only afterwards that i thought about the sphagnum that I put on top of the medium. To this day, I'm still not sure what killed it, as it was well watered in a terraium with grow-lights and everything... I read recently that when sphagnum rots, it can poison your plant. :!: Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp addict Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 all i can say is that i got ramispina in october 2003 and since i got it, it never produced any new pitchers. my plant died about 2 months ago. I think this plant is as fussy as N. Rajah. it is also difficult to know whether one has the right species when growing them from seeds. a lot of hybrids with ramispina are usually found in malaysia, such as gracilis X ramispina and others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 That’s curious, I’ve never had problems with living sphagnum neither as a top layer nor as pure media. I only would use sphagnum of very high quality from New Zealand but I prefer living sphagnum. Markus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visee Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Hi Loakesy, Did you get temperature readings (day-night)? I'm curious what the temperature regime is in your kitchen. visee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visee Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Hi Loakesy, The addition of sphagnum can introduce pathogens to the potting mix (fungi, nematodes, mites, etc). If the plant is big enough (more than 7 cm) and if it is kept under the right conditions, the plant is capable to fend off these pathogens. Currently, I'm conducting an experiment with a fungicide to look if my small Nepenthes plants are growing better. Regards, Visee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Visee I'm going to get a thermometer to finally crack what temperature my kitchen does during the day/night. As for the Sphag. the plant is only about 4 or 5 cm tall and has, or rather had, 6 small leaves. No pitchers to speak of. Maybe it was the top dressing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted January 20, 2005 Report Share Posted January 20, 2005 My N.ramispina is growing nicely and pitchering nicely (bought it in spring 2004). It's standing in what i consider my "lowland terrarium" though (quite high humidity & lots of sun)... Since I now read it's a highland, that could explain why my bicalcarata is turning yellow. :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 My ramispina doesnt grow neither does my fusca seems the only thing that will grow in my 4 foot ,4 tube tank with a humidifier is capensis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_mtl Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 My ramispina has only 2 tubes over it and is pitchering well. I have found that it is fairly easy to give too much light to Neps, particulary for the lowlands. My rafflesiana is in the same setup as the ramispina, and has some sunburns on the older leaves. Is the following general statements correct for Neps? Highland = more light Lowland = less light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 I noticed my highlands tolerate direct sunlight better than the lowlands indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted February 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 It's official - It's now an ex-N. ramispina!! The past few weeks of its life were spent with its previous owner in an attempt to revive it. But, alas, it was beyond help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob H Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 :-( Bad luck Andy. Better luck next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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