This Nepenthes is the same size as when I bought it. If I had taken pictures of it back then when I originally brought it home there would be no point in putting them up for a comparison shots. It really is the same size, the stem is just a little taller from losing the older leaves.
I had to spray it for mites first thing when I brought it home. Something I bought that day had mites and I had carried the plants I bought around in the same bag all day. Systemic pesticide made it terribly unhappy and it sulked for a few months, then grew smaller leaves. It grew back to the same size as when I got it. Then, miracle of miracles it had a good time this year. It grew slightly larger leaves and started to consistently make pitchers again.
Then, of course, disaster strikes again, we had that bad mite outbreak this summer and I had to spray it. Well, that was a good run, but now we're back to the same small growth. It did start a few new growths off the side of the main vine.
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| *Sigh* |
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| Look close, that green will be new growth points |
I can't bring myself to trade it away or sell it, (too embarrassing to try, it looks terrible even though it's healthy,) and I can't throw it out. I keep hoping one day it'll gather itself and start to grow larger. It almost did, for a minute there.
It's started growing again though, here's what it looks like today. Now tell me this isn't the smallest pitcher you've ever seen! Too cute.
Oh, and if you're wondering why the heck I'm still so partial to this plant, and why I guess I'm still going to keep it, (besides the fact that they're expensive and not always around and available for purchase), here's a good link for pictures of what it looks like as an adult: Nepenthes rajah
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| This is the best pitcher I've gotten out of it to date :/ |
You have to persevere, there are always plants that frustrate you just when you think you have cracked them. When you do finally get that pitcher it will be all the more special.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, but from now on I'll try neem or something non systemic if it gets mites ever again. I'm convinced it's just too much of a setback with a systemic pesticide for such a slow grower. Ugh, I like to wipe infestations out so I go for the hard stuff maybe a little too often.
DeleteGreat blog! N. Rajah is a notorious slow grower, it also requires highland conditions to thrive (And they do grow a little faster in highland conditions). But in the carnivorous plant world you have the crown jewel lol. It will reward you someday! Best wishes, Ryan
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can give this one highland conditions about 75% of the year, summer may be a little warm here at night for a month or two. My other HL Nepenthes do fine here, so I get it, this one's exceptionally picky, maybe I got a weak clone, who knows. I've got some plans in the works though that should better suit it.
DeleteNice plant!
ReplyDeleteI have a small N.rajah , too.
Good luck with it, hope yours does phenomenally better than mine has!
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