N. rajah (BE)

[osmosis]

June 2005


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April 2008

[vraev]

Hi.

Let me just drop a note in one of these threads to say that I just love this section. I personally myself keep a record of my plants as they grow and its just fantastic to see the experience of other growers.

please keep posting. I love this section and I trust many others do as well.

thanks,

Varun

[osmosis]

July 2008

[vraev]

holy! that looks like the first upper n.rajah pitcher in cultivation. Bravo Dave. Fantastic!!

[osmosis]

July 2008



August 2008


Sept 2008

[vraev]

Dave...can u please tell me the media u use for your N.rajah? I noticed that my slow N.rajah suddenly seem to be growing after I used a bit of foliar fertilizer on it. I currently grow mine in a 40% LFS, 40% bark, 10% charcoal, 10% perlite media.

[osmosis]

Same as all my other plants - 1cm rockwool cubes, LFS, fine orchid bark, charcoal, perlite and a dash of peat.
I also use foliar feed occasionally.
What this plant loved was being potted up into that basket.
What it hated was when it was taken outside for just one day to allow greenhouse maintenance - it knocked it back badly.

[vraev]

Thanks for replying Dave. Hmm...here is the scoop with my N.rajah:
- The first one i have, took 8 months to settle...but then started to make incredible headway with pitchers and growth rate. The first pitcher was the hardest and smallest, but then after I started feeding with fish food and crickets, the plant took off.
- The next pitcher was just amazing. farm3.static.flickr.com/2142/2412115815_f62539d79c_o.jpg
- But then, I had to move, and thats it...the plant stopped growing. After 2 months of just nothing...I decided to repot it from 100% LFS to 70% bark and 30% LFS. I noticed how small the root system was: farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2758767982_61b82b07fc_o.jpg

But yeah....after that, I moved again to my own apart near school and it is still crawling. Been almost an yr since that last pitcher formed. THe plant still grows at a measly pace of 1 leaf per 2 to 3 months. I just squirted a bit of orchid fert on the leaves and it seems that the next leaf is growing faster....but I don't know.

Here it is now: farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3322437937_f94fa02e37.jpg
As of now there is a newer leaf slowly growing.

Another smaller rajah I got later, it was growing at an incredible pace of 1 leaf per 2-3 weeks. Then after a month since I got it, it made a pitcher. THe plant does look healthier though. Its in my standard nep media now: 40% bark, 40% LFS, 10% charcoal 10% perlite. After feeding the pitcher with a cricket... the plant suddenly aborted pitchers from the next leaves. Even now it still isn't forming another.

farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3452311661_c6b7e94a47.jpg

the fascinating thing is...these are both growing side by side...this smaller one has grown 2 leaves since the bigger one has grown half a leaf that is still jsut slowly sticking out of the older leaf.

That is why I am thinking I am missing some ingredient in the media. Most of my other neps take my standard mix pretty well. But the rajah can be happier.

And yeah..both of mine already grow in those pond lily baskets u mentioned.

[osmosis]

June 2009
After sulking since last year and over winter, this is the largest leaf so far, and it is turning it's two latest pitcher buds outward again

[vraev]

Aaaah! The magnificence!!!!! Nothing beats this species. The king of pitcher plants!!!

[osmosis]

June 2009


July 2009
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[vraev]

dude.....that pitcher bud is bigger than any pitcher I have seen in my collection. LOL! Except for the bical's 5 inch tall pitcher....but well...its in another league.