Diatas problems

[growergray]

Hey all,
I bought a very young N. Diatas probably about 7-9 months ago. In the last 4 months or so it's been slowly but steadily declining. I've placed it in a couple of different windows to see if different lighting would make a difference, to no avail.

A few weeks ago I noticed that though the newest leaf had turned black, there were tiny buds at the base of the next two leaves (where they meet the stem). I assumed these were new growth points and hoped this was a sign of recovery, but now these two points look as if they are turning black, too.

The plant is currently (and has been for about two months) in an east facing window, where I grow my N. Sanguina (which is doing quite well). I moved it from a west facing window a few months back because of a steady decline in health. I have a few other neps and care for them all the same way, and this is the one that seems to be really suffereing.

Any help or hints to salvage this poor guy would be helpful; I didn't spend much on him, but it's the principle of the thing!

~growergray

 

[Grey Moss]

Tell us about the tmperatures at night. Is it warm during the night? This species is a highlander/ultrahighlander. It needs cool nights.

 

[growergray]

temps are room temperature, just like during the day ~75F

 

[nightsky]

I don't have experience with this plant, but I've also read it likes very cool nights.

 

[Goofzilla]

My diatas has been doing awesome since I recieved it. It's growing area gets in the low 50's at night, with extremely high humidity. (90-100%)

It's been a fairly fast grower for me. I really hope yours kicks back!

 

[Capensis]

temps are room temperature, just like during the day ~75F

And at night...?

 

[Kayota]

They were saying it's the same at night

 

[Capensis]

So, if it's ~75 at night also, then that would be the cause of why it's declining, as the others have said.

 

[DroseraBug]

Try a couple of ice bottles beside of it at night for a while to see if it perks up. I don't grow this species but my other highlanders seems to like the ice bottles until I get an A/C next summer.

 

[macamus3]

You need to get temps into the mid to low 50's for at least 6-8 hours a night. N. diatas is actually a ultra-highlander growing between 2400 - 2900m, but will grow just fine in solid highland conditions. You are now giving it intermediate/lowland conditions which is slowly killing it. It can take day temps into the low to mid 80's as long as you get the night temp drop into the 50's. I did the same thing when I first started growing Neps. It can take higher temps for a little while but will eventually decline. Some highland neps will adapt to inter/lowland conditions ie N. sanguinea, N. khasiana. N. ventricosa but not N. diatas. Good Luck.

 

[Dexter.B.D]

My diatas has been doing awesome since I recieved it. It's growing area gets in the low 50's at night, with extremely high humidity. (90-100%)

It's been a fairly fast grower for me. I really hope yours kicks back!

yeah I remmber seeing it, growing like no other.

 

[growergray]

Alright, thanks for the help everyone. If anyone else has suggestions or experiences, feel free to post.

I'll try placing it under a kind of covered lid with ice-filled containers during the night as suggested.....*sigh* just one more little thing to add to the business of my life.

 

[DroseraBug]

Alright, thanks for the help everyone. If anyone else has suggestions or experiences, feel free to post.

I'll try placing it under a kind of covered lid with ice-filled containers during the night as suggested.....*sigh* just one more little thing to add to the business of my life.

I hear your greef. Lets all put our scientific minds together and figure out how to cheaply and efficiently cool our growing areas below ambient temps in an automated manner. This is the problem and there has to be a solution. Water bottles, A/C, refrigeration. Water bottles seem to be the cheapest and most efficient in my opinion. There only problem is taking up space. I might go over the edge and purchase a portable A/C for mine to specifically run for the terrarium while also running a fogger. Pros: it will get the temps I need. Cons: more energy expenditure/higher electical bill. Hmm maybe I should have just bought a convenience store refrigerator added some lights, misters, and foggers. That'd do the trick but still not efficient. I'm going with the cheap 2 liter coke bottles frozen all day and thawing all night until I can figure out a better method. There's also tampering with refrigeration parts but if your not a certified plumber and electrician you could probably burn your house down. Just rambling as figuring out the solution to automated cooling problem has been on my mind for months.