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N. rajah, 14 months outdoors.

I figured that the weather in San Franicisco is just about right for growing N. rajah, so I put one outside on my deck 14 months ago. It's been a bad 9 months, though, with the construction on my house. It got put off in a corner of the yard, with assorted debris raining down on it. But the last few months, it's been up on my new deck and settling in. It's not much bigger overall, but there are more healthy leaves, and a new pitcher coming along now.

First, here it was 14 months ago:
N_rajah_001.sized.jpg


Now, here is what it looks like:
N_rajah_2.sized.jpg


Here is the new inflating pitcher:
N_rajah_3.sized.jpg


Yes, I know nothing is too impressive here, but I'm just excited that one can grow a N. rajah year round outdoors here in SF without a chamber!

Capslock
 
Capslock, it mightn't be too much bigger, but it certainly is much more robust and healthy. One huge advantage for those able to grow Nepenthes outdoors is that the plants are much tougher than greenhouse plants. Congratulations!
 
Wow! Nice colouration.

-D. Lybrand
 
I hope under all that LFS you have something coarse (see post on ultramific soils) under there.


Nice coloring and I like the growth rate its taking.

M
 
Wow, yeah that really is some nice colour you got on that plant! I'm in the process of raising my light levels with my newly acquired (yay!) N. rajah as well, hopefully it will one day be able to be grown outside full time as well. Seems like the conditions are right, I just need to protect it a little bit from direct sun- been trying to get my hands on some kind of shadecloth but don't know where to start... Well, thanks for sharing your pictures, I hope it keep growin' well.
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Beautiful plant
I wish I could grow N. rajah outdoors
 
Looks like it is ready to take off and take over your deck ;>


Est try a layer or two of fiberglass window screen. It makes very effective shade cloth for small areas.
 
I put my recently aquired rajah out on the deck a little over a month ago. Right smack in to full sun (what are you thinking, Schloaty?!?). You know what? It's still happy! Go figure. Even has a new pitcher inflating.

Unfortunately, it will have to come in - probably in early October.
 
Wonderful coloration Max! My N. rajah will soon be putting on a show...in a few weeks.
 
  • #10
Capslock,

Great pic of the ol' rajah. I too have been growing my rajahs outdoors for over 3 years without any problems except occasion leaf burn or possible leaf deformities during some cold winter nights. Your weather is very similar to mine in So. Cal. You should be able to grow most if not all the highlanders I grow outdoors yearround too! You'll find they're really hardy. Maybe graduate to a villosa??

Joel
Nepenthes Around the House
 
  • #11
Joel, inspiration from your site is what prompted me to try this in the first place! I think I will try my tiny N. villosa out there too now that they are relatively easy to get.

I've tried a couple others out there with results not as promising. Currently there is a N. x ventrata struggling out there. The problem, I think, is that we just don't get WARM enough for some of them. Many days go by, even in the middle of summer, where temps don't go above the low sixties. For example, today is supposed to hit 67F, and it's going to be the warmest day of the week! However, I'm going to start trying to move some of the highlanders out, though, and see what happens. That would greatly increase my growing area, which means I have room for MORE neps!!

Capslock
 
  • #12
Nice looking plant, Capslock.
smile.gif
Maybe one day I will be able to try a rajah. Its definitely a cool nep. Congratulations on your success.
 
  • #13
Thats by far the most impressive looking cultivated Rajah ive seen that grows outdoors!!
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(Because I have never seen one before
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)
 
  • #14
we've had days here where it hasnt got to 50 in June, Very nice, did you leave it out there in the winter too?
 
  • #15
Thanks everyone! Yes, Kirk, it's been outside every day for 14 months now. I have never brought it in, but I might if we have a brutal heat wave or a deep freeze, neither of which we've had in the last 14 months.

Capslock
 
  • #16
Capslock,

Thanks for the props on the inspiration. I don't think you have to worry about the heat wave thing. Your plant has been outdoors for 14 months so it has done a lot of acclimatizing. Try some nice, vigorous, (relatively cheap) species like N. fusca, N. ramispina, N. maxima to name a few outdoors. They're nice plants that should do great for ya. Highland truncatas, lowii, macrophylla and veitchiis will do well for you as well if you're looking for the "classics" that are a little more $$$ but will serve you well down the road. Keep up the good work in No. Cal!!
smile_m_32.gif


Joel
 
  • #17
Real Nice Caps! Looks like a tough little strawberry. What a difference "real sunlight" makes. Who woulda thought? I would say if you can grow raja outside, you could pretty much grow all your highlanders out there.
Thanks for sharing,
Robin
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