Is There Some Secret Or Trick To Growing N. mikei

[rhillier]

Greetings,

I initially got a specimen of N. mikei from Flytrap back in October 2006. For a while, it grew well for me, pitchering regularly. Then, it stopped pitchering and gradually declined. The leaves wqould come out deformed and dry-looking, gettning smaller with each new leaf. The growth crown quit and the plant responded with two basal shoots. These also declined in the same manner without ever pitchering. It finally was pronounced officially dead this past week.

The roots, although dead, looked like they were healthy until the end - there was no sign of root rot and they were plentiful.

This past summer, I had gotten, among others, another Nep mikei from macrovulgaris.com. It was a younger plant, but it is starting to do exactly the same thing.

Here is a picture of it:


What is causing this? If it is a virus, why would it only affect two plants of the same species that were not near each other. All of my other neps, even those not pitchering, are very healthy otherwise.

My temps get to about 24C during the day, drop to around 20C at night with about 65% humidity.

Is there something different that I should be doing with this species that I don't know about?

Any help would be appreciated.

>>> Rick <<<

[Michael Catalani]

Your night temps may not be cool enough. N. mikei is found from about 1100M (intermediate) to about 2500M (way up there and chilly at night.) Depending on where the plant originated, it may have an affinity for more highland temperatures.

It could also be a water issue, but if your other plants are doing well, we can probably rule that out.

[Hikenyura]

I think it's a virus, but im not expirienced enough to know exactly. All i know is viruses usually can only attactch on certain parts of the human body so maybe the virus you have only affects a mikei

[rhillier]

I have a number of highlanders in my collection... rajah (doesn't pitcher, but it's growing vigorously and has a nice healthy sheen), villosa (very small plant, but it has killer 3/8" pitchers), lowii (young plant, pitchers), epphipiata (medium, pitchers nicely), inermis (young plant, pitchers), mira (pitchers nicely) and others.

I'm really puzzled as it is just that one stubborn plant.

I only water with RO water that has also gone through a de-ionizer (need that for my marine aquariums).

Is there really such a thing as a mikei-specific virus... if that is the case, maybe I'm best to knock this plant off, wait 6 months to a year and start with a new specimen.

I'd really like to save this last mikei specimen though, as I HATE watching plants die. Maybe it needs a flu shot or something

>>> Rick <<<

[phissionkorps]

I highly doubt a mikei specific virus. I don't know where you live, but unless its in mikei habitat, you can definitely rule that one out.

[rhillier]

I'm growing all of my neps under 400W daylight metal halides in my basement. FWIW, I'm in Kitchener, Ontario (about 60 miles west of Toronto).

[Hikenyura]

Okay, now im doubting too. I don't think a virus in the tropics would survive in canada, maybe it has something to do with your basement

[Dave Evans]

This looks a lot like mite damage. Also, mites are not species specific, but they do go after plants which are already stressed in some way. So if you have a species of plant that isn't perfectly happy with your conditions while the rest of your plants like the conditions, or they are recent arrivials still adjusting; the pests will focus on the on the stressed or weaker plants first, build their numbers up and then move on to other plants.

[cindy]

rhillier,

From someone who tried growing highland Neps in year round high 80sF...that's a sign of heat stress. In the beginning the plant is able to cope which is why you see it as doing well for the first couple of weeks/months. My muluensis x lowii survived 10 months in lowland conditions looking like yours. Finally it turned black from the roots up.

I agree with Dave that it could be mite damage and that it is secondary. The plant is not happy with your conditions thus it is suseptible to attacks.

[rhillier]

My highs are around 75F - lows were around 70F during the summer. Would these temps induce heat stress in N. mikei, but not something like N. rajah?

I had a very close look at the foliage and could not see any signs of mites with my naked eye... I'll get out the magnifying glass tonight. I've seen those babies before many many years ago, so I do know what they look like.

>>> Rick <<<

[cindy]

Rick, Rob Cantley grows his 20,000 rajahs in 77-82 deg C day and 52-55 deg C night.

[rhillier]

Indoors, I can't get that kind of temperature difference at night with my current setup.

My nepenthes grow area is about four feet wide x 6 feet long under a 400W metal halide. Perhaps if I enclose that area somewhat I might get it warmer inside, going back to nearly the present low I get (20C or so) due to the lack of heat coming from the bulb when it is off at night).

Maybe I just can't grow N. mikei and I should accept it and stick with what works for me.

I hate to have to do so, but it looks inevitable.

>>> Rick <<<

[Michael Catalani]

rhillier said:

My highs are around 75F - lows were around 70F during the summer. Would these temps induce heat stress in N. mikei, but not something like N. rajah?

Possibly. N. rajahs can take the temperatures you are giving them for some time, but ultimately will needit cooler at night. Since yours isnt pitchering, its probably enduring a form of heat stress as well. If the N. mikei you received is from a higher altitude, such as 2200M, and it has an affinity for those conditions, then it could show night time heat stress well before N. rajah.

[wasted]

I had a fungal infection on my mikei and it looked similar to that, turned out that the media was a little heavy which was causing it to be a little to wet, I repotted in a lighter, airier media and dosed it with a bayer fugicide.

It started looking better already and is now fine..

[Hikenyura]

Just another random idea (probably isn't though). Maybe it's a little water logged or it might be a fungal infection (like what wasted said), but fungus usually spread aroung other plants.