FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I recently got into carnivorous plants, I started with just a small nepenthes alata, but when he doubled, it was time for more. Now I have 3 dionea, ~10 nepenthes, 2 sundews (technically a huge amount more, but only 2 that I purchased, thanks CA carnivores for the huge amount of random sundews growing in my plants pots, its really great, awesome quality plants too), ~8 sarracenia, a little butterwort, and my pride, a cephalotus follicarius. The nepenthes vary, most are without fully developed pitchers at the moment, so they are hard to identify, but 2 of my Ventricosa are huge, and 1 of my alatas is also quite developed (the original), I also know I have a deniflora robicantelii, I'm not sure about the others though. Anyway my primary concern is the growing conditions, I use RO water and a hydrofarm 2" grow light with a 6500K bulb and a 4000K bulb. The plants show excellent growth, the problem is that I do not include a temperature drop. I'm worried this might affect them later? Thanks for the advice. Any help is great.

Where do you live ?

Southeastern US, the temp right now is about 65-75. It's winter though, it will get much warmer in the summer, we have highs of 95s and lows of 75-80 during those times, plus we have hot, humid nights during our summers/springs (heat lightning hot)

I think your first step should be identifying your nepenthes species and providing them the right temperature ranges before you worry about a nighttime drop. Identify your highlands, lowlands, and intermediates.

Your densiflora x robcantleyi will be unhappy come summer with the temps you posted.

And currently your lowlands (if you have them) will appreciate warmer temps.

Your alata and ventricosas are intermeidate to highlands and are fairly hardy plants, so I wouldn't worry much about them.

There is naturally a temperature drop at night for me because of where I live and I grow indoors and the many lights I have warm-up my plant room considerably during the day. I keep my highland species in an evaporative cooling grow chamber so they are not in the warm room with my lowlands and hardy neps.

I spent a long time trying to determine a method for cooling. I may just pack everything into a 50 gallon terrarium and use ice packs, but ugh what a pain. My ideas so far
- Aforementioned 50 gallon terrarium
- Several small cooling fans
- Placing in coolers at night
- RO ice cubes with a drip system at night.
These are all ideas for the night btw. During the day I'll just move them back into my closet or bathroom, its generally pretty cool in both of those (my only concern would be the normal water evaporating from a shower in the bathroom).
How do you guys generally do this?

God I'm right there with you.

What I do, (I have lights on at night for cost)
When I wake and turn them off. I spray and water with cold cold cold waater, and turn the fan o higher level.

Temple with lights o 73
68 with them off.

So do you use a fan? How often do you spray? Again, perhaps the icy RO system as an upgrade of this?