FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I am wondering how much cold this species can take without dying. In the winter My terrarium go's down to the fifty's my windowsill in the forty's. Can I grow this amazing plant?

Nepenthes Bicalcarata is a lowland species so it prefers higher temperatures. It can probably withstand the cold for a good while but eventually it will affect it's pitcher growth.

I wouldn't try it if you can't keep it warm. They don't like the cold at all. This coming from my personal experience. I had three lost one almost two. It is making a slow come back and my third one started looking horrible. Temperatures probably dipping into the low 50s. They were in an unheated room inside a terrarium in front of a window. Still couldn't stay warm enough. They had done a lot better in the previous years but I change their location And it got to cold. Now its warmer they are doing much better.

I wouldn't let it get that low or it will likely die. I keep mine at no less than 70* preferably higher

If it's in a terrarium you could put some water in the bottom and use a fish tank heater to keep your temps up if ambient temperature is lower than desired.

charlie wrote:I am wondering how much cold this species can take without dying. In the winter My terrarium go's down to the fifty's my windowsill in the forty's. Can I grow this amazing plant?

The answer, as almost everyone else has pointed out, is probably "no." I do know of one location outside where the grower has the temperatures drop down to the 40s sporadically, but I'm not sure if it's the clone that can take that temperature, or if all N. bicals can.

Personally, I have my house temps set so it doesn't fall below 60. However, with drafts, it may fall into the 50s near my tanks. (But high 50s). My bicals seem to be doing fine.

I have got a reptile heating mat… Do you think if I keep the soil warm I can grow it on a windowsill? Maybe I could finally cary out that idea of making a small lowland tank!

You will have troubles growing bical in RH. I don't think you will get it to pitcher even of the temps are right

If you want to grow bical I think a LL tank is on order

charlie wrote:I have got a reptile heating mat… Do you think if I keep the soil warm I can grow it on a windowsill? Maybe I could finally cary out that idea of making a small lowland tank!

Well, it's more a matter of heating not only the soil, but also the air. I've never used one of those, so I couldn't say.

One question, are your terrariums outside? I'm somewhat surprised that inside you'd have temperatures plunge into the 40s. High 50s, maybe, but not a whole lot of people tolerate temperature drops that low, if they can avoid it.

Yup. The tanks are inside. I'll see if I can make some kind of plexiglass thingamajig for lowland plants.

NatchGreyes wrote: I'm somewhat surprised that inside you'd have temperatures plunge into the 40s. High 50s, maybe, but not a whole lot of people tolerate temperature drops that low, if they can avoid it.

Propane prices went up to about $5/gal this winter. They were around $1.64 at the beginning of December, So I refused to pay those prices and heated with wood all winter. Unfortunately, My room with the plants in them were the furthest away from my fire place and out of reach of the blowers, meaning the rooms stayed fairly cold. I thought about maybe placing a heat mat under the terrarium, which does have a couple inches of water in the bottom. I'm not sure if that would help much with air temps though.

Either way Charlie if you do get a bical good luck with it. They are an awesome Nepenthes.

You can grow a bical at room hymidity but like everyone else says low temperatures will kill it. I have a huge bical that I grow on my front porch in the summer and under a HPS in the winter. I don't get any pitchers in the winter but my plant doesnt stop growing from the drop in humidity. My fav LL because of how easy it is...if you keep it warm.

HPS?

If I do get a lowland tank, do you think I could trade for a cutting of your plant?

charlie wrote:HPS?

High pressure sodium, I believe. It's a type of light.

jwbates26 wrote:

NatchGreyes wrote: I'm somewhat surprised that inside you'd have temperatures plunge into the 40s. High 50s, maybe, but not a whole lot of people tolerate temperature drops that low, if they can avoid it.

Propane prices went up to about $5/gal this winter. They were around $1.64 at the beginning of December, So I refused to pay those prices and heated with wood all winter. Unfortunately, My room with the plants in them were the furthest away from my fire place and out of reach of the blowers, meaning the rooms stayed fairly cold. I thought about maybe placing a heat mat under the terrarium, which does have a couple inches of water in the bottom. I'm not sure if that would help much with air temps though.

Either way Charlie if you do get a bical good luck with it. They are an awesome Nepenthes.

Oh, that makes sense. Heated with wood someplace I used to live. It didn't have quite the same effect as other heat sources. Lots more cold spots.