Ok I'll start with a confession- the main reason I joined bananas.org was to try to find some information on how I can grow this species... I'm not the only plantaholic who NEEDS to grow the world's largest non-woody plant, am I? (AM I?)
I think I might have been a bit to close to the cutting edge of trying to grow this one... since there wasn't much info...
But anyway, nearly 2 years on, and much trial and error since the delivery of seeds from Rare Palm Seeds, I'd thought I'd add my experiences in the hope that it might help others (and who knows, maybe I can even add a photo, although it seems needlessly hard to add a photo here?)
First point- this was very slow and difficult as a seedling (only 3 out of 10 seeds germinated, temperature 15C nights, 20C days). Two emerged and then expired before even bothering to put out a leaf.
The one remaining shoot was so slow that after 6 months of painfully slow growth I put my plant in my homemade plant ICU (gentle heating plus T5 lights) for the entire winter.
This got it through to Spring 2019 where I felt it could graduate to my highland Nepenthes greenhouse.. so it would have temperatures close to what I guessed it would have in the wilds: warm days, cool nights, high humidity.
This was fine- but still slow growth all summer, reaching maybe 75cm tall after 18 months.
But then this Autumn, I repotted it (50% perlite, 50% peat) and gave it some ericaceous plant food, plus some "maxicrop plus iron"- and resettled it into my conservatory- where- BOOM it has taken off.
Now that it's getting much much cooler temperatures it seems a lot happier. (UK Autumn in the conservatory give me temperatures down to maybe 12c at night, then around 20C for a few hours during the day.) I'm a bit surprised that even at the end of November it is growing rapidly (new leaf every 3 weeks) given the short day lengths and lack of light intensity)- but maybe this is its "sweet spot" for good growth?
Perhaps it's only happy when it has these cool temperatures, and even a UK summer outdoors might be too hot for it... or maybe this is just one of those species that takes forever to get established as a seedling, but then, once established, it's off!
I'm hoping it pulls through winter ok and I can post more news in the future...
