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Heliamphora browning

I got a mix Heliamphora a while back. It is in LFS, in a plastic pot, that I keep in my orchid case.. so the humidity varies from 60-85. It gets broken south sun. The temps stay fairly cool, I grown cool growning orchids which grown great.

So anyway, the heli grows fine...has a bunch of growth points... they are getting larger and larger as the plant grows. But each one will fairly quickly brown/dry at the tip... and just the tip. I recently put the plastic pot into a larger TC pot and packed LFS between the two, thinking it would keep the roots cooler and add a bit more humidity around the guy.

It is too early to see if this will help, but i just wanted to run this by the experts here to see if this is a common occurance.

thanks
 
It sounds like a low humidity issue to me. I think your solution to raise the humidity will work. How often do you water it?
 
i always keep the spag damp.. it doesn't sit in water or anything. The LFS is growing very well.
 
I agree that it might be a humidity issue. Humidity of 60% might cause partial dieback of the pitchers if the plant is not hardened. Try putting it over a humidity tray and see what happens.

From what you say, temps are not an issue. Anything above 85F may cause this to occur.

You didn't mention exactly how long you've had the plant or how far it is away from the sun? Sometimes short but strong exposure to sunlight (especially southern, as you state) can burn the tender tips of plants if they're acclimated to dappled light, as you say it is.

Do you fertilize the plant (if so, with what product, frequency and strength) or use tap water? Overfertilizing or tap water can cause tips to prematurely brown.

Ken
 
I would say 60% is the lowest humidity, it of course spikes at night or on cloudy days. I got the plant 6 months+ ago.

My cases face south, so the light is coming in through the double pane window and the case's single pane of glass. The sund that does come in is broken by a plant in front of the heli, so it is never in full sun.

I will periodically spray a bit of fert water down on the guy, i use a heavily diluted MSU fertizer.

The latest pitcher that just opened using the second pot is doing fine so far, i will keep an update.
 
Could it be a fert problem? I knwo with orchids if you over fertilize you can gets leaf tip burn. Maybe your heavy dilution is being applied too regularly?? Because a 60% humidity should be good. I would suspect.
 
I rarely spritz the guy... hopefully just the extra pot will help keep the inner plastic pot cooler
 
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