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Hi, I was reading this forum and registered as everyone here sounds fairly knowledgeable, and I could find less knowledgeable ppl through my Google search. I live in Paris, France where currently the temperature is about 22©, 72(F) during the day and 15 ©, 59 (F) during the night. I just bought my plant on a whim walking past a florist shop here in Paris. I belive it is a nepenthes anamensis(?), but am not sure. My old neighbor in NYC had a similar plant, and I couldn't help but to buy it as it was cheap (28 euros/32 USD) and had always intrigued me. It is in good condition with several large pitchers of a distinct red hue, almost throughout the entire pitcher and small pitchers already formed. It is in a hanging basket, but the top of the stem is already hitting the top of the basket. I have several questions, so please bear with me, I finally absolved myself as plant killer by keeping an orchid alive for 2 months (including being on vacation for 11 days), so decided I could risk another plant. 1/ How much water, and when? 2/ Full light? Shade? 3/ Should I repot it in another hanging basket, with what type of medium, anything specific I should know? 4/ What about feeding? It in my window, which looks out on to a Paris street. People do not pick up their dog waste in Paris and as my windows have no screen, I thought it was a great idea to get a CP as I often have flies in my house. Should I check the pitchers and feed them if I see they are not getting any insects? Thank you in advance for your help. I'm very excited about my new nepenthes, whom I've now named "Penny". She is the mate to "Theodore", my pure white phaleonopthis (which I bought at IKEA believe it or not, thinking 10 euros wasn't much if I killed it).
 
Hi amaudet and welcome to the discussion forum. I'm not familar with this particular species, but I do have Nepenthes in hanging baskets. I normally water them once or twice a day. Many people also mist the leaves. I once checked a pitcher to see what or if anything was going in there and ended up wasting a perfectly good pitcher, discovering that a bee was in there. They must be doing something when I am not looking! Some people also like to supplement what falls in with milk or egg. I haven't tried that. You could try transplanting to bigger basket or make cuttings if you feel it necessary. Can you show us a picture? I am not an expert on Nepenthes or making cuttings, but there will be others, following me, who are far more experienced. There is a book called Carnivorous Plants of the World that gives a pictoral explanation of how to make a cutting.
 
Hi! I myself grow N.anamensis and 28€ for that is robbery!
Also N.anamensis is related to a other species called N.mirabilis and has very papery leaves which make it really sensivite to low humidity.

A photo would be good to see if its really Anamensis which I doubt.

The plant you are describing is probably a hybrid called N. x ventrata.

If you want to know how to make cuttings visit this website

http://www.exoticplantsplus.com/NPropTour.htm
 
I thought 28 euros was cheap because in NYC I saw a plant of similar size that about 75 dollars. Plus, I've never seen this plant in Paris before. I will try to take some pictures or find one that shows my plant properly. Thank you thus far.
 
Water once every day or two till water drains out of the bottom of the pot. Use distilled,ro, or rain water. I would give it about 4-6 hours of direct morning sun with shade the rest of the day. If it is growing fine in it's current soil mix, I wouldn't change it.Otherwise, you can use 3:1 peat to perlite or 3:1 lfs to perlite. That is what I use, and my neps grow fine. They catch bugs for themselves, and don't require feeding even if they don't catch bugs. Hope this helps.
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dewy
 
It's a nepenthes alata. I have a couple more questions. I took off the top of the cheap plastic hanging basket because the top leaves of the stems were getting caught up in it. There are two stems, the leaves are quite long, and the pitchers are about 20-30cm (8-10 inches) long and quite heavy, and causing the stems to bend. Should I fortify them with a stick, as I do my orchid, or just let them be? Also, some of the pitchers are withering, can I cut them off? Lastly, there are some yellowing leaves and some dark brown blemishes, is my planty unhealthy? I don't want it to die!
 
Oh lastly, can I separate the two stems into two separate pots, and what is the best way to do this? Should I hang them, or can I put them in plant stands?
 
Wow! OK, I wouldn't do anything until it's growing well wherever you put it. It sounds like a big, nice plant! For now, just put it in bright conditions, with direct light for at least a few hours a day. Also, while nepenthes are hardy plants, the do better with distilled water, rain water, or water filtered by reverse osmosis. Water enough that it doesn't dry out. It doesn't need to be all that wet, but you don't want it ever getting really dry. Every other day or even every third day depending on how fast it's evaporating and the humidity. If it's very dry, water every day. Go ahead and cut off the dead pitchers and leaves. Don't worry about feeding it just yet, and don't use fertilizer.

A few weeks or months down the road, when it seems like it's settled it, go ahead and re-pot it or make cuttings. Just come search the forums or ask then for instructions. If the two stems start to get to look like vines, you can make cuttings, which are explained elsewhere in this forum as well.

Capslock
 
28 smackeroos for an alata? Holy Macfarlane!

Then again, 30 cm pitchers don't sound all that bad
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Do you have a picture?
 
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