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Choices - Outside or Inside

I've got 3 neps... N. ventricosa 'red, N. alata, and N. sanguinea.. It's almost the summer and I have a choice to make. Now.. I have all three of them on my plant shelf where they seem to grow pretty well, but now that it's warm I wanted to move them outside since I'm sure they'd enjoy the extra humidity and sunlight.

Last year I had two of them outside and occasionally they seemed to just get burnt or get little red spots on the leaves (the sanguinea got the spots, not the ventricosa). So I was wondering if I should just keep them inside this year. Judging from the amount of pitchers my ventricosa is trying to open right now.. I'd say it's pretty happy.. but if there's any chance that they could be happier outside I'd like to take it. So I wanted to get some opinions on the subject.

It usually doesn't get any hotter than 85 degrees outside and where I'd have them, it'd only get direct sunlight from sunrise to about noon/1PM. I really want to see some bigger pitchers opening this year and I also need the extra space on my shelf.. so I'd much rather have them outside but really I didn't want to make a decision without some opinions on it.
 
I think Neps do just fine inside, right at a window sill, with supplemental lighting in the fall and winter.
 
i had a N. ventrata that i put outside last year. i live in Zone 6(Kentucky) like you and my plant loved it! it was in a hanging basket under a tree. it got morning sun then dappled light for the rest of the day. my sanguinea "orange" might go out later on depending on how bad our summer is. last year we had a pretty mild summer. this year it is MUCH hotter than it was last year.
Alex
 
Hmm.. tree is no good for me.. I have like 4 trees in my yard and all of them are too far away from my house for me to safely put them outside. I'll have to find some other way to do it... hmmmmm...
 
My first nep I had I grew outside during the summer. Then I brought it inside during the winter. It grew so well it never made it back outside.
All my neps are now grown year round inside by the window.
 
Hmm, maybe I just will keep it inside. The problem is that they keep getting bigger.. and bigger.. and bigger..
 
My first nep I had I grew outside during the summer. Then I brought it inside during the winter. It grew so well it never made it back outside.
All my neps are now grown year round inside by the window.

And I can persoanlly attest to his Neps in the kitchen, in hanging baskets, 35% humidity, and looking mahvelous, simply mahvelous. The fun part was watching him water them and trying to catch the water as it drained through.
 
LOL!

That's awesome that neps (even hamata) can grow in conditions like that because humidity is the one thing I cannot control with my current setup.
 
I grew my ventricosa and sanguinea inside all last year. I have since moved and don't ahve the windowspace I used to. As such I dropped mine outside as soon as the nightime temps got above 50 or so. Since then I haven't seen them complaining. They have been putting out new pitchers and catching new and exciting insects (for them anyway). As for sunlight, I have them hanging under an overhang off my front porch which is east facing and also more or less under a tree. I just don't have a window that is suitable anymore. They get kind of large as you mentioned.
 
  • #10
When adapting Neps to outdoor conditions it is very common to get some leaf bleaching in direct sunlight. In this quote:

Last year I had two of them outside and occasionally they seemed to just get burnt or get little red spots on the leaves (the sanguinea got the spots, not the ventricosa).

It is also common for Neps to get red spots due to increased light levels. I enjoy growing outside because I can. I live in an area where most of the year is good for highlanders. In winter it does get colder, upper 30's at times to low 40's for a while, that stresses out the plants but they bounce back. I think the plants look great and enjoy the fresh air and light. But there are risks. Plants need time to adjust to outdoor conditions. Filtered light is best at first until your plants adjust. Greenhouse plants look great but not all of us have the space and money to set up that system. Read a little, get some opinions, and then experiment with some hybrids or species that are inexpensive and vigorous for your growing conditions.

Good luck,
Joel
 
  • #11
Yea I just put the predator outside a week ago and it got burned but I moved into direct sun.
 
  • #12
Gasp! Is it okay?

So you think a....West/Northwest facing porch would be okay? After like.. 2 PM or so it should get filtered light from the two trees there. It would be in mostly shade for the most part of the day. I'm worried about putting plants there since they're.. out in the open anyone could just walk up and yoink one!
 
  • #13
You should put them outside whenever you can.
 
  • #14
I'm sure it will be fine. I know it scares me to put out such a rare plant but I will back down to terrorists. Can you put yours in the back or something? That's what I did.
 
  • #15
That's where the rest of mine are, but if I put them there then they have no shade.. the only trees that are close to the house are in the front.
 
  • #16
All my plants get moved from the GH to ourside during the summer months here in GA. The fresh air and natural wind movement does great for everything I have. There is more light outside the GH during the summer and they get fresh rain when that happens too. Other than that I have to water everyday as well. I have themunder a bench made with lattice to block some sun. They are not in sull sun but do get alot more light than they did during winter in the GH. I leave my seedlings and less light loveing plants in the GH. I believe outdoor growing is better than inside growing for the most part. Some plants do grow better indoors.
 
  • #17
I agree with you on the fact that most plants do grow better outside. I just sometimes prefer keeping them inside because it's a more controlled environment. I mostly only keep my temperates outside otherwise. (Except for my neps, I want them outside so they can soak up the humidity and eat.)
 
  • #18
Don't grow on the north side. That gets the least amount of light. East will get morning light, south will get the noon light and west will get the afternoon light. I grow my smaller plants on plastic tables under shadecloth until they get bigger and then go full sun. That's me though in my environment.

Also, I've had neps get really burned and still come back to life. Usually this happens because I'm lazy and just put them outside without acclimating them slowly. The plants almost always come back but it does take several months to pitcher. The plants can take a lot more sunlight as long as the humidity is high. With lower humidity, around 50% or so, more direct sun can result in more bleaching. Most neps can easily take several hours of direct light without burning. Find your spot and adjust for the light with shadecloth, shadowing from trees or roofs or whatever, or an area where it gets morning light and afternoon shade or vice versa. And don't sweat it if your plant drops pitchers at first. That can happen as your plant is adapting.

Joel
 
  • #19
I've found that the north side of the house gets the most sun. I'm putting everything that goes outside there. Plus it's in the back yard so that's safer.
 
  • #20
Well, since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west with the south receiving the most sun, I find it unusual that the north side of your house receives the most light. But if that's the brightest spot, then so be it.

J
 
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