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my N.ventricosa... WHY?

Fryster

--Freedom Czar--
I have a common N.ventricosa (red) that I’ve grown for a year now.

It produces pitchers and leaves readily and grows in the same light and conditions as my other Neps.

The problem I have with it is that its leaves are always this sickly pale-yellow-green color and are never really a healthy green as of my other Neps.

I realize that they’re all different species but I have seen pics of other TerraForums’ N.ventricosa and their leaves always seem to be a rich, healthy green.

So why are my N.ventricosa’s leaves so darn yellow?? ???

Is this common for N.ventricosa?

dullventricosa.jpg
 
Hrmmm, perhaps it is some sort of mineral deficiency? I know other types of plants will show the same symptoms when they are low on nitrogen. The newest leaves come out green and then fade to a yellowish color.

Do you fertilize your plants at all? Ventricosa seems like it grows and pitchers real fast, so this might be an issue of it not getting enough nutrients fast enough to keep up with this growth. This is of course just speculation, but fertilizing Neps is not a bad idea either way. Perhaps a more experienced grower can determine your problem though.
 
Hmmm...

That's a thought I suppose. All that I "feed" it is dried blood worms. Perhaps there's not enough nutrients in them to suffice. ???
 
Definitely could use some good organic fertilizer through the soil.
 
i thought cps liked mineral free water.
would osmocote work for mineral defiency my plants are healthy and grow nicely for me but there leaves are yellow.
 
osmicote should be fine for micronutrients too. Even carnivorous need nutrients. Just have to be carefull not to give them too much through the roots, but some is a good things. Osmocote or even the off brands that have the same stuff in them is good. Just make sure to flush the pots regularly.
 
well I use the coco husk media and I have had no problems with it decomposing.
I heard that it turns to sludge at the bottom of the pots sO i wouldn't fertilize the soil I would try dropping a osmocote pellet into a pitcher.
I could try it on my ventricosa that reminds me I should go take pictures of my ventricosa.
 
hope for the best and ome times its low light and mineral deficiancy
 
  • #10
my ventricrosa is the same way! i'll try it tommorw...i though freezed dried blood worms would work fine...
 
  • #11
low light I ahve onyl one fixture in my 3 foot cause it was a bit mroe difficult to get a 3 foot fixture but I found one.
most of my neps are in there and they are all yellowish.
that must be it.
 
  • #12
low light I ahve onyl one fixture in my 3 foot cause it was a bit mroe difficult to get a 3 foot fixture but I found one.
most of my neps are in there and they are all yellowish.
that must be it.

Dude, i have an 18" fixture and my ventricosa's leaves are emerald. course i leave the light on for 18 hrs a day and water every three days...feed dried bloodworms as well....humidity maybe?
 
  • #13
lol they don;t need high humidity it jsut helps them grow.
I thinks its a defiency or low light my plants get like 16 hours of light.
my hamata is under a 18" fixture and its doing great.
DSCF2178.jpg

DSCF2181.jpg
 
  • #14
If your plants's leaves are yellow, its due to a mineral deficiency, period. Light has nothing to do with them being yellow. If light levels were too low they've be intensely green (more chlorophyll) and etiolated. Your plants don't display either of those conditions, so it's time to bust out the fertilizer. 16 hours of light a day is plenty, 18 is too much. Plants need to 'sleep' too you know. In situ, they only get about 13 or so hours of light a day. 16 hrs/day is really the perfect number IMO. You definitely shouldn't exceed that, and while you could go lower, I see absolutely no reason to. Some people...mostly newer people to the hobby...give their neps seasonal light changes, which is totally unnecessary. 16 hrs/day year round is the way to go.
 
  • #15
Fertilizer then 'eh?

Osmocote, someone mentioned... Like this?

Osmocote beads

I have this and I use it with my houseplants regularly. :)

Would Osmocote beads work with my yellow Ventricosa? In the media or in the pitchers??
 
  • #16
You could do either. I used to drop pellets into the pitchers (only do 1 pitcher at a time!), but Osmocote isn't too reliable. Some of the pellets are stronger than others, some crack and release everything at once...etc, etc. While it didn't kill anything, I found most of my plants that were treated with Osmocote ended up with burned pitchers/leaves.
 
  • #17
Osmocot or miracid both works or seaweed extract.
Use miracid half or a quarter strength. I sponge it on usually.
I have used say half strength without problems and I added some 50% hydroponics fertilizer that is made from all kinds of disgusting organic stuff that has micro and macro ingredients,
 
  • #18
FWIW, maybe try some orchid fertilizer? I use it in the summer on my unknown nep and it seems to like it. I just spray it on the leaves and try not to get any on the roots.
 
  • #19
I use orchid fertilizer religiously. The roots are the place to put it. Attempting to foliar feed Nepenthes is a waste of time. If you're spraying it on the leaves, you're really spraying it on the petiole. Ergo, it's not surprising that foliar feeding this genus does next to nothing.
 
  • #20
Okay so a weaker solution of my foliar feeding solution... Thanks :D
 
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