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Spots on N.Ampullaria Leaves

Hi Guys,

My N. Ampullaria leaves are showing brown/red spots which seem to expand over time - see pics below (top and bottom of leaves). Whatever caused these spots didn't halt growth of the pitcher on the largest leaf. Now the newest leaf is showing some spots as well (easier to see at the bottom of the leaf which is on the right).
The plant is approximately 30cm from the lights, and none of the other neps next to it show any similar signs.
What do you think? Is this something I should worry about? Could it be some kind of pest?

Shimi

N_Ampullaria_Top.jpg

N_Ampullaria_Bottom.jpg
 
Given the color of the leaves and the texture of the brown spots, it looks to me like brown rust, a fungal infection. Are you giving the plant enough light or perhaps over-watering it or even using a media that retains too much water, e.g., peat & fine perlite?
 
That's exactly what my N. ampullaria looked like - turns out I was overwatering it. Changed its media to pure live LFS, it seems to be growing better now. Try a better-draining media, it looks a bit undrained.
 
Thanks for the replies,

It grows next to most of my other Neps (same distance from light), and none exhibit these spots. I water them all at same intervals.

It does grow in a mixture of mostly peat and some bark; so you think it might have to do with drainage? Is a N. Ampullaria more sensitive to drainage issues than other Neps?
 
Thanks for the replies,

It grows next to most of my other Neps (same distance from light), and none exhibit these spots. I water them all at same intervals.

It does grow in a mixture of mostly peat and some bark; so you think it might have to do with drainage? Is a N. Ampullaria more sensitive to drainage issues than other Neps?

Strange, I have found it to be LESS sensitive to drainage....:scratch:
 
Lowlands will do that if they are not getting high enough temps and humidity.
 
The humidity & temperature are quite stable - 65-70% and ~25 degs Celsius, respectively. My other lowlands (Rafflesiana, Truncata, x.Hookeriana) are quite happy in these conditions.

I've read somewhere that an Ampullaria likes the shade, perhaps I should increase the distance between the Amp and the lights?
 
I've read somewhere that an Ampullaria likes the shade, perhaps I should increase the distance between the Amp and the lights?

Sounds like a good idea to me.
 
I have seen N. ampullaria growing in full blazing tropical sun. Although you don't specify what types and power lighting you are using, I doubt you are overlighting them. Personally I would start with unpotting and checking the health of the root system. Whenever I have had a plant not doing well it has never hurt to unpot and check the roots and get the plant into some fresh potting mix. Done carefully it will not stress the plant much and many times the nice fresh mix will turn the plant around from declining further.

Just on a side note. 25c is not all that warm for lowland Nepenthes, particularly if it is not getting noticeably warmer than that during the daylight hours. I would be shooting for 20-25 during the night and 30 during the day.
 
  • #10
Just thought I'd update on my N. Ampullaria.

I contacted the person who sold it to me, he told me to make sure the leaves are kept dry. Apparently that did it - (almost) no spots on the leaves and the plant pitchers constantly.
It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, especially with all my other neps sitting right next to it and showing no similar signs.
2010-08-20_small.jpg
 
  • #11
Yes, my amp x sib had the same problem to yours. The solution is, keeping the leaves dry during the night. I don't know why. But this really works.



Just thought I'd update on my N. Ampullaria.

I contacted the person who sold it to me, he told me to make sure the leaves are kept dry. Apparently that did it - (almost) no spots on the leaves and the plant pitchers constantly.
It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, especially with all my other neps sitting right next to it and showing no similar signs.
 
  • #12
Yes, my amp x sib had the same problem to yours. The solution is, keeping the leaves dry during the night. I don't know why. But this really works.


If you dont have fans going at night, any moisture you put on the leaves would really just sit there. Still air, moisture, warm temperatures, and delicious living tissue- sounds like a recipe for fugal infection to me!
 
  • #13
almost all my amps are spotty . No damage. But my are smaller spots. My amps are also kept in water log condition as they are swamp type like bical , humidity mayb?
 
  • #14
Ampullaria pitchers and leaves

Hello all!

For some time I've wondered why my ampullaria behaves like this. "Burn" spots appear on the leaves and pitchers have a very short life (this week a week old pitcher just died). I've done some experiments on the lighting levels as at some point it seemed to be the cause (ampullaria likes shade?).

A while ago I changed the other cfl tube from philips aquarelle to arcadia original tropical. Within a week, ampullaria pitchers started to dry out - first the hairy "wings" (I can't remember the word for them) and then the whole pitcher. Other nepenthes' pitchers started to dry their lids also. So I changed it back to aquarelle and it seemed to stop the shriveling. The distance from the tubes and the plant is about 30 cm (1 ft). First the pitchers go all red and then dry out.

Since then ampullaria has grown new leaves and pitchers. Again, I decided to change the other aquarelle to Osram Fluora (plant tube). First couple of weeks seemed ok, no shriveling or drying out. But then the most recent pitcher (opened a week ago) started to dry out. The ampullaria is from Borneo, which is a "shaded forest" so could it be that there is just too much light? I know many of you have found out that ampullaria likes high light levels but... Also, the entire time I've had the plant there's been "burn" spots on the leaves. And the weird thing is that the oldest ampullaria pitcher (at least a year old) which is on the ground level is fine and the leaf is without the burn spots. So shade is required?

This thread gave a few possible causes also:

1. over-watering
2. fungal infection
3. wrong kind of soil
4. wrong humidity or temperature

I think over-watering may be the most likely cause because I do water them often so that the soil is always wet. Although there seems to be some connection to the light levels also. What do you think? The soil is 1:1:1 peat/perlite/"orchid soil". The humidity is 80-100% and temperature maybe 24-25 degC (75-77 degF) at night and 25-27 degC (77-80 degF) during the day.

Here's some recent pictures:

N_ampullaria_burn1.jpg

N_ampullaria_burn2.jpg

N_ampullaria_burn3.jpg
 
  • #15
The leaves look fine to me imho, the not shaded leaves of my amp and hookeriana look waaaaay worse and the plants still grow and pitcher fine.
 
  • #16
I'm with Tali. It looks normal to me just a good bit of light will usually do that.
 
  • #17
I've seen this many times....it's caused by one of two things.

1.lower humidity than the plant is used to.

2. Higher light levels than the plant is used to.

Either way, new growth should be fine.
 
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