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Pitcherless Plant

Plant Planter

The Most Uncreative Name in the History of Ever
Yes, indeed, the one with the uncreative name has returned, with yet another question. (I have so many questions. :p)

If you've checked out my photo thread at all, you would know that my poor little Nepenthes fusca is unfortunately pitcherless. I know that this is a sign that something is anomalous, but it's also a very general symptom and nothing can be diagnosed just with the pitcherless status. As such I have decided to give you my plant's vitals:

Light. Moderate-high; all day under two fluorescent bulbs about two and three quarters feet above the plant, weakened by the terrarium it's in.
Water. The soil is kept damp at all times.
Media. A 1:1 mix of peat and sand.
Humidity. Hovering around 90%.
Circulation. Little to none; the terrarium has an opening in the top (which I have kept closed to keep the humidity high) and several small holes on each side.
Temperature. Never above room temperature.
Food. No feeding at all.
Age. Two months with me.
Ailments. About two weeks ago it received mild sunburn, which, unfortunately, has advanced more than is shown in this picture:

<a href="http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/Flytrapfarmer/media/IMG_01031_zps3213c5c8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag152/Flytrapfarmer/IMG_01031_zps3213c5c8.jpg" border="0" alt="Scorched Nepenthes fusca photo IMG_01031_zps3213c5c8.jpg"/></a>

I think that covers everything. If any of you find any flaws in my growing, please notify me! I greatly appreciate it, along with any personal anecdotes, research, facts, opinions, blah blah blah :blahblah9xm: that you would like to share! :D

(End of five-minute formality. :p)
 
Well you made a solid effort to give vital information and that's good. However it is lacking in some details.

2 fluorescent bulbs doesn't tell me much. It's key to know how strong they are in watts. I can tell you though that without that information unless you are running 150watt+ bulbs. 2.75' above the plant is NOT moderate-high light. It's actually quite low and insufficient for long term success.

Room temperature means nothing as I have no idea what temperature your room is. Although I suspect it's not a big deal as N. fusca is quite tolerant to a wide temperature range. Have you taken the temperature during the day while the lights are on? You may find it quite a bit warmer with the lights on for a while.

Peat and sand is quite heavy and not very well aerated and would not be my choice by a long shot although if you can keep it from compacting and killing the roots and not overly wet perhaps it will work for you.

Oh and kudos for the photo. A photo is a huge plus to help others diagnose plants. And what I can tell you from your photo is the following:
It seems like a recent addition. The plant is showing moisture stress still in the older leaves, which is probably a combination of the transport adjustments and damage caused by the burning. The new leaf looks good though, so that's a plus.

Don't be surprised if new Nepenthes additions take a month or two or six before they settle in and put on sufficient new growth to form pitchers in your care. One must have patience with Nepenthes, bad things happen fast and good things happen slowly.. very slowly.
 
...2 fluorescent bulbs doesn't tell me much. It's key to know how strong they are in watts. I can tell you though that without that information unless you are running 150watt+ bulbs. 2.75' above the plant is NOT moderate-high light. It's actually quite low and insufficient for long term success...

I don't know the exact wattage, but I do know that all my other plants get by just fine on it. Then again, they're not in a terrarium.

...Peat and sand is quite heavy and not very well aerated and would not be my choice by a long shot although if you can keep it from compacting and killing the roots and not overly wet perhaps it will work for you...

That is unsurprising. I was wondering about that but at the time of potting I had nothing better. Hopefully the Sphagnum that I picked up for my Heliamphora minor is truly "organic" and is unfertilized. If by "compacted" you mean "squashed down upon the roots of the plant" then the peat isn't compacted. I don't think you mean that, though. I will be sure to transplant it when it gets stronger (and IF it gets stronger).
 
I will be sure to transplant it when it gets stronger (and IF it gets stronger).

I would repot it sooner rather than later. If the roots are suffering in a poorly aerated medium the plant will only continue to decline, not grow stronger.
 
Not only is the soil not well aerated, their needs to be air circulation in your terrarium. Consider investing in a small fan, but take heed in making sure your medium stays damp and the ambient humidity stays high. Also, any distance over 18" and your fluorescent bulbs will provide little benefit to your plants. More information on your lighting would be appreciated.

Good Growing,
Kenny
 
I don't know the exact wattage, but I do know that all my other plants get by just fine on it. Then again, they're not in a terrarium.



That is unsurprising. I was wondering about that but at the time of potting I had nothing better. Hopefully the Sphagnum that I picked up for my Heliamphora minor is truly "organic" and is unfertilized. If by "compacted" you mean "squashed down upon the roots of the plant" then the peat isn't compacted. I don't think you mean that, though. I will be sure to transplant it when it gets stronger (and IF it gets stronger).


Peat/sand is heavy and yes it will eventually "squashed down upon the roots of the plant" and in doing so will reduce the amount of aeration to the roots which could kill them eventually.

As for the lighting. One of the biggest errors I see in this hobby is failure to understand the plants lighting needs with regard to intensity. Many people spend a lot of money on plants and terrariums etc and then skimp on the lighting because it can be confusing or expensive. After a while they wonder why their plants are not doing well. Lighting is the number one most important factor for indoor growing. All the rest is for the most part pointless in comparison.

I don't know what the other plants that get by just fine are, or how long you have had them, or what your definition of "get by just fine" is, but based on your description is highly likely they are not receiving nearly enough light. And if you want them to thrive and produce large healthy leaves and colorful pitchers long term, you should figure out exactly what your plants are currently receiving so you can make a decision as to whether they need more and how much. Note I said your plants, not just your N. fusca
 
Well, I think your media, while good for most temperate CPs is way too heavy for a highland nepenthes. Something more suitable would be a fluffy, well-draining mix that includes lfs, perlite, possibly orchid bark, maybe some coco peat. There are tons of great nep mixes out there.
Also, are you getting any kind of temp drop at night? If so, how much? And what kind of lights are you using? T12, T8, T5? My plants are under a combo of T8's and T5s about 6-8 inches away from the lights.
 
...And what kind of lights are you using?...

As I said earlier, I don't know the exact wattage of the bulbs and I certainly don't know what type they are. And by "other plants" I mean four Venus flytraps, one Sarracenia leucophylla, one Drosera spatulata, and one Pinguicula primuliflora. By "get by just fine" I mean (for Drosera spatulata) flowering and dividing many times, (for my Dionaea) flowering three times (twice for one plant, one for another) and dividing two times (once for each of two plants), (for my Sarracenia) growing pitchers a foot and a quarter tall with not too bad of coloring, and (for my Pinguicula) easily growing along and making scads of plantlets.

All in all, my plants love it. Except for Nepenthes fusca. But that's different.

It seems that the issues that I need to address are
A) inadequate lighting (easily fixed) and
B) lack of proper media (also easily fixed).

I'm planning to resolve the media issue with the long-fiber Sphagnum moss that I picked up for my Heliamphora minor but never used. Would a 100% Sphagnum mix work?
As for lighting, summer's arrived here in northeast Ohio (sort of) so I might be able to put it out in the sun if it isn't too hot. How could I keep it from overheating? Sit it in a tray of cold water? I doubt it'll work.

Anything I missed there?
 
As I said earlier, I don't know the exact wattage of the bulbs and I certainly don't know what type they are.

Did you ever think to go look at them? You have one of the best Nepenthes growers in the hobby taking his time to write detailed info to try and help but you can't even be bothered to look at your lights and cop an attitude with him instead? Between this and your Heli thread you really aren't doing yourself any favors.
 
  • #10
Did you ever think to go look at them? You have one of the best Nepenthes growers in the hobby taking his time to write detailed info to try and help but you can't even be bothered to look at your lights and cop an attitude with him instead? Between this and your Heli thread you really aren't doing yourself any favors.

Thank you for your amazing encouragement. Due to your motivation, I mustered the energy to go peer into the brilliant white glare of my bulbs. After a long trek back through my house, I have come to report that each bulb is twenty-six watts.

Now that I know that, would someone actually SPECIFY what they SHOULD be? I know that I need more wattage, but HOW MUCH more wattage?
 
  • #11
Thank you for your amazing encouragement. Due to your motivation, I mustered the energy to go peer into the brilliant white glare of my bulbs. After a long trek back through my house, I have come to report that each bulb is twenty-six watts.

Now that I know that, would someone actually SPECIFY what they SHOULD be? I know that I need more wattage, but HOW MUCH more wattage?

What is with the sarcasm? He brought up an extremely valid and relevant point, and you responded with a harsh tone and completely disregarded all the attention you have received. All we were asking was for you to do what you did. Now let us carry on with fixing your problems.

Kenny
 
  • #12
Are they long straight tubes or the twisted compact fluorescent type? The twisted CFL are nice because you can get several side by side in those clip on reflector fixtures that fit a standard medium base light bulb. If they are straight tubes there really isn't much you can do other than replace the fixture with increased number of tubes or high intensity tubes, or both. If there is space you might be able to simply add a couple of the twisted CFL in some of those reflector fixtures.

The real issue though isn't so much the somewhat low wattage, it's the distance to the tubes that matters more. The light intensity drops off exponentially the further the distance to the light source, so a few inches one way or the other can make a big difference. If you can't get the lights closer perhaps raise the plant? This could be a simple solution for the time being.

As for putting them out in the sun. Well the Nepenthes probably wouldn't appreciate it, although they can take full sun but require a number of weeks to adjust. Not to mention it's been burned once and burning it again would probably set it back much more severely. I would certainly consider moving the VFT and Sarracenia out to a nice sunny place for the Summer. These guys are true sun worshipers. But again you probably need to do it carefully as they are also likely to burn at this point.
 
  • #13
Something more suitable would be a fluffy, well-draining mix that includes lfs, perlite, possibly orchid bark, maybe some coco peat.

I completely second this. My mix is LFS, perlite, and orchid bark in 2:1:1 or 3:1:1 ratio. And it works wonders. Throwing in some live sphagnum moss can't help. I also might consider using a net pot, I'm a huge advocate of them
 
  • #14
Oh woops forgot to answer your other question.

100% LFS is fine too. I know a number of growers that use it. For me personally it stays too wet as I can't water that carefully to keep it in that nice zone between too wet and too dry. If you use all LFS or a mix that has a high percentage of LFS in it, careful not to pack it too tightly into the pot. You want to try and keep the 'fluff'
 
  • #15
I agree with a 100% Long Fibered Sphagnum medium as well. A few very reputable local nurseries grow beautiful Nepenthes using this simple soil mix.

Good Growing,
Kenny
 
  • #16
I guess I'll move the plant into some long-fiber Sphagnum. As for the tubes, they are the compact coiled thingies that you have described. Since my other plants are outside in full sun, I have moved the bulbs to literally six inches above the terrarium lid, about ten above the plants.
 
  • #17
After all your help, I (or rather you) found the errors in my methods of growing my poor little plant. I just transplanted it into 100% Sphagnum moss. Here are my plant's stats NOW:

Light. Ten inches beneath two twenty-six watt bulbs that are weakened by the plastic terrarium.
Water. Strictly rain and distilled.
Media. Now in 100% Sphagnum moss.
Humidity. Hovering around 70-90% due to me opening a small slot on top of the terrarium for circulation.
Circulation. Improved by the opening in the top of the terrarium.
Temperature. Around seventy to eighty degrees Fahrenheit.
Food. None.
Age. A bit more than two months with me.
Ailments. Transplant shock and moderate sunburn.

Overall Status. Traumatized but in subtly improved living conditions.

Thank you to all who contributed to this effort! I'll provide status updates when (and if) the thing gets stronger. Hopefully it'll be eligible for Pitcher of the Month October 2013!
 
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