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How to repot?

I wonder if veteran growers could give me some advice on how to repot Nepenthes.  General information would be great, but I am especially interested in the following:

1. How much (if any) of the old medium should be retained?  I figure that if I get rid of all the old medium, too many of the fragile roots will be killed.  On the other hand, it can’t be too good to keep too much of the old medium -- either because it has already gone bad or because it will go bad faster than the new medium.

2. Should the stem(s) or leaves be cut back after repotting because there are fewer roots to support the plant?

3. Should Superthrive be used before or after repotting?

Thanks for any help that any experienced grower can give me.
 
1: i get rid of all the old crap, but i don't tear the rootmass apart to get it out. don't handle the roots too much.

2: no. cut off any dead growth and you can make cuttings if you want. the roots that are there if healthy can support the plant, that's what they were doing before.

3: you can soak the rootmass in it, or you can thoroughly water it with the superthrive solution later. it can't hurt.

i'm by no means a veteran though

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Hey Tropics, When I repot Neps I don't worry too much about getting rid of the old media. I usually remove any real lose planting media, but anything with roots I leave alone. Often with a well rooted plant, I just place the whole soil ball right into the new pot without disturbing it at all. I don’t cut any leaves off the plant unless they are dried up.

I don’t use superthrive, but I know a few growers that swear by it. I grow Nepenthes in glasshouses so my conditions may be different then yours. I find that if I don’t disturb the roots when I repot, the plant usually makes the transition with out a hitch. If you have a healthy happy Nep, repotting into a larger container is often the shot it needs to really take off.

Hope that helps…

Steve
 
Steve is definately right about not disturbing the roots.

i really do think peeling off the old media is good, as it can eventually break down.
 
I must agree with JLAP, getting rid of very old media is a must, as is a root trim every so often, get rid of the dead roots will really help "refresh" the plant. I had a big problem with compacted sphagnum moss around the roots, sure it was a nice soil at one time but over the course of 2-3 years it compacted without my knowing. So make sure to wash your Nepenthes feet!
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I would add that I tend to look at what species I'm dealing with as well. I prefer to remove as much of the old medium as possible as a general rule. However, when dealing with species such as northiana, bicalcarata or bellii that are notorious for dropping over stone dead when their roots are disturbed too much, you need to be a bit more circumspect.
 
the thing with plants that people forget, is that new soil constantly replaces old soil in the wild. plants dont grow in the same media for decades, and it's very good to repot every now and then, even if the plant doesn't outgrow it's pot, to replace the old media.
 
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