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No juice

Ok I searched the boards 2 times now. I am sure I read something about this in the past, but am unable to find it now.

My pitchers aren't making any liquid in them. I'd like them to be able hold onto any food that crawls in, but with out the liquid I don't see that happening.

What are the likely causes that they aren't making juice/liquid/nectar what ever it is?

Is puting water in going to help/hurt?

I have a N. ramispina and a N. sanguinea
Both just got moved outside late last week, but hadn't done anything indoors either. The sanguinea has made a new pitcher for me, but nothing in it.
Temps have been upper 60's to low 70's during the day, Upper 40's to low 50's over night. Today is the lowest RH since they went out and it was 46% at the high temp of 71. They get some direct morning sun, then bright shade (filters through a willow tree) the rest of the day. There is about 45 minutes that they get some direct afternoon sun before it passes to behind the house.
 
I don't grow Neps outside, so I can't really tell you from experience, but it sounds like they just need time. If they aren't wilting/burning/dropping pitchers, everything is fine. Nepenthes are picky and slow to adjust, so your plants are probably just playing it safe until they've adapted to the lower humidity and higher air circulation outside by not devoting a lot of water to nectar production. Take a look at Nepenthes Around the House for tips on outdoor growing. I'm just taking a guess, but you could probably make it a little easier on your plants by misting them and/or watering overhead every day when the morning dew has started to burn off and the air is drying out, and again when they're getting afternoon sun.
~Joe

PS - Water in the pitchers will help a dehydrated plant, as I understand it, but I don't think it will help it to trap and digest much. If your plant isn't trying to trap things right now, it probably knows best and has better ways to be spending it's energy. If it makes you feel better, a plant that's not producing digestive juice in it's pitchers probably isn't producing the nectar that attracts the prey to begin with, so you aren't exactly missing out.
 
A little water in the pitchers will help the plants adjust but trapped insects will tend to rot so I would avoid feeding pitchers that have water added. Nepenthes will absorb the pitcher fluid if humidity is really low and/or the plant is moisture stressed from perhaps getting too dry at the roots.. even briefly.

I would leave them as is and make sure the roots stay good and moist (not waterlogged however). When new pitchers develop you should see a little fluid in the pitchers when they puff up and are about to open.

Tony
 
Here's and interesting question:
When the plant adjusts to the new environment, will the unfilled pitchers start to fill back up?
 
From my short personal experience: my ventrata's first hmm four pitchers it made for me in its new home, my terrerium, where liquid-less. I added water to one, its still there, and it still hasnt digested the yellow-jacket I put in oh about a year ago. So I dont think adding water will help. It now makes very healthy juicy pitchers, so I dont think your dry ones will ever digest, as my old ones havnt. Maybe neps go through a calibration phase after a change, I dont know, but thats what happened with mine. This also happened with a young lowii I got recently.

Chris
 
TS, the yellow jacket may not LOOK digested, but I betcha it is. Remember, an insect's bones are it's skin, so even when all the insides are gone and only the skeleton remains, it still looks untouched.
 
Dave, the plant may replenish juices, if the pitcher is in good shape. However, if the pitcher has been fluidless for a long while, the digestive excretion glands in the pitcher are probably damaged from not being hydrated.
 
Good point schloaty, but the waters completly clear, theres no murk or mushy stuff in the water like the working traps, but who knows I can't ask the plant.
 
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