Nepenthesis
Formerly known as Pineapple
I feel like I'm over-watering my Nepenthes because I have to mist the sphagnum so much. I never have to pour water into the pot because its always wet. The sphagnum dries out daily unless you keep it wet. In some pots its growing 1" or 3" above the soil line, so it can't draw water up that much. When I touch the medium, you can't ring out water super easily, but your hand gets a bit of water on it. It's not saturated, but its more moist than I think is acceptable. How do you dress the top of the pot with sphagnum properly and keep it from drying out so much? In the pots where it is growing lower, it isn't as much as an issue, but in most of the pots, the sphagnum is already building a big mound up. The warm days (mid 80s in GH) of the summer and the high light levels may make it worse. I don't think I'll have the problem as much in winter, but how can I keep the sphagnum from drying out in summer? Do I cut into the medium a bit and bury the sphagnum into the pot? I don't see how this would help as much because in time a mound would just build back up and the stuff on the bottom would turn to the stuff that's in there now.
**As it is now, I am misting the sphagnum once in the morning and once in the evening to keep it moist, not wet...
Humidity is 90% at night, 80% until maybe 11:00 AM and 60% at the peak of hotness/brightness, then 80% again at around 7:00 PM, and this is in the summer. In the winter it would stay a lot more humid during the day. That's the best I can get it.
**As it is now, I am misting the sphagnum once in the morning and once in the evening to keep it moist, not wet...
Humidity is 90% at night, 80% until maybe 11:00 AM and 60% at the peak of hotness/brightness, then 80% again at around 7:00 PM, and this is in the summer. In the winter it would stay a lot more humid during the day. That's the best I can get it.