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Need Help With My Heliamphora

I am growing a Heli in my bathroom under a light. My problem is that the tops of the pitchers keep turning brown. What do I need to do to solve this problem?
 
Can you show us pictures of the plants and the surrounding environment?

From what I read, the difficulty with Heliamphora is that they need to be kept very humid and sunny, but in a very cool place.
 
I'm no heli expert but,

Are they burned brown? Are they just old pitchers? Is there very low humidity?
 
What are your growing conditions? If it is new, it could be going through the shock of new conditions.

Have the roots been damaged?

What do your new pitchers look like?
 
I am growing a Heli in my bathroom under a light. My problem is that the tops of the pitchers keep turning brown. What do I need to do to solve this problem?

I would have to agree with some of the others and suggest it's most likely a humidity issue. One of the challenges in growing Heliamphora is providing the brightest light source possible for proper leaf formation, moderate to low Tbs (especially at night), and high humidity. Providing all three simultaneously can pose a challenge . . .

Aside from the plant being in a bathroom under lights, what are the other growing conditions? Some are under the mistaken notion that it is generally humid enough in bathrooms or that they are prime growing places . . .
 
You have to have a continuous source of himidity not only when you're taking a shower....if i will ever going to try to grow there plants i would set up a terrarium with some air humidifiers....they provide the humidity and they do a bit of cooling too.
 
I have them under one of those intelligent plant lights that has a water tray. I thought that the tray would provide some humidity, but I may be wrong. I also mist them every chance that I get. The plants are a couple of years old. I am growig them in a very airy mix of perlite and peat.
 
Oh, one more thing. I will post some pics when I get the chance.
 
I wish you luck with your heliamphora. From what I've read, it's supposed to be the most difficult and slowest growing carnivorous plant there is.

However, I do plan to buy one in the future when I have my own greenhouse full of CPs
 
  • #10
I wish you luck with your heliamphora. From what I've read, it's supposed to be the most difficult and slowest growing carnivorous plant there is.

However, I do plan to buy one in the future when I have my own greenhouse full of CPs

I would have to respectfully disagree . . .

In point of fact, Heliamphora are remarkably simple to cultivate, provided you can offer a reasonable facsimile of its natural growing conditions. That may seem obvious at the outset, but if you are capable of growing ultra-highland or even conventional highland Nepenthes with any success -- offering them reasonably warm bright humid days and a generous Tb drop by night -- you can easily grow Heliamphora . . .

True, Marsh Pitchers can be slow to develop from seedling plants (like many other carnivorous species) to those producing adult pitchers; but, upon maturity, they can accelerate their growth and spread like weeds . . .

Hheteroxminor.jpg
 
  • #11
Hey there guys. Here are some pics of my Helis. First is a pic when I first got them.
ByramBogs017.jpg

This about after a year.
mini-bogs2008066.jpg

And this is today.
pitcherplants070.jpg

Some of the browning pitchers are some of the original ones that were on the plant when I got it. And it is sending out new growth. I wonder if I need to invest in a humidifier for it?
 
  • #12
Lol dude there is your main answer right there, the crappy little CP Growlight with a 15w full spec bulb, ive looked into those, and those are no good for your plants. your going to need alot more than that, and you need something better for humidity. terrarium with a couple of shoplight fluorescent fixtures should do the trick
 
  • #13
Hey there guys. Here are some pics of my Helis. First is a pic when I first got them . . .

Some of the browning pitchers are some of the original ones that were on the plant when I got it. And it is sending out new growth. I wonder if I need to invest in a humidifier for it?

Those pictures say a thousand words -- so goes the cliché . . .

It is entirely a matter of too little light and too low a rate of humidity. The light deficit is evidenced by the improper formation of leaves in the last photo; and the browning, from a definite lack of moisture. Heliamphora are peculiar in that -- unless given sufficent light --their pitcher leaves don't form properly and are etioliated, and one cannot even identify the species under some circumstanes.

Stick that baby in a terrarium under bright lights and high humidity (use the shallow tray method to kill two birds with one stone) and those characteristic leaves will return . . .

Good luck . . .
 
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