Nepanthes seedlings lid closing due to humidity

[power270lb]

I have three hybrids One is "nepanthes lovely beast" and is Nepenthes [(lowii × veitchii) × boschiana] × (×briggsiana × ×trusmadiensis). The other is "nepanthes vivid machine" which is Nepenthes (veitchii × platychila) "MT" × maxima "Tentena". The other is called titanic savior uses two parents in N. "Titan", our monstrously vigorous female N. truncata, and N. "Savior", an obscure clone of N. spectabilis.

I have them under spider farmer SF-1000s aiming for 400-500 uMol a day and they're in plastic containers with a lid and a rock bed with water. Humidity in my home is 65% but in my plant room with the windows open it's 42%. I have a humidifier going and hasn't seemed to help. I'm in the NYC area and humidity isn't a problem here, just strange that humidity is so low in my plant room. The lids stay open inside the mini terrariums but once I take out they close. I've read several places they do this to protect the fluid in the pitchers to stop from drying out. Turned the fan off to see if it can raise the level at all.

 

[hcarlton]

*Nepenthes*
The problem you're having isn't that they need higher humidity, it's that they haven't been acclimated properly yet to your humidity. They don't need it particularly high to do well, especially complex intermediate-growing hybrids.
And no, the lids don't close to protect the liquid inside. They don't "close" at all really, they wilt when the plant is losing more water than it's replenishing in the cells and vascular system and become turgid again when that balance is restored. If they're wilting in current conditions...you will lose those pitchers, eventually the present leaves, but if allowed to get used to where they are new leaves will grow that are built to deal with the environment and new pitchers will develop that won't wilt in response.

 

[Grey Moss]

The lids will wilt if the plants begin to dry out, thats fairly common but isn't really done to preserve the fluids in the pitcher. If you are primarily growing them inside of a terrarium setup they aren't developing the cuticle needed to allow them to grow in the open air. None of those are particularly sensitive crosses that would require high humidity. Humidity in the 40s is more than enough and they should be able to adjust to it in a few weeks.

 

[power270lb]

*Nepenthes*
The problem you're having isn't that they need higher humidity, it's that they haven't been acclimated properly yet to your humidity. They don't need it particularly high to do well, especially complex intermediate-growing hybrids.
And no, the lids don't close to protect the liquid inside. They don't "close" at all really, they wilt when the plant is losing more water than it's replenishing in the cells and vascular system and become turgid again when that balance is restored. If they're wilting in current conditions...you will lose those pitchers, eventually the present leaves, but if allowed to get used to where they are new leaves will grow that are built to deal with the environment and new pitchers will develop that won't wilt in response.

Awesome so your suggestion just leave out of the terrariums or introduce slowly?

 

[power270lb]

The lids will wilt if the plants begin to dry out, thats fairly common but isn't really done to preserve the fluids in the pitcher. If you are primarily growing them inside of a terrarium setup they aren't developing the cuticle needed to allow them to grow in the open air. None of those are particularly sensitive crosses that would require high humidity. Humidity in the 40s is more than enough and they should be able to adjust to it in a few weeks.

Your opinion leave out and allow to adjust or introduce slowly?

 

[Grey Moss]

If the plants are soft enough that the lids close just on taking them out of the terrarium there's probably no amount of slow acclimatization that would save those pitchers. I'd just leave them out.

 

[power270lb]

If the plants are soft enough that the lids close just on taking them out of the terrarium there's probably no amount of slow acclimatization that would save those pitchers. I'd just leave them out.

Awe damn. Roughly how often do u water what kind of light do yours get?

 

[Grey Moss]

I use a pure inorganic media of perlite and akadama. I water once a week and grow the small plants 6 inches form a yescom panel

 

[power270lb]

I use a pure inorganic media of perlite and akadama. I water once a week and grow the small plants 6 inches form a yescom panel

I have spider farmer sf 1000s and from my understanding they don't need anything super strong. They came in long fibered sphagnum but it develops algae way too fast.

 

[JoeG]

Since akadama is a fired clay material, do you see an increase in TDS as it slowly dissolves, or do you flush the media each time u water?

 

[Grey Moss]

I don't really keep track of the tds of water flowing out of my pots. But since they're drained pots I guess I do flush each time I water.