Hmm...very interesting.. pitcher lid closing??

[vraev]

Hi guys,

I just got myself a N.mira. its like an inch across. came with pitchers on each of its 5 leaves.

I cut off all the old growth that was black... removed some of the black pitchers and left the 2 red pitchers and potted the plant up in a (live LFS (red) top 3 inches = current rooting area) + LFS/bark underneath.

Now I filled up the pitchers with water to replace the lost water.

Then, today I notice that the lids on both the pitchers is ACTUALLY SHUT!!

<New pics added later>

I remember cephs doing it due to stress...but I thought nep pitcher lids are not responsive once open.

Any comments and infact any suggestions for cultivating the mira would be helpful.

thanks,

V

 

[Nepenthusiast]

Vraev this happened to me too. I believe it is due to low humidity.

 

[vraev]

but lol! humidityshould be insanely high considering all that is live sphagnum around it. And the enclousure never goes below 60 + in the pots I bet the humdity is still higher than 60% due to the moss.

 

[Nepenthusiast]

Mabye it happened during shipping?

 

[phissionkorps]

That happens in response to low humidity.

 

[Nepfreak]

maybe it's adjustment. Chances are the pitchers will blacken eventually too. It happens. I've heard of ventricosas doing that under extremely high humidity, so maybe that's a possibility. the humidity around the lid area should be very high if the pitchers are filled with water and surrounded by sphagnum. I wouldn't worry right now.
EDIT: here's the thread http://pitcherplants.proboards34.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=1119403544&page=1

 

[Drosera36]

My plants do that whenever they really need water.

-Ben

 

[b.t.]

Neps sometimes close their lids in response to low humidity too. Maybe your plant's root system has not kicked in so its trying to conserve fluids.

 

[vraev]

aaaahh....that would make sense. thanks guys. I will get better pictures soon.

 

[vraev]

BTW...any other suggestions to growing a mira??

thanks

 

[Nepenthes]

I just had this same issue with my ampullaria but I believe my problem to be heat related. During the fires and Santa Ana winds that we had here recently, the temperature in my Lowland tank skyrocketed to around 100+ degrees (while I was not around). My humidity has always been consistently high, and so I know it was not humidity related, but definitely caused by stress (heat). All the lids on my Amp closed up, and the plant got rugged looking. Anywho Nepenthes Mira seems to be a fairly easy Nep to grow, at least in my experience. Good luck and keep us posted =).

 

[vraev]

aaah..... so how are they doing? I mean all the highlands would hate and just die at 100F. Were the lowlands fine with it? Did they get a sweat going?

anyways..thanks. I hope the thing recovers and pitchers for me sometime. ;D

 

[Nepenthes]

My highlanders didn't take it as badly as I thought they would actually. I had some pitchers die off, but they all seem to be doing just fine now. The one that got hit the hardest was the ampullaria surprisingly. All my other Neps are doing just fine now. The lowlanders were sweating balls, but they all look just fine now. My VFTs don't look like they liked it so much. GL with your new baby =).

 

[noplay]

hello, If anyone is around can you help me identify what is going on with my live spagnum moss, the tips are brown and the other areas are green.

 

[vraev]

wow....and amp is a lowlander. Thats pretty strange. hmm...but hey! thats good. atleast your highlanders just suffered some pitcher loss and didn't do anything else bad. Thanks mate. Infact this is how it really looks. FInally got my camera from home.

@noplay

there is a thread right in this section on spaghnum. Check it out.

 

[obregon562]

it looks like old age/shipping stress. happens to most my plants.

good luck!

 

[vraev]

thanks mate. I "hope" that the pitchers don't die. (but its wishing too much as only 1 out of my 6 neps ever did that after getting it...but it lost a old leaf instead of a pitcher. lol )