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Help me not kill these Nepenthes

I'm more a fan of CPs that don't need to be pampered (i.e., ones I can just put outside and forget about aside from watering), so I've never had any Nepenthes before. My sister bought two plants a couple months ago, but then had to travel for work and is going to be gone until sometime next year, so it's up to me to keep them alive until then. The big one is N. alata and the small one is N. x 'Gothica'.





At first I had them in my bathroom thinking that the limited light and higher humidity would be good for them, but they started not looking too hot when the pitchers started shriveling and the small plant got some black spots on its leaves. I then moved them outside onto the deck with variable humidity and direct sunlight for a few hours in the morning (and bright indirect light after that), and they seem to look better. The large plant has developed a purple hue on some of its leaves as a response to the increased light - I think that's a good thing?

I know these are highland species, so they've been enjoying the cool, rainy weather we've been having the last several days. However, when I put them outside, it was pretty hot with temperatures near 90 and low humidity, and they seem to have handled that fine. Basically, I want to keep them outside as much as possible since they seem happier out there (like most plants, I've found). What conditions would require me to bring them inside? I'm on the border of USDA zones 9b and 10a, so we usually only get a few light frosts a year.

I was planning on bringing the plants inside overnight when temperatures drop below 40 (though I've read they can tolerate slightly lower than that), and bring them in if temperatures get above 90. Does that sound like a good plan or a recipe for disaster?
 
How did the tops of the atla pitchers get melted off?
 
I'm not too familiar with N. x gothica, however I do know that N. ventrata should be pretty bomb-proof of a plant. You could even get away with just leaving it in a windowsill most likely.
 
Thanks for the replies... The tops of the pitchers shriveled and turned brown and dry when they were in the bathroom, so I just cut them off (not the living part) when I moved the plants outside. The larger plant is Nepenthes alata, is that as hardy as N. x ventrata? These plants were living on a windowsill in the bathroom and they didn't do too well, so I'm hesitant to move them back inside unless temperatures are too extreme out on the deck.
 
Hmm, oh I'm sorry I didn't read it as being just alata.

However, alata is still considered a very hardy plant. The initial bad reactions that your plants gave off could be due to just the shock of being relocated, that almost always happens with Nepenthes. How was your sister growing the plants? It would seem that more or less imitating those conditions should produce good results.
 
She had the plants in her bathroom for a couple weeks before she left, and that's when they started turning brown. After she was gone they were moved into my bathroom (basically identical conditions), and they continued turning brown. Since I put them outside, I think the pitchers have stopped dying, but I'll have to keep a close eye on them just to make sure.
 
The larger plant I would venture to say is a ventrata. It it a cross between alata and ventricosa. Just looks like my ventrata. It is pretty bomb proof. I have had mine growing in full sun for a while and it did fine. Acclimate slowly of course. The gothica is new to me but I can say from personal experience since my GH isn't ready to accept plant and all of my collection is outside, they took temps down to 42 this past weekend. I usually don't go less than 50 but a cold snap snuck up on us. I'm in SC. My plants are potted in an airy mix and sit in about an inch of water to stay moist. So far I have mo pitchers yet on the two gothica I have. But they are coming. They get morning and evening sun and shaded under an oak at noon time. Idk what yours are potted in. I don't recommend the water tray method unless it is an airy mix. Just like sun sometimes they need acclimating to higher humidity too as well as going back down to lower. Plus the lack of light doesn't help. Just remember moving from extremes can shock plants. Like you joint in a freezing pool. I think you might have a good spot if they are improving. Low temp max should be around 45 I would say. I had no choice to go to 42. Just scared the bejesus out of me.

---------- Post added at 07:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 PM ----------

Bathrooms showers hot temps. I never liked growing in bathrooms most neps need high light to perform well. Some need higher humidity to pitcher too. Ventrata is a weed. And like I said still learning gothica.
 
That's definitely Nepenthes x ventrata. I have the same plant, came labelled as N. alata. It's a pretty tough plant.
 
Thanks for the additional info. That's great to hear they can take cooler temperatures. Right now we've been having overnight lows from the upper 40s to low 50s, but I imagine by early December I'll have to bring them in at night. What are the main differences between Alata and Ventrata? I just googled some images of them, and they seem to look pretty similar. Mine is probably whichever one is more common (Ventrata I'm guessing).
 
  • #10
N. ventrata is a hybrid, alata is a pure species. The peristome of x ventrata has the little outer spikes like ventricosa does, alata doesn't. N. alata has a very bulbous bottom with a noticeable bulge, x ventrata doesn't.
 
  • #11
I live in SF and I grow mine indoors with both natural and supplemental light. If you can provide a few hours of direct morning and/or late afternoon sun AND decent humidity the plants should do fine. I water my plants 2-3 times per week and mist them in the morning and evening. Both the Nepenthes you have are easy growers so if you can provide this kind of care they should survive no problem.
 
  • #12
This time of year, the humidity outdoors shouldn't be too much an issue. We might have one more heatwave in the future (summer usually has one last gasp in October), but it shouldn't be too much the plants to handle. I worry about bringing them inside, since I don't really have many windows that the plants can go in that would get enough light. Is misting them necessary? I keep reading online about how people mist their Nepenthes, but I've never misted these ones and they seem to be doing OK. Though since they are outside, they are exposed to high humidity at night, so maybe that has something to do with it.
 
  • #13
Well if you have so little light indoors then it sounds like outside may be your only option. The humidity should be sufficient outside here in the winter I just worry about lack of warm temps during the day. Most days it stays pretty chilly and I don't know how these kinds of Neps are gonna like that. If they were ultra-highlanders that might be a different story.
 
  • #14
Do they need warm temperatures during the day? High temperatures during the middle of winter are usually 55-60 degrees (some days higher, some days lower). Would the low temperatures kill them or just halt their growth until it warmed up?
 
  • #15
Well in my opinion, with those two Neps, they should survive (not thrive) outside in SF. They like warm temps during the day and cool temps at night...ideally. They probably won't grow much during the winter but should live as long as they get morning/late afternoon sun and their soil doesn't stay super wet all the time. Definitely don't use a saucer underneath them. I'd advise bringing them inside for the night if it's going to drop into the low 40s (or lower). I did grow an N. ventricosa outside during the winter and it survived.
 
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