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Lack of N. Sanguinea pitchering

I've posted before about this, and figured it was just a seasonal thing. But now come April, my N. Sanguinea still hasn't resume pitchering. It went through a prolific period of pitchering for the first time last fall and has since ceased. Vegetative growth continues and looks healthy. Anyone have any ideas?

New upper growth:
http://i.imgur.com/rPZxd.jpg

Only remaining, stunted/malformed pitcher:
http://i.imgur.com/B2GS5.jpg

Overall plant:
http://i.imgur.com/s1Oru.jpg

Closeup of most recent leaf:
http://i.imgur.com/3RJhJ.jpg
 
@hawkspur,

This looks like a simple humidity issue. Add a humidifier to help raise the humidity and you should be set.
 
Low humidity coupled with insufficient light.
 
I had thought that's what it was but I wasn't sure. I started misting it once in the morning a week or so ago, but I haven't been consistent with it. I have a supplemental grow light as well, but I've had it turned off since the coloration was good.
 
I'd say it's a light issue first and a humidity issue second. I had my sanguinea in 35-40% humidity for a while and it pitchered fine.
 
I'll turn the grow light back on and start misting it twice a day and see if that yields any results.
 
Lot's of light and lot's of humidity.
 
Whet are your temps outside? I had an orange do good outside here in Ga when I lived there. As long as you keep it watered. Move it to higher light slowly not to burn it. How long are your lights on daily? With flourecent tubes you need the photo period longer. My light come on at 0530 and go off at 2300. Humidity plays some roll if its a dramatic change real quickly, but with higher humidity you will have better results. I have an orchid that hadn't grew like a weed, but never flowered much. Its now in my GH where the humidity is always 80-90% and its flowering like mad and its roots are fuzzy indicative for orchids when grown in high humidity. Its maxilatis tenufolia and its loving life now after 7 years or more not flowering much.

Do as others have suggested and give either longed photo period or more intense light and bump the humidity.
 
With me, humidity was never an issue with sanguinea.. I'd bet it is light... What direction is the window facing? What is your state of residence? If it is getting too hot in the window, that might cause some other issues...
 
  • #10
It's three years old, and has been in that window for two. It went through a period of prolific pitchering, and then predictably stopped in the winter. The window is south facing (no other available windows), USDA Zone 7/Texas. The fluorescent is on for varying periods of time as I don't have a timer, I turn it on when I wake up, and off when I go to sleep.

I just got a hygrometer/thermometer today, and as of 10 minutes ago, the temp at the windowpane was 77F with 35 percent humidity. I'll mist it more.
 
  • #11
Hello,

I am not as qualified as some of the people that will post here, but I use the same stakes to prop up my neps too. I think that your plant looks fine to me and I don't really know if more humidity will make it pitcher more [edit: i think humidity helps keep pitchers around longer]. It looks like it just has climbing on its mind, because it has started going to the vine stage. When it does pitcher, they will be uppers.

You say that you have had it for 3 years. Have you repotted lately? Do it while you don't have to worry about killing a lot of nice pitchers.

I notice too that when my neps start to vine the tend to produce more off shoots that will make good looking lower pitchers once the vine stops climbing.

If you are worried about the light (which it should be good now that summer is almost here) get a clip light from the hardware store and a good high lumen high kelvin bulb. I have 2 bulbs in my window totaling 3000 lumens and it is about as bright as a real cloudy day, but the neps liked the extra juice.

Or just keep it watered and forget about it, it will work itself out, patience.

Hope this helps!
 
  • #12
I repotted it 5 months ago or so from a much smaller pot. The stake I got within the last few weeks because it was flopping all over the place. The poor plant has had quite a tough life, but it's a survivor. It first had it's apical meristem and half of the rest of it eaten by my cat (why my cat thought it tasted good is beyond me), and then an accidental uprooting (it got caught in the blinds when I lifted them up). With the misting and extra light it seems to be growing faster, so we'll see
 
  • #13
Well I think I've figured out the problem. There had been some red blotches and spots forming over the last few weeks on some of the leaves and the new growth. I had set a bowl of water next to the plant to increase the humidity, and yesterday morning it was filled with thrips. Sprayed plant with appropriate pesticide
 
  • #14
I, too, don't consider myself too qualified to comment but I will throw in my two cents anyway. I have a N. sanguinea that is doing very well in a west-facing window with low humidity so I think yours should probably be fine. N. sanguinea is supposed to be one of the more adaptable windowsill growers.

When my windowsill N. ventricosa started vining, it stopped pitchering too. I assumed this was because it was further from the gravel/water tray, meaning the humidity was lower. I took cuttings and produced several smaller plants which are now pitchering in low humidity again.

If you are desperate for pitchers and don't want to take cuttings yet you can try a trick I read about on another forum. I looked for the thread but can't find it to link to. Anyway, you can put a plastic bag around the pitcher bud with a little water in the bag to increase humidity. I did this with a N. splendiana I had at my windowsill that was not pitchering for several months. After I nursed along four or five pitchers with plastic bags, it started ptichering on its own with no extra help (though this also coincided with the seasonal change into spring which could be a factor). You may be able to try this to coach your N. sanguinea back into pitchering on its own.

Good luck!
 
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