What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Nepenthes grotwth question

Ok i'm hoping some of you Nepenthes guru's can help me out here. I've got a Nepenthes that I bought at my local nursury(so its probably not some rare ultra low/highland variety), it almost looks like some hybrid ventricosa.

As of now I grow it in a 30 gal tank, it gets some natural sunlight, and is lighted by a grow-lux and 2 cool white bulbs. Temperature is probably like 75-80ish. Not too much of a temp change. Humidity is always like 75% or above.

Anyhow, my Nepenthes seems to be doing pretty good about making new leaves, since it has grown 3 new leaves since I bought it. Their all a nice dark green color. The problem is at the end of the leaf where the tendril for the pitcher forms. On all 3 leaves the tendril part is about an inch long, and at the end of the tendril it is kind of a silky brown. Now the first leaf that grew has had the tendril with the silky brown end for about 2-2 1/2 weeks now or so, and no sign of a pitcher forming yet. Anyone else have had this happen before? I'm kind of thinking it maybe needs a lower temp drop, but would love to hear any ideas from you all on why its doing this..thanks.
 
My N. fusca makes fuzzy brown tips where the pitchers will form but most of my other nepenthes (including the ventricosa) make tiny buds which have no hair but do take a while to inflate and open (the leaf must mature fully with no damage before the pitcher beings to inflate) but if theres 3 new leaves I would think at least one should have an inflating pitcher and be getting ready to open. How long have you had it?
Any idea what your huimidity level is?
I got some cuttings from my uncles N. alata which hadn't made pitchers in over 5 years (due to being grown in a northern windowsill with just house humidity of 30% or so) after 2months of being put in my lowland chamber (w/CO2 injected) it's put out 5 leaves and 4 have pitchers. Humidity plays a big part in proper pitcher formation.
Any way for you to post a picture of it? Then someone might be able to ID it and help you further with temperature suggestions, lighting etc.

good luck!
 
The problem could be a number of things, jadubya. If the plant is a highland, the high temps could be causing the problem. I have several highland/lowland hybrids in my greenhouse. Sometimes the lowland genes seem to dominate and the plant produces pitchers easily...sometimes not. Generally, the first thing you consider when pitchers aren't forming is humidity, but that seems to be okay. When I was having some problems last summer with my merrillianas not forming pitchers, I gave them a shot of superthrive and that seemed to do the trick. You might want to give it a try. They sell it here at PFT. Oz
 
Thanks for the information. Ya there are tiny buds at the end of the tendril where the pitcher forms, but its just taking longer than I expected. Maybe the leaf isnt fully mature. I'll have to go out and get a digital camera very soon..was thinking of this one
http://www.amazon.com/exec....6813505 ...any opinions?..heh

Oh and I just called my local nursury and they carry Superthrive, so i'll have to get down there and give that a shot..thanks

Jeff
 
I would have to agree that your warm temps could be a cause if it is more of a highland plant.  Humidity is often a cause of no pitchers but in your case I would rule it out.

You mention the plant is dark green.  This can be caused by low light and/or overfertilization.  Both of which can halt pitcher formation.  Your lighting sounds sufficient from your description.  Having come from the nursery recently, fertilization could be an issue.
Tony

oops forgot to mention that when looking for a camera. Particularly if you want to take pictures of plants and things.. make sure it has good ability to focus at a short distance from the subject. (macro focus)
 
Tony makes a good point. There are two camps on the issue of fertilizing nepenthes. When a plant gets enough energy from fertilizer, they tend to stop producing pitchers. If the plant came from one of the nurseries that practices this, you might be better off by doing nothing more than flushing the soil with pure water for the next few weeks. Oz
 
I don't mean to take over the topic, but I have a question that is TOO simialar to this one, that it would be a shame to have the answers in seperate threads......

I have two new leaves, and one freshley opened/flattened that all have not inflated... Where they are sitting right now, a pitcher has developed fully to the same size that one did in the terrarium (it is no long in there, but the pitcher that formed in side, is the same as the pitcher that formed outside)... The fourth leaf is still small, and fully curled up, but the three that are out are not doing a thing.... It is humid enough in my bedroom that there are GOBS of nectar all over the peristome of older pitcher, and the stem, and the leaves, oh, sweet nectar...

..... After all that.... the answer to my question MAY help with jadubya's question.... Anyhow, ttyl, and thanks for answers!!!

Greg
 
If you do suspect over fertilization do repot the plant. I may be a bit paranoid but I do repot every Nepenthes I get immediately in my prefered soil mix washing away the old soil totally. Most often Nepenthes media you get them in here is not airy enough for good growth.

Due to change in growth conditions it could take some leafes before pitcher production starts again. I got a N. diatas in Februar and it didn't even grow a single mm for more than three months before starting of (it produced a very helthy new root in this time coming from inert media and very soft conditions).

Nepenthes are slow plants they typically form new leafes with a rate of about one in three weeks up to two months. And it may take some more weeks before the tendril has grown to its length and pitcher growth begins. So patience is a good thing but having many of those slow plants to look at makes it easier to wait...

Joachim
 
Parasuco,
I totally agree here with the overfertilization camp. I overfertilized 1-2 months ago, and even with flushing and repotting it's just started to produce pitchers from two tentrils. Mine's also rather young, so I figure it had to get over the shipping shock from when I got it in Feb. It does take a while, and you can barely tell that it's happening. I've got one that started growing underground (left side middle) and the tendril at the bottom right.

ventricosa.jpg
 
Back
Top