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Ventricosa pitchers

PlantAKiss

Moderator Schmoderator Fluorescent fluorite, Engl
Hi folks

I have had a n. ventricosa in a tank here at work for about 5 months. Generally speaking, it has done VERY well. Its growing (too fast&#33
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and pitchering like mad (10 pitchers and more on the way). The humidity is pretty high (with air circulation), its in a west-facing window so it gets afternoon/evening light; temps are a little on the cool side because my office must be kept pretty cold (which I hate
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)...I would say temp is about 70-ish in the tank.

My question is...it pitchers well; they are a good size (about 4"). But...after several weeks, the peristome, lid and half of the pitcher turns black. The bottom half stays alive. I can cut off the black part and the bottom half remains viable for quite a while. I don't remember this happening with my other ventricosa. So...I'm wondering what's causing the pitchers to blacken only halfway down? I don't know the natural lifespan of a ventricosa pitcher but it seems to me the pitchers on my other one lasted longer and didn't do the "half black" thing. I have a raff in there as well but its fairly new to the tank and a youngish plant and just has some small pitchers right now but has not had any pitchers blacken like that.

I can't provide optimum conditions for my CPs here at work but they've all done pretty well. The ping and drosera look great...and the ventricosa is growing like mad. Only the VFT has done rather poorly...too cool and not enough sun most likely.

I would just like to know if there is something I can do to stop the pitchers from blackening like that or if their lifespan is fairly short and its natural.

Thanks a bunch!

Suzanne
 
Hi Suzanne,

When my pitchers go, that's how they do it. They turn black or brown on the top half, and the bottom can last for months. Pretty much all my neps do this.

However, they usually have a pretty long lifespan. My ventricosa still has a pitcher that I bought it with in April that's still red and healthy. What's funny is that it was slightly cruched in transport, and is still a little flat on one side. But it keeps on truckin. However, another pitcher on the same plant has done the half-black thing. The rest of them (5 or 6) are all healthy. I think any time the conditions aren't perfect, the lifespan of the pitchers goes down. I notice they also do this when the conditions change (I move them, repot them, or something.) So, my guess is that some element of your conditions isn't optimal or has changed a bit. I'm not sure what the "normal" lifespan of ventricosa pitchers is, but it should at least be a few months.

Capslock
 
If you believe the pitchers are prematurely blackening, check to see if the temperature in the terrarium is the same as the one at your house where your other ventricosa is. Being too warm can cause this. My N. eustachya only ever has about 3-4 open pitchers the rest are always 1/2 shriveled. I think moving it to more intermediate conditions would improve the pitcher lifespan. As it stands I have it in an extremely hot lowland chamber.
 
Now that you guys mentioned it...

My N.Ventricosa exploded beautifully with lots of pitchers (approx. 12-15) and sustained them for the past few months. I recently moved to my future mother-in-law's place and 2/3's of them are now half dried/black.

I'm guessing the transportation, disruption of conditions (temp/humidity) probably did it.
 
Well, here at the office I don't get much of a choice as to where I have these plants or the conditions. Its a window...or its "take them home." But people love looking at them! And everything else is good except the pitchers not seeming to last all that long--definitely not several months.

I can't compare temps to my one at home as the one at home has, for the most part, expired although there are basal shoots coming up. I am sure that the temps in the tank here are cooler than at home but ventricosa is a highland so I would think the cooler temps wouldn't bother it. And I'm talking low 70's, not like 50s or 60s. Maybe it is too humid. I will leave a therm/hygrom in there tonite and see what it says tomorrow morning.

Thanks guys.
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Suzanne
 
this half black thing is happening with my truncata, its ben wondering me,
 
I doubt it's too humid, especially in an open area (non enclosed) such as a window. Unless the leaves have water sitting on them almost all the time. Water standing for days on the leaves will deform the newest ones and possibly invite disease in the meristem and leaf axils. My guess would be that it is simply not humid enough throughout the day and night for the pitchers to have their natural longevity or the temps get too warm at some point (day or night).

You're correct, cool temps ( 50s-60s at night with a 10-20 degree rise during the day) should not affect N. ventricosa negatively, But high heat (from direct noonday or afternoon sun) can.

I lost a few of my N. hamata pitchers this summer due to high daytime heat (85-90*F for a couple days) even though the night temps were lowered apropriately it still affected the pitcher lifespan (not the actual plant). N. hamata pitchers seem to last about 5-7 months in proper cool day and night temps but this summer a few came and went in two months.
 
I had that same problem with my ventricosa but I have had it out of the terrarium for several months now.  It is pretty dry around my house and it has only pitchered once. The pitcher is green with no lid (I guessing lack of humidity
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) but the pitcher has been green for at least 3 months now with little humidity and know sign of brown. So I am not sure what causes the brownness on top but pruty sure it does not deal with humidity.

The only conclusion I can come up with is when it starts pitching like mad (like you said PAK) it does not focus on the older pitchers causing them to turn brown half way. So in fact it may be pitchering more but the pitchers it had when the growth of the nep ventricosa was slower could concentrate on the pitchers it had (deep breath).  That is why I think the pitchers turn brown half way, compared to when they would stay alive for a longer period of time. Any hoot, that is my thought for what it is worth. Hope you understand what I am pulaberating about.

Travis
 
this happens to my ventricosa. It always pitchers well for a few months. then, for some reason, it stops pitchering, and the pitchers turn half black. 2-3 months later, it starts another explosion of pitchers. Then, again, 2-3 months later, it stops growing and the pitchers turn half black. I wonder if this is just a natural cycle?
 
  • #10
Hi everybody:

Yes, Ventricosa is known to produce an explosion of pitchers and then they die down half way from the top!!. Please read this link:

http://www.malesiana.tropicals.com.my/cultiv-nep.html#pitch

it refers to both partially dried pitchers and pitcher producing habits of neps.

The problem i have with my ventricosa is that it does not want to pitcher at all. I found no insects, fungus, the leaves are light green and the plants around it do pitcher. I just can't explain it.

Gus
 
  • #11
Thanks Gus...I'll check it out. Very interesting. I appreciate that.
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Swords, the ventricosa is in a tank which sits in a west-facing window. So its not in the open and its quite humid in the tank (partially closed) but there is air circulation. There are two tanks...one with my ventricosa and a raff. Tank below has droserae and a ping in it.

Its interesting others have experienced this half-black event. I just hate losing them...the pitchers are quite pretty before the blackening.

Suzanne
 
  • #12
How west facing is that window? The setting sun is quite hot and intense on plants in a western facing window at late summer/autumn time. If the plant received cooler direct sun from sunrise til noon would be better for a cool growing plant.  It sounds like the humidity just isn't high enough at all times (try covering the whole lid). It might simply be getting too dry in the afternoon when the sun is going down, when it's at it's most intense and radiant heat level is when your Nep needs high humidity most.
 
  • #13
I really don't think the tank gets too hot. I've had more concerns that its not warm enough considering how FREEZING it is in my office. Even with the direct sun its getting, its late sun. When I put my hand in the tank its warmer than the ambient office temp but never real hot. And I'm sure the humidity is fine. If anything it might be too humid. Often the glass is totally fogged up (there's wet sphagnum moss in the bottom of the tank to assist in raising the humidity). When its very foggy I open up the top a little more to let more air in.

OK...I just checked the gauges I put in yesterday. Temperature is 75 degrees and the humidity is 80%. That sounds reasonable to me.

I just feel like the pitchers are blackening prematurely.
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Its last beautiful pitcher, open for about a month or so, is already starting to blacken. It starts on the peristome first and spreads. Other than this, the plant is growing well and pretty fast. There are two more pitchers well on their way to forming and two tendrils ready to pitcher.

I wish I could stop this...it would be quite a beautiful plant if it didn't have all the half-pitchers on it.
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Thanks for the help Swords...and everybody else.

Suzanne
 
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