dormancy looking leaves on nepenthes??

[neilsingapore]

Has anyone else experienced their nepenthes going into what looks like a dormant stage? I have 2 N. albomarginata and one of them has developed a tight rosette of 'winter' looking leaves similar to the small non-carnivorous leaves produced by other cp's like Sarracenia in winter.
Dormant looking N. albomarginata:--    http://community.webshots.com/photo/80388789/98026044MGAqEN
Previously it was growing very well as the older leaves show. None of my other nepenthes have shown this kind of behaviour.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why
Comparisan with my other N. albomarginata:--        http://community.webshots.com/photo/80388789/98025326tORrtf
I noticed a post by agustinfranco, started on 24th oct 2003, regarding smaller new leaves on his nepenthes and the photo posted by Joachim Danz of his 'mite damaged' plant.
Could this be the same damage? And if so what do mites look like? (tiny red spiders??). I haven't noticed anything like that. If it is, what's the cure?

 

[sarracenialuver]

Hello,
First I thought the "dormant" going one had a pinguicula growing from the growth point. I really have no idea what would be the cause of this. But I have seen a tiny bit of the same chararistics with my N. Alata 'highalnd red striped'. Maybe Tony, or Joachim knows whats going on.
Kevin

 

[Slyfi]

My plant does this when the sunlight in its window gets weaker in the winter.....the leaves are not as long or thick and the plant won't develop full pitchers, due to the lack of light I assume.....I guess you could try find it brighter light......

 

[mindmaze128]

The same thing happened to my N albomarginata a few months ago. I don't know what the ultimate reason for this was, but I suspect that it has something to do with too little light and/or too little water. The plant started growing normally again when I took off some of the shadecloth from my pergola and added an automatic sprinkler system.

Jœl

 

[Beagle]

Thanks. That saves me a post. Some of my plants are starting to concern me. Beginners luck has given way to drier weather, less light, and planning a trip to Apopka for some "Clearies 3336?"

I had my first nep actually bite it, I think. The BE-94 Rafflesiana, anything I should know? I have one small one left that looks decent, and another that looks crappy like the one that just died: no pitchers, really small leaves.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

That looks like mite damage Joachim posted. I have had no problems with these pests yet so I cannot speak for your problem, but my guess would be mites or some dramatic climactic change that occured.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

It would be helpful to know how long you have had the plant and the environmental conditions as well as any changes in the environment during the time you have had it.

hmmm looks like it went down hill very quickly and has been for some time now. A number of things could be causing it to do this. I have seen lowland Nepenthes respond like this from prolonged periods of cold temps (not something I would suspect in singapore though) It could be the result of insect or disease also. There seems to be some damage on the big leaves as well as the deformed tips of the small leaves which might indicate some sort of pathogen or insect. Another possibility is nutrition defficiency indicated by the pale new leaves. Either iron or calcium defficiency could cause this. Has the plant been fed at all? What kind of water does it get?

Lastly... with the apparent very rapid transition from large leaves to small. Have you checked the root system? Plants will compensate leaf growth with root mass and health. If something like overwatering caused a large portion of the roots to die off (or a pathogen attacked them causing the same result), the plant would rapidly lose it's ability to produce strong healthy growth.

Tony