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My first nepenthes, i may need some help

mabudon

Metal King
Well, about 2 months ago I got a nepenthes for 10$ Canadian at a local greenhouse, I knew what it was and that it could be tricky to keep alive, but figured that the ever-helpful internet would see me through.....

It's still alive, and growing pretty well, it seems, it has produced maybe 6 or 8 leaves since it got here, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything in the way of pitchering; the tendrils are red and seem healthy....

I have it over a cup of water right now; I'm thinking that a tray of stones with water may be better for letting the roots breathe (which I imagine is part of the problem)

I haven't read anything on here as to how long this process should take and being a total neophyte (smart guy talk for newbie) I'm not sure where to go from here..... when I bought it, the "soil" was so wet it had algae growing on it...

Should I try to repot it outright???

Please help, I don't want to kill the poor thing, and it is growing, still, and nicely coloured and stuff, so I'm sure it's not too late.....
 
Did they say what species of nepenthes it is? Also, how are you growing it (in a terrarium, out in the open, indoors, outdoors, etc.). It seems like it is producing leaves at a healthy rate.
 
If it's still alive then it's surviving, it's just not pitchering. That usually indicates too low of humidity or not bright enough lighing. On a grander scale it can be temperature but most common Greenhouse Neps are usually quite flexible in temperature requirements. Except for N. Judith Finn (spathulata x veitchii) who prefers more of a highland temperature regimen of not real hot days and cool nights (70-80*F days and around 50*F at night).

Don't worry too much that it has no pitchers, as long as it's still alive there's always hope, you just have to hit upon the right conditions to initiate pitchers. My very first nep in was a cutting from my uncles old N. Ventrata which he'd had growing in a window with no pitchers and using Tap water to water it for 10 years or more. Pretty much as soon as I put it in a bright warm and humid terrarium and started watering with R/O every leaf since has had a pitcher.

Can you post a picture? That will help us figure out what you've got and hopefully someone can help you out.
 
Thanks for reading my post, sorry I wasn't more thorough
biggrin.gif


Right, it is growing on my windowsill in a south facing window, which gets a lot of light (I live near Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) I mist it all the time, and was again considering putting it on a tray with stones or something, the cup full of water I have it resting above seems to be more trouble than it's worth....

http://ca.f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mabudon2/album?.dir=/75c9

there's a link to my pics, sorry they aren't that good, the thing
is in a 4-inch plastic pot right now. I will get a digicam to take some better pics in a week maybe (and jaje61-no,they didn't tell me what it was at all, had some stupid "cobra lily" ID tag which is clearly not what it is.... if it helps, there were others that looked the same with little yellow pitchers with green spots on them, no real fancy "teeth" or anything, kinda plain)
If a terrarium is required, I have no problems going that route, but I'm kinda hoping to avoid it if at all possible....
 
good leaf growth, supposedly good light and humidity and no pitchers.....i wonder if its got time release fertilizer in the pot?


Rattler
 
That's something I haven't thought of, it seemed like there was a bit of fertilizer buildup in it when I bought it, I still want to repot the thing but there are so many conflicting theories on the 'net, I was just going to wait 'til there was something different happening.....

I was hoping to figure out what the plant was before trying to feed it.... please excuse my "befuddled"-ness, I'm really pretty good with all manner of other plants, but this one excites me so much that I want to get it as close to perfect as possible

(besides, none of my friends are even a little bit interested in such things, without pitchers it just looks like a tiny rubber plant or something, they look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them it's a bona-fide carnivore, some pitchers would give it a bit more "oomph")
 
It may just need to adjust to its new environment first. It looks healthy and I think your misting it on a regular basis should be fine. Is there a possibility that it is in the direct path of an air-conditioning/heating vent? Some species don't seem to like a lot of air flow. My lowland N. rafflesiana seems to thrive in stagnant, hot humidity, but that might not be a good thing for some highland species.

John
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I have it over a cup of water right now; I'm thinking that a tray of stones with water may be better for letting the roots breathe (which I imagine is part of the problem)
I'm going to go out on a limb here: I think it may be too wet. There are a few species of neps that appreciate this, but most do not. Most like to be just moist.
 
if it looks like there is fertilizer build up, which is quite possible do to the fact you got it at a regular nursery. i say repot it. i dont think many of the hybrids that would likly be for sale at one of these greenhouses will be to finiky about being repotted. some new soil and do as schoalty advises and place it on a tray of pebbles so it stays just moist and not wet. give it another month and see what happens. it may go into shock for awhile but it seems to be a healthy plant so it should be just fine. just my 2 cents.
 
  • #10
Wicked, glad to hear it looks okay, thanks, I will post an update in a week or two (or whenever anything changes, at least)

Again, thank you all for the help, just knowing it looks okay makes me feel a lot better (the last CP I bought was a non-variegated sarracenia and I killed it real good, I clipped off the dormancy "pitchers" cos it looked "leggy" to me)

now off to decide what to repot with
laugh.gif
 
  • #11
Sorry to double-post (some folks hate that)
Thanks to everyone who responded to help.
Schloaty, your "limb" was the ticket, way too wet, the thing is growing like mad now, its first pitcher will be good enough to photograph in a week or so;
I'm glad I bought it now, it has been a great confidence booster, "easy" neps really are pretty easy to grow, the N.Ventricosa (you were right Zongyi
smile.gif
) I bought is going nuts too....
 
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