Expert: Christopher Littrell - 10/15/2008

Question
  I am very into gardening and Bonsai.But I dont have any experience with carnivorous plants.My plant is nice and healthy looking with new leaves shooting all up the main stalk but NO pitchers.There was three on it when I got it but they turned brown so I cut them off (had plant 2 mo.). Will it be OK till spring when you said they get new pitchers? Or is there another way to feed it?

Answer
Hello Edd,

When Nepenthes lose their pitchers it is usually due to a drastic drop in humidity, killing all their present pitchers quickly, or due to low light, causing them to halt the production of new pitchers in both cases.

If the plant lost all its pitchers quickly and never made new ones, then it suffered humidity shock. If it lost its old pitchers slowly, but never made new ones, then it probably is suffering starvation from low light.

Since it has been a couple months with no pitcher growth I would suggest increasing the amount of light it gets. Nepenthes like a lot of light, just not full sun. Only a few Nepenthes species can handle full sun. Ramp up the light the plant receives by adding some 40 watt shop light florescent tubes of the cool white variety. I use 12000 lumens with a small south facing window for mine and it is doing well enough for now. I would suggest leaving the light on for at least 12-14 hours a day and keep it within 4-6 inches of the plant's upper leaves. Nepenthes will make pitchers all year round in proper lighting as they are tropicals.

Christopher