Expert: Christopher Littrell - 7/26/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Christ,
 I just recently brought another nepenthe, which I dont know wut type it is. I think it is another alata, because it looks similar to the one i had but its leaves are smaller and the pitchers are large and red. I think it is a very healthy nepenthe alata. However, I am worrying how to provide it a good place to live, and since i bought it yesterday, I fear that the workers at that shop watered it with normal water, but the caps of the pitchers seem to be closing because of the environment change. Should I repot it?

Another problem is that my OTHER nepenthe, it is finally growing a big pitcher, but somehow it looks deformed; the pitcher has a huge bottom but the top looks really werid. The worst thing is that there is no cap developing; you can see a hole as it is growing. I got a photo. Is it going to be ok? or I am giving it not enough water?

Last thing is that, if I am planning to repot my nepenthe. Should i be worrying if the bark and the coconut husk contains minerals in it? I mean my coconut husk is the CocoEarth product which looks like a brick. (it will loosen as you add water) so i was thinking to loosen it with the rainwater that i collected. So, what do you think?

Sincerely
Nicol

ANSWER: Hello Nicol,

I would wait until the new Nepenthes is adapted to your home before repotting it. Since the pitcher lids are wilting (they really do not close and open except the first time they open after swelling up) it sounds like you have lower humidity in your home than the plant was recently growing in. It will take it time to adapt over the next few weeks. You could use a clear plastic bag over the plant and just punch half a dozen 1/4 to 1/2 inch holes in the bag every 3 days until it no longer holds in humidity, then remove it after about 2 weeks. That will slowly adapt the plant to your home humidity with little stress to the pitchers. After it has adapted you can repot it. Nepenthes can handle slightly more minerals in their water than other carnivorous plants. Top water the plant with distilled water so the minerals drain out the bottom... that will help out.

Sometimes Nepenthes will grow deformed leaves and pitchers. Occasionally it just happens, sometimes it is due to bad lighting, insects pests chewing on the pitcher buds, or damage to the pitcher bud from too much handling or bumping around. Check for pests and use water or neem oil based insecticides (as directed on the bottle) if you find any tiny orange, white, or yellow insects sucking on the plant's sap. If the next pitcher grows in deformed you might check your lighting and the types of chemicals you use around the plant. sometimes copper can cause deformity and smaller pitcher size in Nepenthes. Several fungicides contain copper, so avoid those. any household cleansers or chemicals could contain something harmful to your plants, so check everything you can until you find the problem and eliminate it. First off check the light to ensure it is intense enough and check for pests. So long as the Nepenthes gets enough water to keep its mix always moist it is fine. Never wet and never dry, always a happy medium is the watchword for Nepenthes. Water quantity is not really an issue with pitcher deformity unless the water has chemicals or minerals added.

The CocoEarth product looks like it will be fine. I have had people try it with Nepenthes before but I have never tried it myself. CocoEarth states that they try to be environment friendly and try to keep additives down in their products. You might double check by Emailing the company, explain your use of their product and ask if they add any minerals like salt, magnesium, potassium, and calcium to their products of interest. If they don't, you should be able to use it with little concern. Make sure you mix the coconut husk and bark with peat in a 1/3 mix to add the correct amount of acidity, drainage, aeration, and water retention for your plants.

Keep up the good work with your Nepenthes,

Christopher



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi chirst,

 Oh thank you for your previous answer. And now I have another question. The new nepenthe that I bought has a lot of big red pitchers (looks really healthy). But since my room can't provide the humility it needs, will those pitchers eventually die off? How can I encourage it to grow more pitchers and remain them?

 And now since my other nepenthe seems to be weak. I am planning to buy a light bulb. Which one should I get? Will the bulb replace the sun light it needs? How many hours should it get everyday?

Answer
Hello Nicol,

After your Nepenthes has adapted to your home it will grow normally and keep its pitchers for several months. Old pitchers will die as usual, they are just part of the leaves. If you slowly adapt the Nepenthes to you home humidity it will not lose its pitchers and will continue making more.

You can use 40 watt florescent shop light tubes, cool white 3000 lumen tubes, to add to a window light for 12-16 hours a day. I use four tubes for a total of 12000 lumens of light and keep them 4-8 inches from my plants as a supplement to south facing windows. The larger the plant the more light it will need from large windows and/or additional florescent lights. A very small Nepenthes will only need the florescent light or the window until it gets a couple feet tall.

Christopher