Expert: Christopher Littrell - 1/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: Sometime ago, I mentioned a fluorescent light that releases 20,000 lumens.  I finally have the light, and I'm using a T5 design of light with two types of bulbs: a blue type to promote growth and a red type to promote flower blooming.  I repotted the Sanguinea from a 3 inch (I think) pot to a 10 inch pot.  All this happened within the first or second week of this month.  As of now, the Sanguinea has stopped growing.

I understand that the plant needs time to recover from all this activity, but I'm wondering, out of curiosity, how long it usually takes for the plant to recover.

ANSWER: Hello Talisha,

If damage or disruption occurred to the plant's root system when it was repotted it could take a couple weeks to a month for it to recover. Nepenthes roots are a little brittle and can break unexpectedly from what I understand. I have never had this occur when I repot mine. I usually just take the entire soil ball with the plant out of the old pot, clear the old soil with distilled water in a bucket, then gently place the plant in a new pot and fill soil around the roots until it is firmly secured. When repotted, the new soil should not be pressed down much, just a gently tamping to settle it with your hands will do. Nepenthes like their soil airy and open, spongy to the touch when you press down on it with a finger.

Nepenthes also slow down or stop growing when they are about to produce new vines or before they flower. In your case, you probably are just waiting for the plant to recover from repotting.

Christopher

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

QUESTION: Thanks much!  Yes, the plant IS recovering from repotting.  Like you, I took the entire plant and soil out of the old pot.  Most of the old soil fell away, and I just put the rest into the new pot.  I did no tampering or pressing of the new soil, so the plant has plenty of room.

I'm going to assume that it will take at least a month to recover.  The roots were exposed when I repotted it, so it's possible I may have done something to them during the moving.

I also made a weak mixture of distilled water, superthrive and seaweed based orchid fertilizer and sprayed it on the leaves.  Is this okay?

ANSWER: Hello Talisha,

So long as the mixture you used is less than 1/4 normal solution you would use on a typical garden or houseplant, it will be fine to spray the leaves of Nepenthes with such fertilizers, just be careful not to get any in the soil and only spray once every couple weeks to once a month at most. I never fertilize mine as I just drop a random insect or spider in a pitcher every few weeks and the plant often enough catches flies and roaches on its own.

Keep up the good work with your Nepenthes.

Christopher

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

QUESTION: The bottle is about 16 oz., and I used sharp pointed tweezers to put in a couple of sprinkles of fertilizer.  Usually, I would use bugs instead of fertilizer, but I wanted to use it to give the plant a growth boost.  Once it starts growing again, I'll stop using fertilizer.

Answer
Hello Talisha,

That will be fine. Many companies and growers do regularly fertilize their carnivorous plants (using very dilute solutions only on the leaves), but most first time growers tend to overdo it and wind up killing their plants, so caution is always warranted. My reasoning for not using fertilizer is simply that I like to do things the natural way. You are doing a good job of providing a hospitable environment for your Nepenthes.

Christopher