AboutSarracenia Northwest Expertise Got a carnivorous plant problem? The growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin have helped thousands of growers around the world, and they can help you too. When you submit your question, they will diagnose your situation and offer a solution to help you get your carnivorous plant back on track.
Experience With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. Get the straight facts from the guys who grow and propagate thousands of these plants every year.
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION:
We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?).
Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?)
Question Hello. I have been trying to raise the N. sibuyanensis I purchased from your nursery last year. All I can say right now, is it's still growing. I did write in with a question once before asking about the care of this particular plant. I have tried using a diluted orchid fertilizer, maybe not every week, but at least once a month on the leaves. My plant still has not produced any pitchers since I bought it last November.
I had the sibu. in a terra cotta pot and have since put it into a plastic pot because it seemed to dry out too fast. It is growing in a mixture of orchid mix (coconut bark, charcoal, perlite) and long fiber sphagnum. My other Neps are doing great in this mixture.
I am in zone 6 and usually have the plant sitting in a west window that has light provided by a lamp in the mornings and then full sunlight through the window in the afternoons. I just moved it to the floor where it will still received bright indirect light because it looks like the edges of the newer leaves are being sunburned. They are getting large reddish-brown, slightly depressed spots along the margins and still do not look like they will produce any pitchers.
Do you have any suggestions or corrections?
Thank you for taking the time to read my question(s).
Holly
Answer Hi Holly,
Because of the growth nature of Nepenthes sibuyanensis, this may be a plant that needs more humidity. They tend to grow on the forest floor with the pitchers emerging on the soil surface. They don't climb the way many other Nepenthes do. The growth is very similar to N. ampullaria. Ampullaria definitely needs higher humidity.
Having it in bright indirect light is the way to go. Ours in the greenhouse are on lower shelves. See if you can devise a partial cover, and if it starts pitchering. This may be a plant that you need to put in a terrarium. Unfortunately, like N. ampullaria, N. bicalcurata and a few others, this may be one of the species that lives up to the stereotypes of Nepenthes.
