Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 7/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: hi i just had a question reguarding this plant...i just got one off of ebay comming straight from leilani's nursery and i remembered you used to have them before, can i know what conditions you grew it in, either L/L inetermediate or H/L?  Any maybe any other information you had maybe acclimation process etc for this plant? i have a nice collection of plants and am familiar with growing many varieties of nepenthes, and have recently started to grow cephs and helis.  I was basically interested in any information you had reguarding this plant, other than it being a beast of a plant :).

thank you very much
dustin

ANSWER: Hi Dustin,

Caesar essentially likes it bright and warm.  It's parents are both lowlanders. (Nepenthes merrilliana x N. truncata)  I've seen some beautiful specimens grown here in Portland on sunny west facing windows.  They also really appreciate fertilization.  Give it an orchid fertilizer at 1/4 strength every two weeks.  I've included a photo of one grown in a window.

If the plant is coming directly from Sam in Hawaii, you may need to give it some extra humidity for awhile if your humidity is low until it adapts to it's new microclimate.  I seem to recall, you're in North Carolina?  If that's the case, your summer is easily as humid as Hawaii.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

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

QUESTION: Very nice caesar, actually im in NY, where i get perfect highland conditions
because all my neps are outside growing, some right in full sun.  even my
villosa grows outside.  i will try to provide it with extra humidity, i might have
a clear large tote or maybe a clear garbage bag to put over the plant to
acclimate it because its pretty big...

I have never fertilized my nepenthes before and they are all acclimated to
windowsill growing, i have even been trying to get my h. minor and ceph
down to a window sill growing condition.  Do they really benefit from a
fertilization? i heard if you dont fertilize them they would produce more
pitchers in order to try to catch more food for nutrients, though this could be
wrong because my n. ventricosa refuses to pitcher for me, which all the easy
species seem to be my most stubborn plants.

heres the link...*cough* got a little pricey *cough* lol, but its a 3 gallon plant
from leilani, id expect it to get pretty expensive

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?
ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=130315124653

thanks
dustin

Answer
Hi Dustin,

Fertilizer can be of great help, but if your plants are growing fine, and catching bugs, they don't need it.  If you decide to try it at some point, just remember to keep the solution dilute; 1/4 strength.


Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com