Carnivorous Plants/Pitcher Life

Advertisement

Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 7/6/2009


Question
Hi! I just ordered a beautiful little N. ventricosa from you about two weeks ago. Of the three pitchers that it had, two have started to turn black. I'm just wondering how long pitchers tend to last on this particular plant and what the likely cause of this is. I know there are many factors that go into account. I water the plant twice a week with distilled water and it hangs in a west window, in case you're wondering about those two biggies. So, what do you think the likely cause is of the pitcher loss?

Answer
Hi Megan,

This is pretty common when Nepenthes go through a transition period, especially with ventricosa.  You'll mostly just need to give it time to adjust to the new microclimate at your home.  You might monitor the soil moisture a little more just to make sure the soil is always damp during this period.  It's ok to leave just a small amount of water in the tray since it'll get used up fast during hot weather.  Give it about 3 weeks and see how it does.  If you haven't already, try giving it a weak orchid fertilizer also.  Mix it at 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water, and apply every two weeks.


Good Growing!

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

Carnivorous Plants

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Sarracenia Northwest

Expertise

If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!

Experience

With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again. Get the straight facts from the guys who grow and propagate thousands of these plants every year.

Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.

No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.


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?)

If you are looking for general care and specific how-to information, please visit the following pages on our main website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

For business questions:
http://www.cobraplant.com/contact

Monthly Carnivorous Plant Care


©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.