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 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.
