You are here:

Carnivorous Plants/nepenthes ventrata care and light

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/23/2009


Question
do you know how to care a nepenthes ventrata and is it ok to put it in a west window  3-4 hours of direct sunlight

Answer
Hello Aaron,

Light: Partial sun outside under a tree or bright window light in a morning or south facing window all day. If you only have a west facing window I would suggest that you obtain some 40 watt 4 foot long shop light s of the florescent cool white or true daylight type to augment the light the plant gets from the window. Place artificial lights about 8 inches from the upper leaves and leave them on for 12-16 hours a day. Sun through a window is diluted by the window so is not the same as direct sun. Window light is fine for Nepenthes, but they might need more light if they stop producing pitchers.

Soil: 1/3 sphagnum peat, 1/3 orchid bark, 1/3 coconut husk. No fertilized products in soil ever.

Water: Distilled, reverse osmosis, or rain water once every 3-4 days with no water in tray. Standing water in a tray can cause root rot.

Tropical: Keep plant in around 75-85 degree temperatures all year round for best results.

Insects: Plant will fertilize itself by catching insects in its pitchers or can be given a few ants, a fly, or a small cricket every couple weeks if it does not capture anything by itself.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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