Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 6/2/2010

Question
I bought 2 of the N. Ventricosa, when I received them somewhere in April 2010 they LOOKED GREAT, I put them in direct sunlight and I lost all the pitchers it had so I moved it under a tree to get filtered sunlight. Every time I see new growth or a new pitcher it dries up. I don't want to give it root rot so I only water it about twice a week. Should I water it more often? I live in central Florida 50 miles north of Tampa and the weather has been HOT in upper 80's-low 90's. Evening temp. in 70's. Am I doing something wrong. Thank you for all your HELP and keep up the good work.  
Tony

Answer
Hi Tony,

This species will tolerate direct sunlight, but you need to be careful about the length of time in the sun.  The plant is also a intermediate to highland plant, which means it prefers slightly cooler nights.  It will grow OK in the summer in your region, but you will most likely see better growth in fall and winter when the weather cools.

Where you're growing is ideal, filtered sunlight through a tree.  For watering, make sure that the soil never dries out.  At our nursery, we sometimes water our plants daily during the hottest parts of summer.  Some days are so warm in the greenhouse that we water twice daily.  As long as the water drains freely and the soil feels barely damp between watering, you can water more frequently.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin