Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 7/16/2010

Question
QUESTION: hi  about 2 months ago, i thought it was a decent temperature for my highland nepenthes to be put outside. i dont have many highland so its just my 2 mirandas and a ventricosa. i make sure to water every other day especially when it gets really hot out. Also, they are under a tree in my back yard so they get filtered sun. They were all doing great until these past two weeks.They are still making new leaves but they are not as big and they stopped making pitchers. It hasn't been raining very much recently so its pretty dry out. Is there anything i can do or should i bring them back inside?

  Thanks,
  Chris

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

You didn't mention where you live, so I'm only guessing that the humidity must be very low where you are.  The leaves getting smaller could be an indicator of that.  Whether you leave the plant out or bring it in, you will need to give the plant time.  If outside, are the leaves a nice reddish color?  If not, it actually need a bit more sun.  You will probably see more pitchers develop later.  If your night temperatures are low that may have an effect too.  If you decide to bring them back inside, be sure to leave them inside.  Going back and forth is a no-no.  They will need time to adjust to being back in the house.

As on comparison, we put some N. x mirandas outside about a month ago and they are just starting to make pitchers.  The problem for us has been temperatures and lack of sun.  It was a cold early summer.  Miranda is a highland/lowland hybrid also.  One of the parent plants, Nepenthes northiana likes warm temperatures.

Good Growing!

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

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

QUESTION: oh  sorry. i live in Pennsylvania,zone 5. Only one of my plants has reddish shade but i believe thats just left over from when i had it indoors. The ventricosa seemed to be doing so well and then all of the sudden it started looking kind of unhealthy. It had a nice big red pitcher but it began browning about 2 weeks later. I think i am going to bring them indoors. I have a setup in my west facing widow where my Nepenthes Red Dragon has been doing especially well. Would my highlands be good in the same conditions as my lowlands.

Answer
Hi Chris,

If they are doing well in the window, that's probably the best place for them.  Putting Nepenthes outside is more of a thing to do for fun unless you live in a much warmer climate.

Household temperatures tend to be just fine for many highlanders.  The whole highland/lowland thing is a generalization at best.  Some lowlanders are easy growers such as lowland N. truncata and N. rafflesiana.  Some are fussy such as N. bicalcurata and N. ampullaria.  Some highlanders are easy such as N. sanguinea and N. copelandii.  Many other such as N. villosa, N. rajah and N. lowii are very particular about their conditions.  It is more species by species.  Hybrids in general are more tolerant.

Good Growing!

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