Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 8/27/2010

Question
QUESTION: Species: Miranda, N.sanguinea, N.singalana, N.boschiana
Location: Eugene, Oregon

I have a North/South facing house. I have windows in both
the North and South walls of the room. For pure viewing
purposes the South window isn't adequate, and the North
window is in the danger zone for our large dogs. The room
has a bar about 1/3 of the way across the room from the
South window where I would like to put the plants. The bar
receives little to no direct sunlight but the room itself is
very brightly lit throughout the day from indirect sun. If
the room has significant indirect sunlight filling the room
is this enough for my plants? Or do they need to have the
sun actually hitting them?

Thank you!!

ANSWER: Hi Adam,

With bright indirect light you'll tend to have nice leafy plants, but you'll never see a pitcher.  To pitcher well they should have around three hours of direct sun.  Without it they don't have the needed energy to manufacture pitchers.

Good Growing!

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

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

QUESTION: Ok, so with a little work I got a blind set up so that the
lights can be on as long as I need them to be during the
day. I have two 24 watt t5 florescent lights (one over two
plants, one over the other). I'm hoping that this will be
enough light combined with the ambient light in the room for
me to see some decent pitchers once they adjust to the new
light.

ANSWER: Hi Adam,

It looks like you devised something like what I was describing.  If you can get your smaller plants closer to the light, it will be very helpful to them.

Good Growing!

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

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

QUESTION: Ok sorry for all the questions about light... I just want healthy plants! I realized that those fluorescent lights that I described had relatively low lumens, (just over 2000 each) which from my understanding is no where near what they actually need to be getting. Would a North facing window cut it? The window gets a lot of diffuse light that gets reflected off the surrounding bright white buildings and into the window, but they would never have direct sun, only diffuse light. I promise this is the last question!! Thank you for all the help with my plants!

Answer
Hi Adam,

If you combine the window light with your fluorescents, that can be a dynamite combination.  The north window by itself won't be enough.  I had a big beautiful north window in a previous house I lived in and had a large Nepenthes x deRoose's alata there and it never pitchered.  Mexican butterworts and Drosera adelae did alright, but most other cp are high light plants, and need partial to full direct sun, especially in windows in a house.

Fluorescent lights can be very effective.  2000 lumens for a small light is fairly powerful.  I've grown some very nice Nepenthes under standard T-12 double 40 watt "shop-light" fixtures.  You have to get them close to the tubes, however.

Good Growing!

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