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Carnivorous Plants/nepenthes x miranda

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Expert: - 6/30/2011


Question
HI again christopher littrell i just got a nepenthes x miranda it is a monster but i just want to say i live in san francisco and the weather is about 65 to 70 H and and night is 60 to 54 L so do you thing i should grow it outside or inside i bring it in at night and then put it out in the morning for sun you think  if i keep doing that it will be allright thank christopher

Answer
Hello Robert,

Moving plants around is a bad idea. They grow roots to remain in one place, so moving them often means changing humidity or temperature levels drastically. Such changes constantly occurring can cause Nepenthes to stop pitchering for months. Decide where you will place the plant for a long period of time and leave it there.

Nepenthes miranda tends to prefer warmer consistant temperatures and can be kept inside in a very bright window and/or under strong florescent lights. I have my Nepenthes sanguinea and Nepenthes truncata inside in 75-80 (they could be kept in slightly cooler temperatures of around 65-70 degrees too) degree temperatures and 50 percent humidity under 18000 lumens of florescent cool white lights. That would be three of the twin mount shop lights, 6 of the 40 watt tubes. The plants are about 6-8 inches from the lights. Nepenthes miranda would grow well under that setup too.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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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.

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