Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 9/24/2011

Question
Hallo,
I recently bought a Nepenthes which was "dying". There where 3 Nepenthes in one very small pot. I dont know what kind of Nepenthes that is because it wasnt writen on the  pot, there are no cups and the one who sold it me didnt know. I transplanted them and i used sphagnum moss and perlite. Question: The problem is that i watered the plant before two days and the moss is still wet. Like it is not draining at all. Is that bad for the plant? (I hope its not to much perlite in there)
Thank you

Answer
Ideally you should use a ratio of 1 part dried sphagnum moss and 2 parts perlite (or small orchid bark).  This will give you proper drainage and aeration for your Nepenthes.  If you used less than 2 parts perlite, then you should repot your plant in the proper mixture.  This would give you better results in the long term.

As for watering, you should water again only when the top of the soil dries slightly.  Depending on your climate and temperatures, this could be anywhere from a couple days to a week.

For more information on growing Nepenthes, watch Volume 3 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin