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Carnivorous Plants/N. ventricosa or N. sanguina

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Expert: - 6/14/2007


Question
I have a Nepenthes which I am fairly certain is either N. ventricosa or sanguina, but I am leaning more towards ventricosa. Right now it is growing in a terrarium, but it will soon be too large. I have read many care sheets saying I do not need a terrarium. My question is, should I move it into an open air pot? If I do, will the sudden drop in humidity hurt the plant? I am not sure if I need to slowly acclimate it, or how to care for it out of the terrarium. Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hello Andy,

Both of those species of Nepenthes are very adaptive and tolerant of regular household humidity and temperatures. You can slowly adapt it to open pot living quite easily. Just slowly remove the top of the terrarium over the course of several weeks by opening it about half an inch every 3 days until it is completely uncovered. Repot the plant in a pot that will give it's roots a bit of space to grow and mist it several times a day, then slowly (perhaps one less misting every 3 days) wean it off of the mist until you are misting it once a day. That should allow the plant time to develop resistance to lower humidity and it will keep it's pitchers and keep growing normally throughout.

Just treat it like a regular houseplant after that, giving it the same light and water it received that grew it so big to begin with.

Keep up the good work,

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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