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Carnivorous Plants/taking cuttings

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Expert: - 4/26/2007


Question
Hi there! Ive been wondering if pitcher's, Nepenthes in particular can be propagated from cuttings? I have taken a cutting from a well established specimen, cut near the woody basal stems and placed in sphagnum moss, in a pot sitting in a dish of water. I live in a tropical climate with high humidity.

Answer
Hello Philip,

Nepenthes can be propagated from cuttings, however; each species is different and some take better from cuttings than others. There are many techniques to rooting cuttings. Some people have reported success from placing the cuttings in damp moss or in a vase of water. Other ways to increase the chances of roots forming are to remove a leaf or two down to the leaf heel, forming a depression, and burying that section of vine in soil, or to notch the section of vine you want to root with shallow gashes with a razor blade. Rooting hormone can increase the chances that these injuries to the vine take as roots.

Nepenthes grow rather slowly, so patience is key in waiting for rooting to occur as it could take months. One thing, you indicated that you had a dish of water under the pot. Nepenthes like their soil moist all the time, but dislike sitting in water constantly. Just water the plant twice a week like a houseplant and never let the soil dry out or become waterlogged, just always moist. A tray is not necessary, just let excess water drain out and then leave the pot in a dry tray until next watering.

Good luck with your cutting.

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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