Second batch of pitchers in N. ?ventricosa

[Chimaera 5]

At risk of Nepenthes specialists rolling their eyes with this old question...

I have been given a "supermarket" Nepenthes, presumably ventricosa or a similar hybrid, that has already had the 'first batch' of pitchers removed before I got it, and is now growing fast (grown from 20 to nearly 50 cm in 4 months) but not forming pitchers. There are tendrils with a terminal 'club' on the leaves but these eventually shrivel rather than form pitchers. It appears to be 2 plants within a small l' hanging pot' and is in a west facing bathroom (alongside various orchids). Can I encourage pitcher growth or does it happen when the plant wants to? Should  I repot and divide it and move it to another room, or maybe move it to an unheated greenhouse for the summer once the weather gets warmer? Can I encourage each plant to branch rather than grow as a single stem?

Charlie

[Karsty 47]

I've got one of these, I've had it for nearly 2 years, It keeps growing but has only produced 2 pitchers, and they didn't last long. After a year it started to branch from the base by itself. I've got a couple of other hybrids which are much more generous with pitcher production, I'm just keeping this one watered, no feesding, on the understanding it will produce pitchers out of a need to be fed.

It's known as Ventrata, supposedly one of the easiest to grow. Yes it is, but it doesn't produce any *^&$%> pitchers!

[Chimaera 5]

Thanks a lot, it is a waiting game then...

[Karsty 47]

2 hours ago, Chimaera said:

Thanks a lot, it is a waiting game then...

Some people say they get loads of pitchers. I don't know why mine doesn't. You might just be lucky and get them soon!

[Tropicat 76]

N. ventrata is one of the first nepenthes i got, also from the gardeningcentre. When i brought it home it lost its first batch of pitchers. Often nepenthes need to get used to their new environment, esp when the growing conditions are different. Depending on the species of nepenthes this can take several months. 

The most important factor to growing nepenthes imo is the temperature drop between day and night. With a 10C difference, my nepenthes grow well even in lower humidity.

In summer humidity is between 45% and 80%. In winter its 55%-90%. Im not to precise about it. In this way i grow N. Louisa, N. sanguinea, N. hamata, N. rajah, N. sibuyanensis, N. spectabilis and N. ventrata succesfully in my windowsil. Do make sure they dont burn in direct sunlight. If it gets too hot, i shade them a bit. 

Edited April 24 by Tropicat

[Chimaera 5]

hanks, that is great. As these things go, 2 days after starting this thread I noticed one of the tendrils had thickened up and developed a 'felty' texture; it now has a 1cm proto-pitcher on the end and a second tendril seems to be doing the same. The other plant is getting very long though; is is worth cutting it back to encourage more base growth? It seems to quite like being in the bathroom; humid, west facing and with slightly textured window glass cutting the worst glare. maybe it was the threat of the greenhouse that made it buck up its ideas.

[Argo88 44]

In my experience, only with ventrata, is very useful to help plant producing pitchers to plant a stake to sustaine the plant in the pot (like with a tomato’s plant)... a lot of plants of garden centers are sold in hanging baskets without stakes, and the plants don’t make pitchers... another thing... my nepenthes x ventrata never made pitchers in winter... only when there are long days (hours of light) they make pitchers... to my friend that grows them with artificial lights and temperature control they make pitchers all around the year;-)

[Karsty 47]

22 hours ago, Tropicat said:

N. ventrata is one of the first nepenthes i got, also from the gardeningcentre. When i brought it home it lost its first batch of pitchers. Often nepenthes need to get used to their new environment, esp when the growing conditions are different. Depending on the species of nepenthes this can take several months. 

The most important factor to growing nepenthes imo is the temperature drop between day and night. With a 10C difference, my nepenthes grow well even in lower humidity.

In summer humidity is between 45% and 80%. In winter its 55%-90%. Im not to precise about it. In this way i grow N. Louisa, N. sanguinea, N. hamata, N. rajah, N. sibuyanensis, N. spectabilis and N. ventrata succesfully in my windowsil. Do make sure they dont burn in direct sunlight. If it gets too hot, i shade them a bit. 

Hey Tropicat , So you really have a 10C difference between day and night temperatures on your windowsill? That's a lot! I tried growing a Nepenthes rajah in my flat for the last 18 months, and it never seemed to get happy. I would often put it outside at night inside a fish tank terrarium. In the end I sold it on to visee who has a greenhouse with highland conditions.

Can you post photos of your rajah? I'm sure we would all be fascinated!

Karsty.

[Tropicat 76]

17 hours ago, Argo88 said:

In my experience, only with ventrata, is very useful to help plant producing pitchers to plant a stake to sustaine the plant in the pot (like with a tomato’s plant)... a lot of plants of garden centers are sold in hanging baskets without stakes, and the plants don’t make pitchers... another thing... my nepenthes x ventrata never made pitchers in winter... only when there are long days (hours of light) they make pitchers... to my friend that grows them with artificial lights and temperature control they make pitchers all around the year;-)

Good point. I used a grow light before but it broke. From that moment i noticed my ventrata only pitchers in the summer too. So light is important too for this one. 

 

1 hour ago, Karsty said:

Hey Tropicat , So you really have a 10C difference between day and night temperatures on your windowsill? That's a lot! I tried growing a Nepenthes rajah in my flat for the last 18 months, and it never seemed to get happy. I would often put it outside at night inside a fish tank terrarium. In the end I sold it on to visee who has a greenhouse with highland conditions.

Can you post photos of your rajah? I'm sure we would all be fascinated!

Karsty.

I open my window every night, so my night temp is 10-12 C and day temps about 20C. In the summer I have to be a bit more careful, puting my plants in the shade. We just had a hot week, so I put my N. Louisa outside (its over 1m high, i can't move it in the shade in my room that easy). Unfortunately i picked the wrong spot and the leaves got sunburn. It is recovering and starting to form pitchers to my surprise. N. ventrata and N. Louisa are my hybrids. I notice hybrids grow faster and form pitchers more easily.  

My N. hamata and N. rajah are still a bit small and unimpressive, but I will see if i can update some photos. I'll get back to that, maybe in a different topic

[Chimaera 5]

21 hours ago, Argo88 said:

In my experience, only with ventrata, is very useful to help plant producing pitchers to plant a stake to sustaine the plant in the pot (like with a tomato’s plant)... a lot of plants of garden centers are sold in hanging baskets without stakes, and the plants don’t make pitchers... another thing... my nepenthes x ventrata never made pitchers in winter... only when there are long days (hours of light) they make pitchers... to my friend that grows them with artificial lights and temperature control they make pitchers all around the year;-)

I'll repot and stake it then, thanks. It is the shorter, erect, stem that is forming pitchers, not the longer, drooping one

[Argo88 44]

2 hours ago, Chimaera said:

I'll repot and stake it then, thanks. It is the shorter, erect, stem that is forming pitchers, not the longer, drooping one

Yes, when they are small and erect they produce pitchers... if You stake the bigger and drooping one, it will produce pitchers too... good luck;-)

[Chimaera 5]

Thanks all