D.Californica

[nepenthes gracilis]

Hey everybody,I have seen mature Darlingtonia and the pitchers are fairly large! 2 and a half feet tall! I wish mine were that big! How can they get that big? Mine is mature and I get about 8 inch pitchers at the most. How do other's get them that big? Pot size? Planting media? Thanks! Nep.G.

 

[Dyflam]

What you do is make a custom scale that makes 8 inches equal 2 1/2 feet. Then take a nice pic and post it. Voila... 2.5 foot pitcher.











Sorry man... just kiddin.

 

[CP2k]

I think that a variety of factors contribute to the overall size and height of the plant. These include the soil, temperature, humidity and age.
The largest darlingtonias are likely the old ones grown with high humidity, low soil temperature and a nighttime temp. drop of around 30F.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Funny Dyflam funny

CP2k, when my greenhouse is up (after I go on vacation and come back here) Maby I will get nice sized pitchers in the greenhouse! My Cobra's get a nightime drop of about 45-50 F out on my porch with my still dormant S.Purpurea spp. Purpurea. So it gets plenty cold let me assure you that! But I have recently noticed increased growth after I have put it into cooler conditions.

 

[Pyro]

I have heard from a couple sources that a big factor is just leaving the plant alone as much as possible. The most dramatic example cited was a grower who grew a plant for 10 year in the same container and had pitchers almost 3' (!!) then he decided to re-pot to give it more room. Now he has an 10" tall plant in a 5 gallon pot

Pyro

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

I also heard that too. The smaller the pot a Darling tonia is in should make it have larger pitchers. I don;t know what it is but something or other does it.

 

[Parasuco]

Smaller pots mean they over heat, so wut if you plant them in a small pot, then put that pot into a big pot? the roots can come out the bottom of the holes and stuff, so it wont be too too cramped i guess...

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

That is what I heard or something like that. Wasn't too sure if it was the truth or not. Well, I'll just wait. They still are farily large and strong growers. I still have my large Neps to show off too!

 

[Statik2426]

I have also heard that cramped pots cause Darlingtonia to produce larger pitchers. But if you don't live in a cold climate smaller pots do overheat faster. I think a bigger pot with smaller traps is better than no plant at all!

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

That's it Stactic. It was cramped pots that cause Darlingtonia to produce larger pitchers is what I heard. Well mine is in a 10 inch pot that is 5 1/2 inches deep. It should be bog enough and it has been warm enough that I put it outside today in 45-50F weather but much warmer in the full sun which it was in. Well I like it adn I like more pitchers than big anyhow. But it can produce them at any time as it is fine with me!