TerraForums - Carnivorous Plant Community
Welcome to TerraForums — a long-running carnivorous plant community established in 2001. Register for free to join the conversation, ask questions, and connect with growers from around the world.
NASC Auction will open in...
Read the rules first :)
NASC auction is OPEN!!
How often do you water your neps?
- Thread starter JMurphy97
- Start date
Share this page
I try to keep Nepenthes moist, but not soggy. Growing conditions, including but not limited to, temperature, air movement, humidity, substrate, and size and type of container determine how often to water.
Guess I'm saying I water when they need it, based on observation.
Guess I'm saying I water when they need it, based on observation.
A pretty fool proof way of determining when to water is by weight of the potted plant by gently lifting it and setting it down. Water your plants and lift them up after they've drained. Notice their weight and every couple days lift them and see how they feel. If the pot is noticeably lighter in weight then you can water. If you're using longfibered sphagnum moss as a main soilmix ingredient a drying out pot will weigh almost nothing. I usually water once per week on my highland chamber and sometimes twice a week on my lowland chambers as the heat dries them up but some plants do not use water as much or like to go drier between waterings so it depends as much on species preference as well.
Watering should be done by completely flooding the pot and allowing the water to pour freely through the bottom. I use a 2 quart pitcher and flood each pot twice and allow it to flush. If I am doing fertilizing I will flush with the fertilizer water on the second flush. This sort of watering (as opposed to dribbling just enough to keep the soil moist) flushes accumulated nitrogeneous wastes and opens up possible anoxic conditions from around the roots and simulates the heavy rains of thier original habitats.
If your pots do not seem to be drying out as quickly as they originally did (getting lighter) this is a sign your potting mix is retaining too much water and/or the plant may be rootbound . Eithercase necessitates repotting into an all new soil mix (remove all the old soil that you can) to ensure health of the root system and plant.
Watering should be done by completely flooding the pot and allowing the water to pour freely through the bottom. I use a 2 quart pitcher and flood each pot twice and allow it to flush. If I am doing fertilizing I will flush with the fertilizer water on the second flush. This sort of watering (as opposed to dribbling just enough to keep the soil moist) flushes accumulated nitrogeneous wastes and opens up possible anoxic conditions from around the roots and simulates the heavy rains of thier original habitats.
If your pots do not seem to be drying out as quickly as they originally did (getting lighter) this is a sign your potting mix is retaining too much water and/or the plant may be rootbound . Eithercase necessitates repotting into an all new soil mix (remove all the old soil that you can) to ensure health of the root system and plant.
I usually top water and let a small amount of water drain into the plastic saucer beneath them. When that water is gone, I water again.
It probably ends up being around 3 to 4 times a week.
It probably ends up being around 3 to 4 times a week.
if you grow them in an enclosed area, i think you should do it less. i grow mine out doors and i water every day, or at least the ones that dont have trays. i flood them as well to prevent any fertilizer build-up and mineral build up. i think neps like water running through thir roots so over watering is ok i guess. sometimes i water once every two days but i often mist throughout the day...
I water mine at least once and preferably twice a week. Even that doesn't seem enough for the N. khasiana. Or else its thin leaves make water stress more noticeable. I should water more frequently mid-winter when the air is so dry, but I guess I'm lacking in ambition.