New pitcher plant owner with question

[DeadSirius]

Brand new guy here, with my first pitcher plant. Got 2 questions.

Because of the length of the traps, I can't tell if there is any fluid in them, and if so, how high it is. If a bug is too big and gets stuck in the stem above the fluid level, does the plant ever draw nutrients from it?

I water it with the tray method, as well as misting it. Do these methods prevent the traps from accumulating a fluid supply?

 

[SashaM24]

what kind of pitcher plant is it?

 

[xvart]

Woah - I thought this was the Nepenthes forum! Disregard.

xvart.

 

[ilbasso]

Water tray is PERFECT! Misting is not really going to do anything.

Fluid forms in most sarracenias (North American Pitcher Plants). The one that it doesn't will collect rain water (you do have this outside, yes?) or the purified water that you use on it.

Unless you did something drastic to drain the fluid, it is in there.

When the pitcher fills up with bugs, the stack of carnage will eventually rise higher than the fluid level so bugs are often left "dry". If it has something lodged in its throat, you can't really do anything about it. It should be fine.

 

[upper]

my pitcher is about 5" tall it has bug up till about 1". and the top bug is dried.

 

[Alexis]

This is the type of pitcher plant which needs water in the pitchers: http://www.cpforums.org/gallery/d/14148-2/Sarracenia_Purpurea_ssp_Venosa_2.jpg

All the others produce their own fluid, but only in small amounts. You won't be able to see any liquid from above.

 

[obregon562]

You sound like your dsoing everything very good-just make sure the water is pure (either use reverse osmosis or a distilled water source) and the sun is bright. If you do that it should thrive!

 

[DeadSirius]

Sorry that I was too vague.

It's a sarr, about 9" tall. It's growing outside on my balcony here in Los Angeles (which residents know means, no rainwater). I'm feeding it distilled water through a tray. I mist it just to keep it moist, and I'm not putting anything directly into the traps.

When it was shipped to me, the tallest trap seemed to have grown about an inch in transit. But since there was a lid in the way, it developed a slight bend. After I potted it, it started growing staight up again. So it has two bends in it near the top, one outward, and the other upward. The bugs are getting lodged in there, and I can't imagine that the plant is gaining anything from them. In another trap, I see that a largish bug was only able to crawl halfway down.

This morning, I was bummed to see that the plant had tipped over (probably wind), and I don't know if that means it dumped out all its fluids. If it loses it, does it reload?

So that's why I'm wondering, if the bugs don't reach the fluid, is the trap basically hosed?

 

[Capensis]

It should generate more fluid. Btw, don't say the name of a nursery.

 

[joossa]

I always fill all my Sarracenia pitchers with water. I usually get them up to 2/3 filled with water, even the trumpet pitchers (which are supposed to make their own fluid).

 

[Not a Number]

If you really have to obsess about the fluid levels take a bright flashlight and shine the light through the side of the pitcher. I found that pitchers without prey in them typically have fluid levels of about 1/3 to 1/2 of the length of the pitcher. Near the coast the RH is generally between 30-60%.

By the time the pitcher starts to fill up with prey there's probably such a stew of rotting insects and commensal organisms that it doesn't need to fill to the brim with fluid.

They probably only fill about half way for a reason - the wind blows and a top heavy pitcher is more likely to flop over or break when tossed around.