Shrinking Pitcher Size

[Wire Man]

My N. ventrata's pitchers are getting smaller and smaller. The plant itself is growing at a tremendous rate, about 6 inches a month vertically, but it only produces one pitcher at a time (despite having 6 growing points) and they're tiny compared to previous ones. It is producing uppers now, about 1.5"-3" tall.

It's growing in a west facing windowsill with plenty of light, 60% humidity, and temperatures in the upper 70s. The growing medium stays moist. Any idea what's going on?

 

[ErrorEN]

I've read before that when conditions are ideal, a nepenthes will slow or stop pitcher production and act like a normal plant. (normal being a relative term.)

 

[Astarift]

Ideal has to be over fertilizing, probably convincing them that pitchers arent needed. Good light, good humidity usually helps with pitchering

 

[Exo]

I agree...this plant must ne getting an abundance of nutrients from sonewhere.....

 

[Dexenthes]

It could be like has been said, too much nutrients in your media. Or it could be that the extra growth points on the plants use up enough of your plant's energy to reduce the pitcher size.

The more growth points a plant has the less impressive each growth point will be. (typically)

Also, mites, or a pest of some kind can reduce the size of pitchers, especially when they are first starting to infest your plants you might not notice them visibly but the pitchers will get smaller. It happened to my jacquelineae before.

 

[Wire Man]

The two wasps it caught might explain this, and all of the other goodies in the larger traps. The algae in one of the pitchers must relate to this too. Should I try making a cutting of one or two of the basals?

 

[Dexenthes]

It's up to you! Though to be fair, I've never had reduced pitcher size because of the pitchers having caught prey items. I could be wrong, but I think trap production correlates more with the nutrients that are taken in by the roots or through foliage rather than through the traps. Taking in nutrients through the traps would only reaffirm the plant's need to create more traps (I speculate).

But yeah, take cuttings if you want more ventratas, or you can just let the plant grow out and eventually the younger growth points will create pitchers of larger sizes, and you'll have a massive bush.

Depends on what you want, and if that is truly the problem or not.

 

[Wire Man]

I've never root fertilized it before. There are about 8 leaves above the newest pitcher on the tallest vine. Some of the basals don't even have pitcher "nubs" at the end of the tendril. How do I check for these said parasites?

 

[gea8579]

What is it planted in? I've noticed on my neps that if the soil compacts too much the pitcher/leaf size begins to dwindle.

 

[Wire Man]

It's in pure peat, not compacted. I haven't repotted it since I got it in May because of its unruly size.

 

[Dexenthes]

Hmm... I've never grown Nepenthes in pure peat before, so maybe gea is on to something, but it's hard to say for sure.

If there were spider mites, the quickest way to find out would be to mist the whole plant and if you see the webs become visible, then bingo. Other wise, the bottom of the leaves would have barely visible little red buggers crawling around. Aphids are pretty obvious, other pests like scale and such are equally as visible.

 

[Wire Man]

That's how it came. I'm guessing the typical orchid bark and LFS medium is recommended? This thing will be a chore to repot. I haven't noticed any webs when misting it, but I'll double check when the afternoon sun hits the window. I'm very familiar with scale and mealybugs, none of which are present.

 

[Wire Man]

No spider mite webs. There are little dewy drops on the stem though.

Despite the tiny size of the new pitcher it is perfectly formed! The lid is almost peeled away from the peristome and there are two small red markings on the mouth. It's a nearly perfect hour glass shape!

 

[Dexenthes]

Take a picture? it might help diagnose the situation a little, or not, who knows.

 

[dashman]

Ventrata uppers are smaller than the lowers. They are similar in shape to the lowers but are smaller and less colorful. If the plant is vining and producing smaller pitchers, I think this is probably normal. Humidity really affects the pitcher size on xVentrata too I have noticed.

It should produce a basal or two eventually and go back to making larger lowers on the new growth over time.

 

[gea8579]

I can almost guarantee your media is the problem. Pure peat does not allow enough air to the roots. When I was having problems I was using 1:1:1 peat: perlite: orchid bark and I was still having problems. Either the media packs too tight to allow air to roots or the peat breaks down and becomes too acidic for the plants but my guess is lack of air to roots.

 

[ieatflys]

i have the same problem as well with my ventratas i have 3 one i have had for 4 years and has yet to put out some size-able pitchers but there are many things to take into mind.
1 the one you have is probably a deroose plant in one of those white hanging baskets ive got three haha anyway if is is one....
2. when you received the plant it probably had rilly big leaves (bigger than the ones you have now) this will allow the plant to produce larger pitchers the reason that the leaves were so big is because the plant was probably grown from a cutting or cuttings of a larger plant thus giving it biger leaves and bigger pitchers..... so thus when the plant grows new growth points the leaves are going to be smaller along with the pitchers.
3 upper pitchers are naturally smaller......
you can mess with the media it will help all the cuttings i have rooted off of my plants are rooted in 50 50 sand and ground sphag. with lfs along the bottom of the pot to keep it all in.\
hope this helps

 

[Wire Man]

The last upper pitcher was twice the size of this one. The basals have only produced one tiny pitcher each, seedling size.

Yeah, it's in a white hanging basket. I'm soaking a mic of orchid bark, perlite, and dried sphagnum currently. I've figured that since its not pitchering efficiently I might as well repot it.

 

[ieatflys]

yes repot it and give it good light i had the same probem just wanted more light i did keep the dirt tho....

 

[Wire Man]

It's getting plenty of light. And by plenty I mean the leaves have a very light color to them. I'm color deficient, so I can't really describe the color perfectly. It gets at least 6 hours of nearly full sun.