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Shrinking ventricosa 'red'

I'm finding this really odd. Every leaf was getting smaller and smaller. I remember that someone posted a thread on how his/her nep grown in a tank (or I think growlights) was smaller than the nep that was grown outside. Here's what's happening. So far, every leaf it's made for me has a pitcher in the making.

SN851211.jpg


Now see how those leaves compare in size.

SN851213.jpg


SN851215.jpg


SN851212.jpg
 
It could be that you are giving it more light than wherever it was before. More light = less need for large green leaves to photosynthesize.

xvart.
 
so does it mean the plant is unhealthy or just a lot of light? can there be too much light?

lol just curious ^^
 
Oh, so it's a good thing? :D

Ps: Aw, Pk, why did you have to change Dino-Jesus?
 
Oh, so it's a good thing? :D

It's not a bad thing. Leaf size and light amount I suppose could be somehow proportional. More light = smaller leaves, less light = bigger leaves. Of course, there is an extreme on either side of the spectrum that is unhealthy, but you'll be able to tell long before then!

xvart.
 
For one thing, it's actually one of the countless N. ventrata forms, and you might want to transfer it into pure LFS for a while, and reduce the light intensity for a while, and it should be fine. - Rich
 
For one thing, it's actually one of the countless N. ventrata forms, and you might want to transfer it into pure LFS for a while, and reduce the light intensity for a while, and it should be fine. - Rich

Why? It's seems fine and I can't really reduce light intensity...
 
It's fine. Just monitor it if you are worried.

xvart.
 
  • #10
Based on experience with my rajah: Small leaves is NOT necessarily GOOD. In my case It is pointing out the change in conditions. The lighting has been the same, its only that i moved back to my house to my basement...so temps have gone down (max during day is 71F) and humidity is going down too much (sometimes to 40%). All this caused my rajah first of all to STALL for 1 month and then now its growing and the new leaf it made is once again like 1/3rd the size of the older leaves. However, the leaf itself seems pretty healthy which basically signifies that its just a change in conditions.

Capensis, wait out and see how the next leaf is. I have to do the same with my rajah. A single leaf being smaller when u change conditions is always normal.
 
  • #11
I agree with xvart. Its perfectly fine and normal for leaves to reduce in size with higher light. If the plant is pitchering and producing normail sized pitchers, then youre in good shape.
 
  • #12
Are there other reasons why a nep would produce smaller and smaller leaves? Some of my neps are doing that and I'm concerned. The leaves are getting smaller as well as the pitchers. The ones that are producing smaller leaves are grown outdoors.
 
  • #13
If the conditions are met and if the leaves are smaller....a bit thicker, glossier and the pitchers more colorful...its a good sign..that means conditions are perfect. A lot of light can make neps make small leaves with big pitchers that are actually bigger than the leaf size itself. However, in my case, small leaves in same conditions as before can be an indication of a change in conditions as well.
 
  • #14
Sometimes higher light will produce smaller leaves, like with veitchii, etc. Ludwig had some plants he put outside in full sun which actually made bigger leaves.

If your leaves are just getting smaller and are kind of flimsy/crappy looking, it could be due to too high temps if they're HLs, thrips, aphids, spider mites, and probably a couple other things I can't think of ATM.
 
  • #15
Sometimes higher light will produce smaller leaves, like with veitchii, etc. Ludwig had some plants he put outside in full sun which actually made bigger leaves.

If your leaves are just getting smaller and are kind of flimsy/crappy looking, it could be due to too high temps if they're HLs, thrips, aphids, spider mites, and probably a couple other things I can't think of ATM.

My Tank doesn't get very high temps anymore. The only possible way that it could be a bad sign is that it has fungus gnats from my primuliflora (which i doubt because I allow the pot to dry out a bit, but not too much). And yes, the leaves are glossy.
 
  • #16
My N.ventricosa started producing smaller leaves about a year ago. Since then, 4 things have happened:

1. The leaves continued to get smaller and smaller. They're only a couple of inches in length now.

2. It started flowering (twice in the last 12 months).

3. A rapidly growing basal shoot popped up, which is now producing fairly massive pitchers.

4. It started producing upper pitchers.

I can't say that any of these reasons are the cause for the smaller pitchers, but at least they may be things to look forward to.
 
  • #17
mine started making smaller leaves about 8 months ago, all that happened was a second node formed. Then the pitcher/leaf size want back to normal
 
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