Watering pitchers?

[seedling]

I just ordered a Judith Finn and a Alata from a nursery up here in Ontario in the confirmation email the gentlemen stated the following:

"Thanks for your order, I'm sure you will enjoy the plants. I will empty the pitchers prior to shipping, be sure to refill them to about 15% capacity with pure water."

Now am I supposed to normally fill the pitchers with water? Or do they produce their own liquid?


thanks again for the help

 

[GEORGE-CP]

seedling normally the pitchers produce there own water in the pitcher. which is actually digestive fluid it produces. when you get them fill the pitchers up 1/4 full w/ water. this is so the pitchers don't dry out on you. after the new pitchers form they will produce there own fluid. so there is really nothing to worry about

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

As George said earlier, fill up all present pitcher on the palnt about halfway up as he palnt is most likely thristy and will use the water in the pitcher as a drink, after that new pitcher will form when ti get's adjusted and they will need no water in them, just bugs.

 

[swords]

I've been experimenting with this on a N. Ventrata and even though it's getting plenty of humidity in it's lowland tank, watering 2-3 times a week, etc. It still 'drinks from it's pitchers'. I noticed this when I started using a watering can with a rose to water the plant and the pitchers got water in them sometimes they went over 1/2 full but by the next watering they were back down to their normal level of about 1/6th full.
Since I only feed the newest opened pitchers (for fear of rotting the old ones) I only put water in the older pitchers and have noticed the pitchers will drink it over and over again, the older pitchers also seem to stay healthier longer if I keep them 1/2 full.
Is anyone else fooling around with pitcher waterlevels? I don't know what this may do to the plant in the long run (which is why I'm using a Ventrata for this trial) but I would be interetsed to hear from anyone else who's been experimenting with this.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

I think if the pitchers are filled with water they will re-orient themselves to the correct level regardless if the plant is thirsty or not.

 

[Parasuco]

Wut nursery was this? Thanks.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I agree the plants will correct the water level if it is higher than it wants, regardless of humidity, soil moisture etc. Also be careful not to add too much water as it dilutes the acid and food might digest more slowly or mold might be an issue. I think that 1/6th number you mention Swords is probably close to the level Nepenthes normally maintain... they really dont have have a huge amount of water in them if left to their own device. Perhaps it is a natural adaption to maintain the water at this level so that any rainfall can be reabsorbed. This would accomplish a couple things... Help absorb nutrients in the fluid along with the water and to keep the water level low enough so insects are less likely to escape.

Pitcher plants will arrive through the mail empty of water. SO adding water in this case is fine and will help the plant adjust to it's new home.
Tony

 

[GEORGE-CP]

sword that is something i noticed today when i was watering. i got a new plant in the mail a couple of days ago and of course the pitchers where dry. so i added water to it and today i noticed that the water level was lower than what i added to it.
i have noticed the more prey that is in the pitcher the higher the water level becomes. this one pitcher on another plant i was loading it up w/ any small thing that moved. tadpol,dragonfly,roach,moth & a small lizard.i think that was everything. when the pitcher finally dried up i cut it off to see if there was any thing left in it and there was nothing but, the water level never went over 1/4 of the way full

 

[Spectabilis73]

maybe, as a survival meathod, they "drink" the fluids in their pitchers when it's too dry.
That could be why ampularia (sp) doesn't have large lids. Maybe they don't have lids so they can collect water in the pitchers and "drink" it when they get too dry?

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Ampullaria grows in very wet areas so it is unlikely it catches the rainwater just for drinking but i do see your point of view. Ampullaria catches rainwater regardless of it is thristy or not though, afterall it needs water in the pitchers like a Purpurea to break down what falls into it.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Absolutely they will reabsorb any liquid in the pitcher if the plants dry out too much. Something that you should watch when acquiring new plants bareroot or after just repotting. Keeping water in the pitchers will help the plant as it establishes new roots. A healthy plant will also absorb pitcherfluid but only to regulate it, if there is too much.

Tony