When one does not brace one's plants for winter...

[fdfederation]

Outdoor nighttime temperatures have been around 29 deg F these past few days and I forgot to bring N. x ventrata indoors. The growth tips have shriveled

P.S. The other Nepenthes have been kept indoors year round.

 

[swords]

Looks like the rest of the plant is pretty bad off too with all those dark spots.

 

[fdfederation]

The leaves have lost the healthy green color and firmness.

 

[theplantman]

Yeah, it'll only get worse and go downhill pretty quickly. The plant is very likely to turn black soon. I imagine it's going to be a total loss. Hate to say it.

 

[carbonetc]

How's the vine? If that stays green it may come back. But I'm sure all the leaves are toast.

 

[Nepenthesis]

It's horrible. My electric bill is probably going to be over $600 this month. My banana trees, even the cold hardy ones, and all of my hibiscus turned black after one frost.

Last year my ventricosa black cooled to 30F in the mailbox overnight. Even though insulated and covered by a box in a mailbox, its leaves turned black over the new few days. Eventually I just cut the vine back to the base. It made 2 basals. As long as the roots didn't *freeze* you should be able to cut it back and save it.

 

[pearldiver]

My problem is what to do when the choice is leave them in the garage in the 50 to 40F range, with threatened frost or sub 50 temps outside, or bring them inside for a +20F change or more and lower humidity. Better planning when outside temps were higher might have been the order of the day. Some are in the house some in the garage, will see how it goes over time.

 

[Nepenthesis]

My problem is what to do when the choice is leave them in the garage in the 50 to 40F range, with threatened frost or sub 50 temps outside, or bring them inside for a +20F change or more and lower humidity. Better planning when outside temps were higher might have been the order of the day. Some are in the house some in the garage, will see how it goes over time.

Temperature over humidity 10000000000%. Bring them inside and keep them there. Last year during December when I had a less powerful heater, I brought my entire collection in for 3-4 nights at a time. Immediately after they did open premature pitchers, but the plants themselves were fine. My garage gets down to the outside air temperature, so be really careful.

Think of it this way... Would you rather have a plant without pitchers for literally one or two leaves, or the chance of the cells in the plants' leaves dying, resulting in black/mushy-leafed dead Nepenthes?

 

[fdfederation]

Just an update

 

[cpbobby]

u lucky dog

 

[carbonetc]

Nice. Those ventratas are hard to replace, you know.

 

[Odysseus]

I sense sarcasm.

 

[fdfederation]

 

[SWAGnum]

I've had a N. ventricosa come back from the roots after a frost, so you never know.

 

[charlie]

he's alive very lucky

 

[BioZest]

As long as you keep an eye on that plant I think it will be fine growing back from the basal.

 

[Dexenthes]

Haha classic x ventrata...