Hi, everyone. Longtime reader, first time poster. I have 4 nepenthes that I am growing on a windowsill in Denver. As those of you in the area know, this means low humidity and very strong sun. I know the best solution to all of my questions is probably to put them in a terrarium with lights, but I'd really like to try to make them work as houseplants. Dang it, if Elgecko can do it, so can I. Eventually I will get a whole house humidifier eventually, but for now, not so much. Right now the weather service says the humidity is 36%. On to the questions:
Background: these plants were originally in a smaller west-facing window, then I moved them to an east facing window in the winter hoping they would get more light. About a month ago I moved them to a large west-facing window again, where they get about 4 hours of direct morning sun, which is still fairly strong in Denver, and bright indirect light the rest of the day. I water them about every other day, enough so that the saucers get some water in them. The soil is long-fibered sphagnum, a little peat, perlite, and some orchid bark. The temperature is about 70 daytime and about 60-65 at night.
The first plant for your viewing pleasure is a ventricosa that I got from california carnivores winter/spring 2007. It has grown some, but the pitchers have never gotten as big as I would like, and it has started to look a bit like a palm tree, although the leaves have stopped falling off so fast since I moved to CO from OR last summer.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rrCLh7Nlah1a1jFB9gqvqw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuPEOZuBI/AAAAAAAAAk4/Sa2TM6qmydA/s800/DSC02321.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right"></a></td></tr></table>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bstPAr-qpRSGK4tyT_zwhQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuPI19W2I/AAAAAAAAAlA/3ZnMvVIUU-4/s800/DSC02322.JPG" /></a>
The next three were all purchased this last winter from *************. The original leaf size is visible in the pics, about 3 inches across. The leaves are all growing well, but pitchering on all but the sanguinea is less than ideal. The first pics are the sanguinea, which seems to be doing well, but there is a new pitcher forming that is not upright, but parallel to the ground (first picture).
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/p9medGOCPUYRjlK0XCqUcw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJ0Ws-2I/AAAAAAAAAkY/uhWgydlgc7s/s800/DSC02317.JPG" /></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ngmw-l7sJFjjx6182s2TqQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJd5c9eI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/89rqg_IDC5o/s800/DSC02316.JPG" /></a>
The rafflensia is doing alright, pitchering sporadically, and sometimes the pitchers stop mid-growth. The latest leaf is also a much lighter color, which may be from the direct sun these plants are now getting.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xjyww3e7-WXG0dgFjmikeg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJwi_ItI/AAAAAAAAAko/_Cps0995YbQ/s800/DSC02319.JPG" /></a>
The 'judith finn' is growing huge leaves (comparatively), but will NOT pitcher. It seems to want to start sometimes, but they never do much, and seem like they might be getting burnt or aren't getting enough humidity.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CyDLQ9qaf_L2XMsVAgIBDw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJ0HoauI/AAAAAAAAAkw/FHv6139Fx5U/s800/DSC02320.JPG" /></a>
I hope the pictures turn out okay, and I appreciate all help/suggestions. Thanks in advance!
adrian
Background: these plants were originally in a smaller west-facing window, then I moved them to an east facing window in the winter hoping they would get more light. About a month ago I moved them to a large west-facing window again, where they get about 4 hours of direct morning sun, which is still fairly strong in Denver, and bright indirect light the rest of the day. I water them about every other day, enough so that the saucers get some water in them. The soil is long-fibered sphagnum, a little peat, perlite, and some orchid bark. The temperature is about 70 daytime and about 60-65 at night.
The first plant for your viewing pleasure is a ventricosa that I got from california carnivores winter/spring 2007. It has grown some, but the pitchers have never gotten as big as I would like, and it has started to look a bit like a palm tree, although the leaves have stopped falling off so fast since I moved to CO from OR last summer.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rrCLh7Nlah1a1jFB9gqvqw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuPEOZuBI/AAAAAAAAAk4/Sa2TM6qmydA/s800/DSC02321.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right"></a></td></tr></table>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bstPAr-qpRSGK4tyT_zwhQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuPI19W2I/AAAAAAAAAlA/3ZnMvVIUU-4/s800/DSC02322.JPG" /></a>
The next three were all purchased this last winter from *************. The original leaf size is visible in the pics, about 3 inches across. The leaves are all growing well, but pitchering on all but the sanguinea is less than ideal. The first pics are the sanguinea, which seems to be doing well, but there is a new pitcher forming that is not upright, but parallel to the ground (first picture).
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/p9medGOCPUYRjlK0XCqUcw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJ0Ws-2I/AAAAAAAAAkY/uhWgydlgc7s/s800/DSC02317.JPG" /></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ngmw-l7sJFjjx6182s2TqQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJd5c9eI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/89rqg_IDC5o/s800/DSC02316.JPG" /></a>
The rafflensia is doing alright, pitchering sporadically, and sometimes the pitchers stop mid-growth. The latest leaf is also a much lighter color, which may be from the direct sun these plants are now getting.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xjyww3e7-WXG0dgFjmikeg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJwi_ItI/AAAAAAAAAko/_Cps0995YbQ/s800/DSC02319.JPG" /></a>
The 'judith finn' is growing huge leaves (comparatively), but will NOT pitcher. It seems to want to start sometimes, but they never do much, and seem like they might be getting burnt or aren't getting enough humidity.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CyDLQ9qaf_L2XMsVAgIBDw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/SZwuJ0HoauI/AAAAAAAAAkw/FHv6139Fx5U/s800/DSC02320.JPG" /></a>
I hope the pictures turn out okay, and I appreciate all help/suggestions. Thanks in advance!
adrian