Hi mutant,

Thank you so much for your advice. I've posted some images of my pitcher plant on my blog (http://pokok.gejala.org/2007/mukaketupat/nepenthes/my-cry-for-help/)

I will leave it alone for now. And wait for a few more months. I was at the nursery yesterday and they had tons and tons of pitcher plants, and i was tempted to get one. But thought i want to save this one first or i'll just ended up killing both. :(

Here is a link that might be useful: images here!

Hello mukaketupat,

It is always much harder to tell what kind of Nepenthes it is if it does not have pitchers. The leaves look healthy.

The plant vitalizer you displayed might be alright to use, just use less and only on the leaves.

If you can, give it a little more light. That might help it make pitchers.

When a Nepenthes gets more light, it will start to develop some bronze color on it's leaves too. That is a sign that it it is receiving a lot of light and the plant will have a lot of energy to produce pitchers and fluid to drown insects.

Be patient and the plant will be fine.

Mutant hybrid...

thanks!

:)

Here is a link that might be useful: more about my other plants

the baby pitchers turn green. they start out brown.

Hydrus.

i usually neglect my pitcher plant during summertime and leave it outside in direct sunlight and grows well. Unfortunately its winter again and just sits on the windowsill with no food:(

hello I,m Pinky227! and I live in the United States and one of my daughters has gave me a pitcher plant it is growing but I,m alittle worried about the pitchers on it,bec. they are turning brown and I don,t know what to do if I should cut them off and where do I cut them off at or just leave them alone!I deal with alot of plants but this one has got me puzzled could someone plz. help me I really would appericate it and send it to my e-mail at carriethomas@windstream.net Thank you so much and may God bless you!

Can you post a picture of the plant? Are the pitchers in question older or newer leaves? I can't Email becaue I am at work, but I can send one tomorrow morning.

There is too much MISinformation regarding fertilizing of nepenthes. They can take full strength liquid fertilizers with regular watering schedules.
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Plants do need high light levels, good air circulation and ample watering. This combined with extra nutrients all add up to multiple pitchers on compact robust growing plants.
I've never experienced any kind of burns or decrease in plant growth because of "over" fertilizing my plants. They respond favorably to nutrients in the root zone.
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Why is everyone so "afraid" of fertilizing their nepenthes?
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You should be more afraid of fertilizing your African violets, or your Christmas Cacti. Nepenthes are hardy fool-proof plants. But they are HUNGRY plants. Hungrier than just bugs.
Regular fertilizing regime makes healthy happy well developed plants.
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Simple, because if you take 15 different "experts" each tell a different story about fertilizing them. I personally spray my foliage in the spring to help induce pitchers. IT WORKS, despite what some people say. Some people don't want to kill their plant(s) after being told NOT to add ferts. to the soil. The CP forums always have debates on this subject.

true tommyr, though you must admit; RainforestGuy's plants do look exceptionaly health (certainly healthier than mine!)

Yes, his plants look great. But, you must take into consideration soil type, amount of Sun, humidity,etc. All of that factors in as well. Some people never fertilize and their plants look great too. Experimenting is all fine and dandy, IF you remember that you may LOSE some plants in the process.

Well don't look at me, I'm not trying to fight RainforestGuy's fights; And I'm willing to try something new, because my plants all look terrible. *sigh*
I just have to be patient and wait. I'm also concerned for a little nep I rescued from Home Depot a few weeks back, it looks really scraggly, but I think I'll try what RainforestGuy said, and fertilize it, because it has Ideal conditions, all except for nutrients.

I have never lost a plant to fertilizing/overfertilizing. NEVER!!!!

When I first started growing and believing what the "experts" have told me to do, I have lost dozens of plants just by doing exactly what they told me to do.

Nepenthes grows with the same kinds of plants that when we fertilize, they all grow luxuriantly. Nepenthes grows with many orchids Paphs, phalalenopsis. bulbophyllums, aroids, hoyas, ferns, begonias, lycopodium, everything. yet when you fertilize any of these plants, they explode into growth.
Why is it that people feel that nepenthes will get injured when fertilizing them? Doesn't make any sense. So fertilize the roots of nepenthes and watch them grow!

Incidentally even if you foliar feed your plants, run off goes into the soils and gets into the root systems eventually, even in low dosages. But foliar feeding doesn't do anything for the plants because the nutrients in a general fertilizer must be broken down into usable nitrite units that can ONLY be digested by bacteria present in the soil. There's no bacteria present ON the leaves and none IN the plants, so the only way nutrient can be absorbed is by activity with bacteria IN THE ROOT zone.
I try not to wet the leaves or pitchers when fertilizing because the harmful salts can cause pitcher and leaf damage over time.
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Pitchers color better when they are fertilized by their root systems.
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I have had good results even when growing difficult species when they are fertilized regularly.
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Give it a try for a half year and see for yourself.
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Results are quick and when done regularly it's like magic!
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Doesn't everyone's nepenthes grow like weeds?
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Yeah tommorow morning I am gowing to fertilize my neps with some of the Shultz instant stuff, it sounds like that what they have been screaming for. (if they even have the energy to scream!)

I just fertilized them all, now I just have to wait.

Rainforestguy, I am totally sold. I had a pitcher years ago and it waned, eventually died. If I find another one, I'm doing what you said.
Thanks for the photos and the good read. Loved the whole thread.

Rainforestguy, I am totally sold. I had a pitcher years ago and it waned, eventually died. If I find another one, I'm doing what you said.
Thanks for the photos and the good read. Loved the whole thread.

hi
interesting read . can't imagine a problem in Malaysia
Aren't most of these native to that area ??
my wife bought one many years ago so I hung it in the shadehouse populated most by epiphytes which get regular foliar ferts so obviously some is getting on it also lol
Only problem has been GROWTH climbs over everything lol One problem tried to start some cuttings and all failed ?? thinking of growing some outdoors in my epiphyte garden had the original hanging in a Carombola for many years with no problem
Just think you need some time ?? Good luck gary

Gary,
Try spraying (or dipping so your sprayer doesn't clog) the cuttings with 'WiltPruf'...all except the root tip. It will seal in some moisture so the plant cutting doesn't transpire as much, and may aid in getting it to root. I haven't tried it with plant in question, but others as delicate, and it does help me out. Then root up in pot as you normally would.

Hi
Don't think I'd describe it as "delicate " more like "rampant " or obnoxious" lol. Was thinking of trying it scrambling up a palm tree but suspect it will really be "obnoxious " there lol
have to constantly prune it as it invades other pots and only half heartedly tried to root the cuttings. Didn't even use rooting hormone . thanks very much for the suggestion!!! gary

What type of fertilizer are you using for your Plants?
I am trying to grow my own carnivorous plants and am loving your pictures.
Any help would be appreciated, Thank you!

I fertilize my nepenthes as well.

As to not having pitchers, mine don't grow pitchers when the humidity is too low, they grow tons of beautiful pitchers when the humidity climbs over ~65%

I fertilize as well afer years of not and no pitcher production, as soon as I started fertilizing BOOM, pitchers!!! My problem is my 6 ft pitcher plant vine is starting to turn brown in different spots ( long before I started fertilizing) All of the leaves still look very healthy and new 1 and 2 foot vines have stared from the main staulk. I assume it just needs to be trimmed and restarted, but I dont know how to do that. My other plants, I would just trim and put it in water until it roots and then plant it.... but this is a pitcher plant... it is a large variety, leaves themselves are 10 inchs or so and pitches are between 4-6 inchs. Any suggestions ???

cut leaves on the cuttings to be about 1-3" long. Don't leave the pitchers on the cuttings.

To milquetoast: PLEASE NOTE: YOUR plant will NOT A FORM PITCHERS IF IT'S in THE BRIGHT SUN. It requires FILTERED LIGHT- ALSO, DO NOT FILL THE PITCHERS WITH WATER!. THEY PRODUCE THEIR OWN Sticky substance and water is NOT necessary. If NECESSARY, IN THE WINTER WHEN BUGS ARE FEW, YOU MAY FEED RECONSTITUTED BLOOD WORMS. LASTLY --. DO NOT FERTILIZE YOUR PITCHER PLANT!!!

Many articles say not to fertilize, but I have found that fertilizer does help! I use a fertilzer that has bat guano. Not a miracle grow type. Some species require more light or more humidity. I have never direct sunlight, they are in windows, but not direct, always been shaded. Once they do have pictures i do feed bugs. If the green in the tips are drying could be a water issue, fertilizer or to hot (sun)

To induce pitchering in the spring LIGHTLY spray a 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer on the leaves every 2 weeks. Just a LIGHT spraying is all that's needed.

Great thread! I'm learning from reading all this. My plant lost her pitchers a few years back (I learned the hard way with light, humidity and distilled water) but she seemed to do okay with long stems full of leaves. It's finally growing new shoots and 7 pitchers!! One is already the size of my thumb others are still tiny. I just want to know if I have to cut the long stems with foliage that are not giving pitchers. They are nice to look at and add lots of green to my bathroom but maybe the plant is wasting energy with them and I should trim them so that the pitchers can grow?

You can cut them of leave them. I never cut them as they do no harm.

Good to know! I almost gave it a buzz cut this morning!!! It looks so good in our bathroom (almost like a spider plant) but as I see the little pitchers growing, I wondered if the stems were not wasting the plant's energy to grow more. I often see pictures of pitcher plants with very few stem (only stems are the ones with pitchers attached) so I thought maybe this was the secret. I was ready to cut 3 off which would have broken the spell of the room. If it doesn't bother my plant I will let it be! :) Can you tell me which fertilizer you use? You mentioned a fertilizer with bat guano? You have a Source? A link? I don't trust the ones in store here (limited options).