FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi, got into bonsai November of 20 with a single juniper and now currently have 50 different trees, 25+ cuttings, 125+ desert roses that just hatched from seed, 3 drosera capensis, 6 drosera binata from seed and 3 nepanthes hybrids from predatory plants. Have 3 different growlights that keep my tropical bonsai growing vigorously year round and ATM have my carnivore plants under these.

The nepanthes are all enclosed to enhance humidity. Everything I've read keep them moist not wet and out of water so I have them on rock beds with water on the bottom and I'm spraying them 3-4x a day. I expected die back due to shipping from California to NYC my question is what does everyone usually do? A few started turning black at the top of the pitcher and it's going up the leaf. On droseras I'd usually clip them, do the same? The sun at my house isn't very good and I've never had an issue with light because I've supplemented with expensive grow lights and mylar to maximize light. Roughly how close should they be and how many hours a day? How often does everyone water? Mine came wrapped in sphagnum and I was told to wrap in sphagnum until it fit the pot. The pitchers are small and the tops haven't opened yet, just trying to get an idea of what to do and a timeline in my head. Uploaded some pics, any advice I'd appreciate. Received less than a week ago.

So first, before we do anything, what types of hybrids are they as this could help us know the requirements of these plants. To quickly answer the light and water question, most neps like indirect light & damp(RO, rain, and distilled just like any other CP), not soaked or standing in water. Die back is almost definitely shipping shock since you said you just got them right? Wait until the pitchers completely die(up to the tendril) then cut them.

Edited for the safety of your plants

Boiled water is usually NOT good for cps, because it still contains minerals. If anything, the mineral content may increase, due to water evaporating. However, Distilled water, is low in minerals, and good for CPs.

Yes, only water with RO, rain, or distilled water. Give them indirect light for 10-14 hours a day. Don't have them in standing water. Only top water when the soil is almost completely dry. Pitchers that aren't open are just growing pitchers. They may never open though due to shipping stress.

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:45 pm Boiled water is usually NOT good for cps, because it still contains minerals. If anything, the mineral content may increase, due to water evaporating. However, Distilled water, is low in minerals, and good for CPs.

What?!?! I must have a good ppm then because I’ve been using boiled tap for all my CP’s for forever. Thanks for the knowledge!

Camden M wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:31 pm So first, before we do anything, what types of hybrids are they as this could help us know the requirements of these plants. To quickly answer the light and water question, most neps like indirect light & damp(RO, rain, and distilled just like any other CP), not soaked or standing in water. Die back is almost definitely shipping shock since you said you just got them right? Wait until the pitchers completely die(up to the tendril) then cut them.

Edited for the safety of your plants

Knew I forgot something lol. One is "nepanthes lovely beast" and is Nepenthes [(lowii × veitchii) × boschiana] × (×briggsiana × ×trusmadiensis). The other is "nepanthes vivid machine" which is

Camden M wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:31 pm So first, before we do anything, what types of hybrids are they as this could help us know the requirements of these plants. To quickly answer the light and water question, most neps like indirect light & damp(RO, rain, and distilled just like any other CP), not soaked or standing in water. Die back is almost definitely shipping shock since you said you just got them right? Wait until the pitchers completely die(up to the tendril) then cut them.

Edited for the safety of your plants

Knew I forgot something lol. One is "nepanthes lovely beast" and is Nepenthes [(lowii × veitchii) × boschiana] × (×briggsiana × ×trusmadiensis). The other is "nepanthes vivid machine" which is Nepenthes (veitchii × platychila) "MT" × maxima "Tentena". The other green was a promotion that I can't seem to find the name of.

Sundews69 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:48 pm Yes, only water with RO, rain, or distilled water. Give them indirect light for 10-14 hours a day. Don't have them in standing water. Only top water when the soil is almost completely dry. Pitchers that aren't open are just growing pitchers. They may never open though due to shipping stress.

So dont have directly under grow lights?

The N. Lovely Beast is actually on MY list to buy’s! Beautiful hybrid, would probably grow in a wide range of conditions due to its hybrid complexity. Same conditions for the N. (veitchii × platychila) "MT" × maxima "Tentena" but for a different reason; all the parent plants are very adaptable as compared to some of the parents for the previous plant(N. Macrophyla). Lastly, with the mystery plant, I would experiment with it (although I wouldn’t expect it to be to finicky either).

Lighting:
Some neps. can tolerate a TREMENDOUS amount of light while other will just die if they get even just mediocre lighting. For your case, indirect sunlight would probably be your best bet and adjust to what your plants like the most.

Last thing I’ll say is to check out the a nepenthes section of this forum(I can see why you put it here, I was a bit confused at first too ) tropical-pitcher-plants.html
It has all sorts of good stuff for neps!