Nepenthes during winter

18 years ago

I presently have 3 Nepenthes plants, 1 of which is a rafflesiana, 1 ventricosa, and 1 that was labeled as an alata but it looks just like my ventricosa so maybe they both are ventrata or whichever. My question is how to make sure they stay healthy during the winter months. I try to keep them under a light but I guess it's not strong enough and I don't have any windows that get sunlight that I can hang them from. Usually I grow them outside during the spring and summer, but during the winter I have to bring them in. They are all kind of healthy, they constantly sprout leaves, but the pitchers never develop, they either die before they open or when they do open they only stay for about a week if that and then they start to blacken.

I thought about maybe getting a mini greenhouse with a grow light, and just placing them in my room somewhere, or on the porch. Would this work for keeping them healthy all year round, because during the summer and spring they go WILD but during the winter I can't seem to get them to grow very much. BTW do any of you know of a good tutorial or website that shows you how to build a DIY mini greenhouse, I think I have an idea of what I want out of PVC pipes but I would like to see what others have done.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I need to find something different for these guys. Thanks.

Jason

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

back2eight
18 years ago
Mine do the same thing, I have them in a window that gets plenty of sunlight. I think the problem with mine during the winter is that it is cold in the window. It hasn't really bothered me since I know their growth will pick back up in the spring. I know that doesn't answer your question...
akheadbanger
18 years ago
It is cooler in the window, and lower photo period, Try giving it a little bit more water and Fertalize them, it might help with the growth.

Cheers
Related Discussions
Potted Blueberry Plants Always Die During Winter
Q
Comments (30)
I had potted strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I am in zone 7. In late fall I brought them into an unheated but enclosed porch, which seems to remain somewhere between 5-10 degrees above the outside temperatures. I wrapped all pots in bubble wrap and kept them against the house, and watered them lightly once a week on days when temps were above freezing to avoid the roots drying out. Everything looked OK until late winter when we had a deep cold snap and I covered the entire bunch with an old blackout curtain I had available, which served the additional benefit of keeping one of my cats from digging the soil, and kept it that way for probably a month or so until moving them back against the window side of the porch. When I was sure the last night of freezing temps had passed and I put them outside. Everything did well except the blueberry bush, which I'm pretty sure is dead. Looking for some resources, I did see that blueberries need some light, which surprised me since most outside bushes are advised to cover in mulch. I'm not sure but my conclusion is that blueberries do not do well in pots and if I want to try again, need to give them a chance in the ground. Or else i just focus on raspberries and strawberries.
...See More
We don't get snow during our winter....can I still Winter Sow?
Q
Comments (0)
Yes you can! Really! You don't need snow and ice or freezing temperatures to Winter Sow, you just need the season that's called Winter, and where you are Winter isn't a season that's long or bitterly cold, it's milder, and gentler....and you don't have to shovel out from a snowstorm like us Northerners! Lucky you! "What seeds can I sow?" You can sow almost any annual, and most certainly all biennials and perennials that are okay to grow in your warmer zone. Look for "sub-tropicals" when you search for seeds, you can even try a few tropical seeds too....but if you don't have confidence in sowing tropical seeds then hold back some seeds to start inside, compare the germination, and learn from your efforts. As your Winter is so very short I would suggest placing the seed flats outdoors where they'll get direct light only in the morning or afternoon, brilliant overhead sunlight at midday might be way too intense causing the air inside the flats to super-heat which could "cook" the seeds....bummer. For some info on a sowing technique you can try please read the Winter Sowing FAQ "Is there Spring and Summer Sowing?". Thanks, Trudi
...See More
Watering potted peach tree during winter
Q
Comments (20)
...and I've lost more plants to soaking wet winters than any other factor. :-) We regularly get shipments of that aforementioned Mountain Heather. It's beautiful. Gorgeous. It's not going to survive a month around here when winter hits because it's irregularly cold at best (we may hit ten, but only a few times), and when it snows, we get buried. There are no drying winds. The soil is soaked from now until April. You'd think retailers and the allegedly educated would take more care, but they just don't. It drives me nuts. Zone 6B/7A, sure. To get technical, it's nice to use vector sums, but if you aren't exposing the vectors used...they simply don't help out much (again, why pH is also a useless data point). Not to mention the fact that the simple lowest point isn't particularly a useful number...the actual average (and standard distribution) is very, very significant in terms of what's going to make it through the winter happily. Sorry, this is really wandering way OT from watering a peach tree, which is definitely in its proper zone and will be just fine.
...See More
Driveway concert raised during winter
Q
Comments (4)
The heaving is from just general water in the ground, not necessarily only from water getting in the gap. The asphalt saturated fiber board is a required expansion joint between the driveway concrete and house slab/foundation. If you want, you can cut it down with a utility knife to 1/2" below the surface and fill it with backer and sealant as mentioned above. HomeDepot Quikrete Self-Leveling-Sealant
...See More
kakozord
18 years ago
The simple and cheaper solution is to buy a bigger light bulb.

Mine (Ventrata, Sanguinea, Sibuyanensis along with sundews and untimely purchased VFTs) sit under a 45 Watt, compact flourescent lamp and grow very well, producing large and colourful pitchers all through the Winter. The humidity ranges from 40-70% and temp ranges from 63-72F but they don't seem to mind.

It would be a lot cheaper to buy a bigger lamp/bulb and the difference will be astonishing without the hassle of building a greenhouse.

Cheers

Kyle
petiolaris
18 years ago
Generally speaking, Neps come from where the seasonal differences are almost negligible, and certainly far less cyclical than that of America. Also, their temps are more like that of our summers than that of our winters. Basically, they need warm, moist, fairly lit environments. We may do well by them from spring through fall, but winter requires a bit of help - like artificial lighting and and warmer temps. I haven't been able to provide artifial lighting and mine, which are in a planter by a window sill, either stop or slow down pitcher production.
Bruce_in_ct
18 years ago
I just accept that most of my Neps will stop pitchering and will lose pitchers every winter. I have space for a few of my smallest Neps beneath the shoplight that's my orchids's winter home. Most of those hold their pitchers and grow new ones. But there's no simple way to provide more than window light for the big Neps. I prefer having more Neps living in mediocre winter conditions than to just have a few in excellent conditions.
petiolaris
18 years ago
That's neither herenorthere! Yeah, I do the same and basically put up with the winter blahs for a few months.
phiberxoptic
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks guys, I think I will just get some lights and hang them like shop light...How far underneath the lights do the plants have to be? Like no less than a foot right?
greenjay
18 years ago
I've been growing mine under a 400 watt metal halide lighting sysytem and have had excellent luck for the most part , but am still planning on putting a a small green house this summer. Plants are simply overtaking my poor houe! LOL Lots of Luck !
Bobby B
3 years ago
I was just thinking about a greenhouse myself today. I dont really have a need for a real big greenhouse though . I was considering using some plastic shelves that I bought from a hardware store and covering them with heavy clear plastic. Does anyone else think this might be a good idea . Just throwing it out there for an idea to make a cheap greenhouse with items that we already have laying around.

Nepenthes during winter

Comments (9)

back2eight

akheadbanger

Related Discussions

kakozord

petiolaris

Bruce_in_ct

petiolaris

phiberxoptic
Original Author

greenjay

Bobby B

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Nepenthes during winter

Comments (9)

Related Discussions

phiberxopticOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

phiberxoptic
Original Author