Nepenthes loves fertilizers. And while they don't get fertilizers in the wild, I am not sure what plants in the wild does??? But this doesn't mean that they won't like it. I have fertilized my nepenthes for over ten years and they have grown wonders. I do admit that once your nepenthes becomes a giant, stop fertilizing altogether won't slow their growth. Orchids don't get fertilizers in the wild, yet does much better when fertilized in captivity. The same holds true with nepenthes. BTW nepenthes do get a form of liquid fertilizing every time a heavy rain storm dissolved minerals and the rain water itself through lightning releases and bonds nitrogen with rainwater truly fertilizing everything. Fertilizng encourages growth on every aspect of the nepenthes plant parts. N. alata grows much better with some fertilizers added as a liquid feed to the soil/roots. They tend to grow better when given regularly with plants copying their natural counterparts with lots of growth and pitchers

"1. Can I spray it each day, as I don't have a greenhouse or any hi-tech way of making humidity." Yes spraying helps but is not 100% needed, The plants do adapt to the new climate and I grew mine in Utah with no misting at all, they grew very well, yours will too, so mist if you want to but its not a must. "2. Does it need to be in a pot that drains, because the one it came in doesn't seem to have any holes in it." Plant needs to be well drained, plant HATES sitting in water, no water tray method with them, I suggest filling the water tray with Perlite and setting the pot on this. A quick easy soil mix for them is 2 parts PERLITE 1 part SPHAGNUM PEAT. "3. For watering, during winter I'll use rainwater, but the tap water at my house comes from a bore-well, so it's not chlorinated, it's from a groundwater table, will that be ok for use in summer if I can't get rainwater??" I'm using rainwater, but a small cheap R/O unit may be a good way to clean up that water, unless you want to create yourself a SOLAR DISTILLER as a project. (A nice cheap and effective R/O unit is the WATERMAKER MINI made by NIMBUS WATER, search for it online) "4. I intended to keep it in my room during winter, and maybe hang it out in summer, is that a bad idea? Will it need extra food when inside, or will it catch enough flies and spiders etc?" It needs no insects, only light and water, the insects are just extra minerals and nutreints, just like all plants it gets its sugars from PHOTOSYNTHESIS which is WATER+LIGHT=SUGARS, so it just needs bright indirect light (or filtered light such as full sun with shade cloth) A 20watt Compact Flouresent bulb (the energy savers ones, get COOL WHITE) are perfect as well. "I think that was all, I really want to keep it and I've read it's the easiest, so I'm hoping my inexperience won't kill it, but if there's any important advice I should have please tell me!" Remember this, Nepenthese are VERY VERY tough, and an Alata is one of the super tough ones together with VENTRICOSA, JUDITH FINN, SANGUINEA amoung other highlanders. This is what I do, I set it on the perlite filled watertray, water and let the drainige run into the tray. When the tray empties from evaporation, water again and keep going like this. If the new plant is not growing fast yet, WAIT, let it settle in, this may taka a month or two and you will then see some good fast growth. If you catch a bug you can pop it in a open pitcher that has liquid inside, remember that if you got the plant via the post, the pitchers will be empty. I always fill mine 2/3 full of distilled water, the plant will also drink from this to rehydrate itself. There is no need to do this with new pitchers though as the plant fills them up with liquid on its own. other than that you should be fine and your new little carnivorous terror should be growing soon. Good luck Sheldon

1. No, not every leaf will produce a pitcher in every plant. Some types pitcher from every leaf and some don't. Mine.. a N. sanguinea does, but I think it likes my setup. I think that yours is good about pitchering if it is not given too many environment changes, but don't worry if it does not pitcher from every leaf. 2. It really does not matter how you cut them off, but it might be a good idea to leave the entire pitcher until it is totally dried, then clip it off at the tendril. Usually the leaf stays alive for a while after the pitcher dies off, so is a good source of photosynthesis for the plant still. When the leaf finally dies, just clip it near the stalk and the rough brown callous will move up the vine as the plant gets longer. 3. I have mine 5-6 inches from leaf to light from two sets of 40 watt shop light flourescents (12000 lumens at about 800 footcandles), just make sure it actually gets light. The 16 hour photoperiod is what I have mine on now. So long as you see the plant getting hit by light from the window and compact flourescent brightly enough and for several good hours, I would say it will be alright, but I am not able to see the setup... In any event, if it still pitchers and produces leaves normally, and maintains its colors on its new pitchers, it is getting good light. If not, give it more. It will take it about 2-4 weeks to make a new leaf and pitcher from each vine, so just keep an eye on it and be patient. One thing, don't go over 16 hours of photoperiod for plants as they need down time like people. They make sugars during the day with light, carbon dioxide, and water, and then can't use those sugars until it is dark. Night time is when they repair and regrow and they don't do that unless it is dark from what my understanding is. Regards.

I'll second Taz's suggestion that newcomers should do a quick search to see if their questions have already been answered. Just recently we've had three threads titled "Nepenthes alata not pitchering!" The experienced members of the forum are probably tired of answering the same questions over and over. Do a little homework before you post, folks.