Hello Nycti,

First off, lets tackle the Nepenthes problem. Good job on acclimating the plants to low humidity. The Nepenthes can be removed from the water tray completely (even though it is not sitting in the water, it might still be absorbing or holding too much water close to the roots). Just keep it watered once every 2-4 days like a houseplant and mist it well once or twice a day. Water trays and overwatering tend to induce root rot in Nepenthes. The light level sounds fine so long as it is florecent light, not incandescent, so I am thinking that it is watering. If the plant is dying from the top down, it is experiencing root rot from overwatering. What type of media is it in? You said moss? If it is in long fiber sphagnum with no other drainage, it could be holding too much water. Nepenthes mixes usually have 1/3 sphagnum peat moss, 1/3 coconut husk, and 1/3 orchid bark. There are other mixes you could use, but the main thing is to ensure maximum drainage and acidic soil. Just put a dry tray or towel under the pot to sop up runoff and remove the excess water a couple hours after watering. A larger pot will help too as it will keep the roots above any excess water.

As soon as you get the VFT acclimated to low humidity, start acclimating it to higher light levels as it will not last long under 6000 lumens. None ot those plants really need an aquarium for humidity as they can all adapt to low humidity in a house with central air just like this one I purchased 7 months ago and is under 12000 lumens of light 5 inches from leaves (no terrarium or dome misted once in morning):

{{gwi:557521}}

The VFT will need at least 12000 lumens, better 2-3 times that amount, to grow decently. VFT enjoy the lower 1/4 of their pot in water, the Nepenthes and Pinguicula both do with less water overall and good drainage. The VFT really is an outside plant, so if you can adapt it slowly each week to higher intensity light and finally get it outside, it will grow leaves resistant to UV light and florish. Just make sure the temperatures there do not go over 100 degrees for too long as that is the real killer for VFT. The Butterwort will do well under the florescent lights as will the Nepenthes (if you can nurse it back to health).

Hi Mutant Hybrid,

Thank you for your quick response. I have read a lot of your posts here on the forum, they have been both helpful and interesting.

I have removed the tray of water and the pebbles from the dish under the Nepenthes. Yes, as you said the pebbles were holding some water I could not see. I have raised the pot slightly to let the air get to the bottom of the pot for a day, hope that is the right thing to do. Should I also do this with the Butterwort?

The lighting is flourscent. The growing media that all are still in including the Nepenthes is the media it was shipped in. The label on the plants say they came from Gublers in Landers, CA. I googled their website, got the phone number and called to ask about hybrid type of the Nepenthes (I am guessing from pictures ventricosa or ventricosa x) and what the media was that they ship them in. They knew neither. I asked if it was all sphagnum moss, they didnt know that either. Without disturbing the plants to much I tried to check to see if there was some kind of soil mix below the moss, I can't find any. That concerns me. I have ordered and received the soil mix for Nepenthes from Sarracenia. When its ready to repot how large a pot would you suggest?

Thank you for the suggestions on the VFT. I have another shoplight of 6400 to put up as the VFT acclimates. I am assuming that when the tube light package holding the lights says 3200 lumen it means per tube. That will put the light up to 12800. We get awful hot here in the AZ desert, I was told to treat the plants in the reverse of, say, a state like Maine. There they bring in in the winter and put out for the summer, vice-a-versa here. Once I get a couple of VFTs going I will try leaving them out for the summer, perhaps next year. You mentioned the VFT like their pots in low level water. This one is still in the moss from Gublers, should I go ahead and leave the pot in water now or wait until I have repotted with a media made for the VFT which I also ordered at the same time as the other types of media for the Nepenthes and Butterwort. My repotting of all plants is held up right now as the plants acclimate and still have the domes partially on.

So, my worry about drafts from an central air or a swamp cooler is not necessary? I will work on getting the plants out of the aquarium set. I also do not have any windows that really get any sun for plants. Either have porches over windows or old grow shade trees.

Thank you again,
Nycti

Mutant,

Oh! Yes it is the tip of the leaf of the Nepenthes that is turning black, not near the stalk.

That is a beautiful Nepenthes of yours, is that under 12000 lemuns to?

TY,
Nycti

Hello Nycti,

Thanks for the compliment on the plant, it (and all of my others) was from Sarracenia Northwest too. It is under 12000 lumen light. The VFT I have is just an inch away from the light and right in the center of the light fixtures so it gets maximum light from both sides. When I get a window set up I will place all my plants there with the extra light from the florescents for the North American species... and eventually move them outside when possible.

The Butterwort would like similar conditions to the Nepenthes in watering, they root rot quite easily too when overwatered. Just keep their soil moist the same as the Nepenthes, water them both about twice a week and remove runoff water. The VFT like being in a tray of water, just not too high. About like what a sundew gets... a 3 inch pot should be in about 1/2 inch of water. The problem is when the water level gets over 1/4 to half way up the pot as the VFT roots really like some air.. they just like the very tips of their roots near water. If you upgrade the pot to a 5 inch, just leave an inch of water in the tray and top it up when it gets low, top water the plant to allow draining water to wash its roots and draw air down into the soil, they like that.

When your able, about 5 inch pots would be good for most of your plants to give them growing room, though, as you can see, I should have upgraded the Nepenthes sanguinea to a 8-10 inch wide pot sooner as all its lower pitchers have no support.

Each tube in the fixture will be 3200 as the package says, so four would be 12000 or more like mine. If possible, place the light near the brightest window you have and put the VFT right in the window as close as you can and only a few inches from the lights, but far enough away to get sunlight from the window. It will thank you for as much light as you can provide. VFT and Sarracenias all need about the same light as garden plants, full sun, which supplies them with well over twice to three times the light those twin shop lights could give them. 12000 lumens is really a bare minimum for just surviving for VFT and they might not even get enough energy to overwinter with that. They tend to slowly degrade in most indoor setups. At least with mine I got seedlings going, so if the adult does not make it until I get a better setup, I will at least have my young ones to tend to.

Nepenthes can be rather difficult when you first get them in a new environment. Give the plant what it needs and give it time and it will adapt. Just keep adapting it for low humidity and keep giving it all the florescent light you can (12000 lumens). Nepenthes ventricosa can adapt to high light levels but prefer partial light like under a slightly shaded tree. Florescent light will have little of the potential for leaf burn, so just hit it with all those lights you can.

It sounds like the pitchers are dying on you if it is just the tendril tip dying off and the pitcher browning. That is a combination of low humidity changes too quicky, low light, and possible temperature differences. If the temperature indoors is consistent, at what we humans like at about 70-80 degrees, the plant should be fine in that. That leaves humidity and light. They can adapt to low humidity fine, but if you are adapting the plant slowly, raising the dome a fraction of an inch every 3 days, it should not be experiencing such a humidity shock as that, particularly in an aquarium. The yellowing is often brought on by too much light, but that cant be right with only 6000 lumens. N. sanguinea and N. ventricosa both prefer similar conditions and mine is under 12000 lumens and doing great with only some reddening on its leaves due to high light. Yellowing occurs on its bottom most leaves just before they begin dying of old age. If all of the leaves on your plant are yellowing, it leaves me puzzled as to why unless something else in the environment is affecting it.

So far as central air, just place the plants where the air is not directly hitting them. Mine are in a small apartment in zone 9 Texas with central air keeping the apartment at about 77 degrees. What air they get does not affect them as long as they are across the room from vents.

Good Afternoon,

Thank you so much Mutant for all your advice. I wish you luck with your seedlings and hope your adults make it through the winter.

The Nepenthes seems to be doing much better or at least is trying to. It was only the one leaf that yellowed and tip of that leaf blackened a bit. The rest of the leaves lightened in color slightly but seem to be stable now. The one and only pitcher it came with still looks good. And! One new unopened leaf it came with is starting slowly to open. To me, this is a good sign and is all thanks to you.

I would like to repot them all in time after acclimation. You mentioned 5" pots, then that is what I shall use. I have a question about the repotting. These plants are in a media of nothing but moss, don't know what kind for sure. Should I wash off the moss with distilled water and repot in the appropriate soil or plant the whole moss and roots just as it comes out of the 3" pot into soil in the larger pot? I am concerned about the moss holding to much water or causing root rot.

Has a happier Nepenthes,
Nycti

Hi Nycti,

No, it is not my advice at all, just the natural growth pattern of a Nepenthes showing us how resiliant these plants can really be in difficult situations. Once it gets acclimated you will have a hard time killing it.

The moss they are in is long fiber sphagnum which is fine due to it's acidity, but holds a lot of water. It would be ok so long as you do not add too much water at one time. You could just replace the long fiber moss with the new media and just place the long fiber stuff on top as dressing to keep water in.. it would work well in that regards. Venus Flytraps actually grow in long fiber moss in the wild, but the way the environment is set up where it lives, it always has water available, but not waterlogging its roots. You can just remove some of the moss as you wish from the Nepenthes and repot the plant in new media, the Flytrap you can just repot without root disturbance moss and all.

Now watch for the tendril tip on the new leaf to show signs of swelling. It will begin to look like a tiny pitcher in a few days or a week if it feels good enough to make a new pitcher. If it does, your plant is in great health and likes it's new home. With good light, adequate humidity adaptation, and good nutrition (insects to eat every couple of weeks) it might even make new pitchers from every leaf like mine does.

Have fun watching your plants grow.