So let me understand what you are saying then. If you didn't "leave the pitchers alone,.." you'd be feeding them bugs? Is that it? Fertilizing the roots and feeding pitchers are as different things as absorbing vitamin D through your skin and swallowing a vitamin pill of Vitamin D. Now that I hope you understand the difference let me get back to my point about fertilizing the root zone (NOT the pitchers, not foliar feeding, not mind transcending fertilizer vibes mentally into your plant-these three points are as valid and worth about the same when it comes to fertilizing your plants other than through the roots). You must fertilize when the plants are actively growing and can utilize sunlight, warmth, being outside and the other elements that surrounds it. Just because your pitchers are full of bugs means actually nothing, as these work differently as far as nutrient absorption goes in nepenthes. If we gave each mode of nutrient absorption a purpose, it would be like; insect food in the pitchers would make the pitchers more colorful and attractive to bugs, while nutrients through the roots would make bigger and more profuse traps and plant growth. Does this make sense? This is the difference between having a small weak plant with beautiful pitchers and a plant that is growing robustly AND making beautiful pitchers. Fertilizing has its own merits and has nothing to do with whether a plant has bugs in its pitchers or not. Apples and oranges. This is my point.

Hi Ewright, The link below shows the progress of 6 cuttings I started in water last October. Of the six cuttings I have since lost 2...devastating but I'll survive. :-) The other 4 seem very strong and I'm keeping an eagle-eye on them. Hpoefully they won't die too. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting figs in water

Hi like your thinking lol. I find great pleasure in experimenting with cuttings and different culture media. Since I live in the "hothouse" lol it's mostly tropicals. Water,horse manure,various types of rocks, clay, sand scintered glass. Anything but "potting soil " lol have a Ficus benjamina that has been growing in a bucket of water since 1982. They keep telling me it's going to die lol Have never got intense enough for tissue culture,cloning, Would be fascinating though!! gary

Keep going at it. Some plants root easier than others. Some plants it even depends on the time of year. I have tried to root holly with zero success. I have tried to root lavender, with maybe 10-20% success. You have the right idea in using a shotgun approach of a large amount of cuttings. Keep in mind that water enters a plant through the roots, and is transpired through the leaves. When you take a cutting, you have 0 roots but still plenty of transpiration. Increasing the humidity slows down transpiration, allowing the plant time to start growing roots. Covering the plants with clear containers traps the humidity, but you need to occasionally vent them. Some people also keep plants in large zip loc bags. I have never tried this method. You can also keep a water bottle handy and spritz the plants several times a day. Those who have built misting systems simply automate the spritzing so they don't have to do it manually. If your plants are in an enclosed area, you can leave shallow pans of water out to evaporate. Shallow pans evaporate and increase humidity more than taller containers with less exposed surface area. -hydropetunia