Question
Hi!

I have 2 amazing, rather large, leggy nepenthes, I bought them around this time last year in Brooklyn from a place called "Crest Hardware".  They came in 6 inch pots and were probably about 10 inches circumferance. The store had had them hanging in a window, probably about 9 of them. I took home two and hung them in my big open bright living room. Each plant had 8-9 large reddish speckled pitchers 4 inches or more long, they lasted for about a month and then turned brown and I cut them off. I thought they were rather short lived but yet I have no idea how long they were already on the plant for. I tried to return to the store to ask their plant person- they are pretty good there, but not only was the person not there, all the other Nepenthes were gone too! I kinda wondered if the person thought they wouldn't sell if their pitchers browned so quickly like mine. Anyhow I took my Nepenthes down from their hanging baskets and put them on my mantel so I could water them more easily. One is a little more "feed me seymour" than the other but over the summer they went into full on leaf production, like I said they are VERY leggy. I am not super interested in taking cuttings, mostly because I am scared to, but I would like to stake them so they grow upwards and maybe repot them to a larger pot (the grayish pot i set the green plastic pot in is the one i am thinking) i was hoping that repotting them might help them get more minerals and hopefully make me some pitchers again? if so what should i repot them with?  I am not sure what species they are! Please help! I am so glad and thankful I found your site!

Answer
From your description, you plant is likely Nepenthes Miranda.  It's a very common hybrid in the nursery trade.  You can do an internet search for photos of this plant.  

It's very common for pitchers to drop or dry up when the plant changes environment. Many plants will drop their leaves when they go into new homes, and Nepenthes is no different.  However, rather than dropping leaves, they drop their pitchers.  It's a very normal and unavoidable process unless you happened to have very similar growing conditions as the greenhouse from which they came.  Just clip of dried pitchers as they occur.  

Given that your plant isn't producing pitchers, only leggy leaves, it's likely that you have a lighting issue.  Lack of adequate light is the most common cause for no pitchers and leggy growth.  This hybrid requires lots of sunlight, at least several hours of direct sun when growing indoors.  A south window when direct sun is best.  The leaves should have a bronze tinge.  If not, the lighting is inadequate.  

Also make sure the soil is moist at all times.  If the soil dries out, the plant won't produce pitchers.  

Repotting may or may not make a difference in pitcher development.  If the pot is proportionate to the size of the plant and water drains through freely, then the soil is likely fine.  You only need to worry about the soil if you notice unhealthy new growth.

So first correct the lighting issue and make sure the soil is moist.  We are also heading into the winter months, and it's absolutely normal for pitcher production to cease.  This happens to us at our nursery in Oregon.   You may or may not see any new pitchers until we get closer to the spring equinox.

For more information about growing Nepenthes, read our care sheet online.  I also recommend watching our monthly podcasts for examples of how plants look like throughout the year at our nursery.

http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets
http://www.cobraplant.com/videos

Good growing!
Jacob Farin