Question
QUESTION: Help! My Miranda had been doing fine up until recently. The leaves are starting to brown and die. It started out as a patch of brown with darking brown circles, and its slowly consuming all the leaves and the plant has stopped growing. I repotted it last spring, and its watered twice a week. It gets SW sun plus fluorescent plant light. There is also a humidifier on at night.

what do I do? I have some soil I picked up from you guys last I placed an order lying around, do I repot it?

Last week- http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Caelyth/photo33.jpg

Today...help!!!-  http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Caelyth/photo34.jpg

Thank you!

ANSWER: Hi Katie,

Thank-you for the pictures.  That always helps.  How cold does it get in that room at night?  The browning looks like cold damage.  Also, has anything changed in how you are caring for it?  Tell me more about your regular care routine.  Also, what part of the country do you live in?  What kind of humidifier are you using?  Does the vapor spray hit the plant directly?  You also mentioned that this is a southwest facing window.  How hot does it get there when the sun is out?  

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm in NYC. The room doesn't get really cold....high 60s at coldest. The window has plastic over it to keep the draft out, though it does get a bit chilly by the window. The humidifer (holmes brand cheapo one) isn't on top of the plants, its a few ft away. And the miranda is back a little ways from the window though now that you mention it, the miranda and a ventricosa are both closest to the window. Its care routine consists of watering twice a week, and occasional misting. There is a 40w fluor light about a foot from it, and a 100w fluor about 3 feet from it, but its not directly under either of them. Should try moving it back from the window? Think I can salvage it? I've gotten all my nepenthes from you guys, and I follow your care advice religiously. This is the first one I've been in danger of losing :(



Thanks!

Answer
Hi Katie,

I must admit I 'm a little baffled by this one.  I've studied your photos extensively, and it appears the root system has collapsed.  The onset of the leaf discoloration has been rapid, so that usually indicates the roots are not working.  The usual cause for this is over-watering and root-rot, but it doesn't look like your plant has been overwatered.   The only other thing I can think of is if some damage occurred that severed much of the root system.  I'm not sure if you can salvage it or not.

The thing to do is to gently unpot it and see if the roots look bad, or if their is a foul odor in the soil.  You can cut the remaining leaves off leaving just he growing crown.  Cut about 3 leaf nodes below the crown, dip in a rooting hormone, and place it in a pot of damp, long-fiber sphagnum moss.  Cover it with a plastic bag or cup to hold in humidity.  Place the pot in a bright, but sunless area.  Keep it warm.  In about two months you'll see new growth and rooting if it's going to make it.  Otherwise it will brown and die, which it would do anyway without the drastic treatment.  Let us know how it goes.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com