Question
N. Rafflesiana Youngli
Hey I've had my Nepenthes Rafflesiana for about 2 weeks and four days. I'm not sure if it's healthy. The incoming leaf is sort of browning edge of the leaf and at the tip where the new pitcher were to develop. I put it at a southern window I think one of the pitchers burned there, so I moved it to a western window... It started off red when I received it, now it's turning greenish being at the western window should I be concerned... I water it and make sure the soil is moist, I make sure it is well drained. What role does humidity take place in this plant?
AnswerHi Travis,
First, the photograph is very blurry so I'm not able to use it diagnose the situation. However, as with all lowland species, temperature plays a key role. This plant isn't fond of cold nights. Ideally the temperature should be above 70?all the time, day and night. If it experiences cool nights, it'll develop some leaf imperfections.
The plant will also develop red leaves in bright sunlight. As we head into fall and winter, a south window will be much sunnier than a west window. This species will tolerate quite a bit of sunlight. The "burned" pitcher may have likely been an acclimation issue to the change in environment. This is normal and unavoidable. So I'd say move the plant back to a south window. The plant is better off getting more light provided it's not a blazing hot window. While this species will tolerate lots of heat, young plants need a bit more protection.
The same goes for humidity. Adult plants will tolerate normal house humidity, but young plants need time to acclimate. In most situations, keeping the soil very moist is sufficient. But if you live in an area where the air is constantly dry (below 20% humidity) or use an air conditioner in your home, you may need to grow your plant in an enclosure until the plant matures a bit more.
For general information about growing Nepenthes, read our care sheet on our main website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
