Question
Hi guys, I had a question about re-potting nepenthes.  Particularly when they have long stem that is bare about 3 inches from the soil to the next leaf.  I know it is normal for the leaves on nepenthes to eventually die off.  The tendency for me is to want to bury the bare stem below the soil the next time I repot, is there any problem with this?

Jeremiah

Answer
Hi Jeremiah,

You can do that if you're not hip on the aesthetics of a bare stem.  It won't hurt the plant to do that.  However, keep in mind that Nepethes are woody vines, so the bark on the lower parts of the stem is normal.  As the plant grows, it'll produce more of that bark, which means you'll have more to bury.

If you prefer a bushier plant, clip off the growing tip (the first two leaves).  This will stimulate the plant to produce a shoot near the base in 2-3 months.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin