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Reviving a Struggling Nepenthes ventricosa: Reduce Light and Maintain Moisture

Question

Poor looking N. Ventri I bought this young plant in a 3in pot from you guys back in January and it doesn't seem to be doing quite as well as it might of when I first received it. When I got it it looked great with a nice sized pitcher. Since then the leaves died back, the pitcher died, and the growth has been tremendously slow. Just now as light has crept up ( It's getting 4 hours of filtered sunlight ) it started producing a pitcher. However from the picture you can see that's it's attempting to produce other pitchers but they are deformed and the leaves are dwarfed. What can I do to get this plant growing as vigorous as it was when I first got it?

On another note, is it safe to place this plant and my N. Miranda outside in full sun along with my VFTs and pitcher plants? Or should I choose a shaded spot under a tree or bush? How many hours of direct sunlight do you recommend for Nepenthes?

Thanks!

Answer

In this case, move your plant to a location where it would get only about 2 hours of direct sunlight and very bright indirect light during the rest of the day. When the lighting is strong, the plant will produce few and smaller leaves. Also keep the soil moist at all times. Never allow it to dry out.

Without knowing where you live, I can't really give you specific recommendations about outdoor lighting for your Miranda. When the weather is appropriate and you're past the danger of frost, grow your plant under a tree where it'll get bright sunlight in the morning and afternoon.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

Carnivorous Plants: When to Transplant Cotoneaster: Best Timing and Tips for Success; Nepenthes ventricosa: Patience Over Fertilizer for New Plants; Venus Flytrap Dormancy in Tropical Climates; Venus Flytrap Recovery After Neglect: Skip Dormancy, Grow on Windowsill; Managing a Rampant Nepenthes ventricosa Hybrid: Prune, Propagate, and Accept the Vine; Nepenthes ventricosa x talangensis Not Pitchering Next to Thriving truncata; Nepenthes ventricosa Leaf Mottling: Thrips, Not Flower Removal; Nepenthes ventricosa Root Rot from Dense Soil Mix; Nepenthes stenophylla Leaf Yellowing: Too Much Sun, Acclimation Needed; When to Plant: A Seasonal Guide for Annuals, Perennials, Trees, and Bulbs

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