Question
I have a nep of some variety, saved it from Lowes.Had it for about 2 months now,doing great.Gets a few hours of morning sun followed by bright indirect light the rest of the day.Seems to be happy, lots of new pitchers.I noticed a leaf with a few rusty orange places. I would like to nip this problem in the bud, any ideas?

Answer
Hi Lisa,

Those imperfections you're seeing on the leaves are most likely rust spots, a type of fungal infection.  Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about it once it forms, nor is there much you can do to prevent them.  It's not anything serious.  Mostly it's a cosmetic issue than a health issue.  Nepenthes secretes lots of nectar on its pitchers, and sometimes on its leaves.  While the nectar attracts insects, it also attracts fungal spores, which later develop into those rust spots.  Once the rust spots occur, the tissue damage is permanent.

You can attempt to prevent further rust spots from developing by spraying your plant with Neem oil or a non-metallic fungicide (such as sulfur-based fungicides), but you will need to spray weekly.  However, this doesn't guarantee that the rust spots will never occur.  

Most growers, such as myself, don't worry about the rust spots and accept it as part of the plant's normal growth cycle.  Usually the spots appear on the lower or older leaves and rarely affects the newer growth.  So growers accept rust spots as part of the aging process as a leaf matures.

As you've said, you're seeing lots of new growth and new pitchers, so your plant is indeed healthy and thriving.  If you are concerned with the cosmetics of the plant, simply cut off the affected leaves.  Otherwise, don't worry about it.  It's part of the normal process as a leaf ages.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin