There’s a few things you might want to double check if your nepenthes is not looking peppy:
How often are you watering?
Too much and it won’t like that, too little and it won’t like that either. Water when the medium starts to feel a little dry, like right before a sponge is dry.
Also double check the PPM of your water. Nepenthes can tolerate some salts, but above 50 PPM is generally not recommended.
Did you repot it recently?
Nepenthes especially don’t like their roots being disturbed. I have a plant that I repotted waaay more than I should’ve that’s still recovering a month or a little more later. Give it a month or two if you’ve reported it, and try giving it extra humidity as that helps the plant settle in when repotting.
How much light is it getting?
An east facing window is usually what’s recommended for nepenthes. Morning light followed by “dappled” light (like slightly shaded) is what most nepenthes like.
I use tap water but it’s from a well so It might be a bit overly mineral. I can try and deionize it.
No it’s still in the original pot I bought it
Only had it about 3 months. It was through winter though
Its winter or spring now. Sits in an alcove getting direct sunlight from about 8 until 1ish. It does get quite hot but over night it drops to freezing.
I use tap water but it’s from a well so It might be a bit overly mineral. I can try and deionize it.
Ah well I’d start with the first thing. Nepenthes aren’t bog plants, they don’t like sitting in water. They like they’re medium moist. So I’d dump the water out of the tray it’s in and only pour water in the try when the medium starts feeling like it’s about to dry out.
Nepenthes like being kept moist, not wet. Think of a moist sponge. They appreciate a well draining potting mix and dislike standing in water constantly. They should never be allowed to completely dry out. You can keep them in saucers of water indoors, but they must be allowed to evaporate in between waterings.
Nepenthes like to remain moist but not flooded. This is best accomplished by top watering them 2-3 times per week. The shallow tray method can be used when going out of town. Fill the tray with about 1” of water and then allow the tray to dry out for a couple days before refilling.
Just to give you info from some professional and reputable nepenthes growers!
Oops meant bog plants. Mine is a pitcher plant. Is that the same thing ? So I should let it dry out and then water it ? I haven’t watered it at all since I’ve had it. I just let it float on a body of water.
Bog plants are more like Sarracenia (American pitcher plants), some Drosera (sundews) and Dionaea muscipula (venus fly traps). They’re plants that like more wet soils and don’t want it to dry out, and, obviously, their native habitats are bogs.
Nepenthes, or tropical pitcher plants, are tropical plants. Some species grow on the sides of cliff faces or more in the mountains of tropical areas. They like wet air more than wet soil.
If your plant looks similar to this or this then yea then that’s an entirely different plant genus than nepenthes and it’ll do fine wetter conditions. I would still like the water in the tray get soaked up before filling it again, just make sure the medium doesn’t get dry.
Are you growing this indoors or outdoors?
Also, if it’s winter then keep in mind sarracenia are perennial, meaning they go dormant starting in the mid-late fall and all through winter.
There’s a few things you might want to double check if your nepenthes is not looking peppy:
Too much and it won’t like that, too little and it won’t like that either. Water when the medium starts to feel a little dry, like right before a sponge is dry.
Also double check the PPM of your water. Nepenthes can tolerate some salts, but above 50 PPM is generally not recommended.
Nepenthes especially don’t like their roots being disturbed. I have a plant that I repotted waaay more than I should’ve that’s still recovering a month or a little more later. Give it a month or two if you’ve reported it, and try giving it extra humidity as that helps the plant settle in when repotting.
An east facing window is usually what’s recommended for nepenthes. Morning light followed by “dappled” light (like slightly shaded) is what most nepenthes like.
It sits in water so it’s always wet.
I use tap water but it’s from a well so It might be a bit overly mineral. I can try and deionize it.
No it’s still in the original pot I bought it Only had it about 3 months. It was through winter though
Its winter or spring now. Sits in an alcove getting direct sunlight from about 8 until 1ish. It does get quite hot but over night it drops to freezing.
Ah well I’d start with the first thing. Nepenthes aren’t bog plants, they don’t like sitting in water. They like they’re medium moist. So I’d dump the water out of the tray it’s in and only pour water in the try when the medium starts feeling like it’s about to dry out.
I thought they were big plants and had to sit in water ? I’ll get the water out then. It floats on top of water if that makes sense
No they don’t prefer sitting in water. From the RedLeaf Exotics site:
And from Carnivero:
Just to give you info from some professional and reputable nepenthes growers!
Oops meant bog plants. Mine is a pitcher plant. Is that the same thing ? So I should let it dry out and then water it ? I haven’t watered it at all since I’ve had it. I just let it float on a body of water.
I’ll change that up now. Thanks for advice
Bog plants are more like Sarracenia (American pitcher plants), some Drosera (sundews) and Dionaea muscipula (venus fly traps). They’re plants that like more wet soils and don’t want it to dry out, and, obviously, their native habitats are bogs.
Nepenthes, or tropical pitcher plants, are tropical plants. Some species grow on the sides of cliff faces or more in the mountains of tropical areas. They like wet air more than wet soil.
Oh mine is Sarracenia. I think it must be the American pitcher plant. Looks very similar but with smaller pitchers. So it is a bog plant
If your plant looks similar to this or this then yea then that’s an entirely different plant genus than nepenthes and it’ll do fine wetter conditions. I would still like the water in the tray get soaked up before filling it again, just make sure the medium doesn’t get dry.
Are you growing this indoors or outdoors?
Also, if it’s winter then keep in mind sarracenia are perennial, meaning they go dormant starting in the mid-late fall and all through winter.