Windowsill Gardening

[abenckendorf]

Hello, I have just recently taken an interest in growing Nepenthes on a windowsill, but have not had much luck so far. I bought (sept.) a Nepenthes ventricosa and sanguinea, but both seem to be suffering. I know hat they usually take 3 months to acclamate, but at 5, they re still not growing or producing pitchers off of the leaves with the extended tendril. I have heard that N. khasians is the best for windows, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Any suggestions? Are there other good species or hybrid for this? I have also been seeking out N. x mastersiana, but am unable to locate one. Please help!

Thanks

[marcel]

No pitchers usually means the humidity is to low. It helps if you can gives us some info on your climate in house (central heating, ventilation, etc) and perhaps also your location?

[jdallas]

This time of year lack of pitchers in the easier to grow species is usually due to lack of light. Even with high humidity in our greenhouses most Nepenthes won't pitcher unless we extend the daylight hours with artificial light. In home situations Nepenthes that I have in windowsills usually start producing pitchers again in April when the days are longer. Also, make sure you have your plants in a window that gets direct sun. If you're in the Northern hemisphere, it should be an unobstructed West or South window.

One of the plants you have, N. sanguinea, is a great windowsill plant. I've had beautiful specimens in West facing windows here in the Pacific Northwest. Others I've had good luck with are N. maxima hybrids, N. x ventrata and many other N. ventricosa hybrids, oddly, N. thorelli x aristolochioides, N. x miranada, N. khasiana, and N. truncata. Many hybrids of intermediate elevation plants tend to make good houseplants. Avoid ultra-highlanders, i.e.-- N. hamata, N. villosa, N. rajah. They need higher humidity and more precise temperatures, as to the ultra-lowlanders; N. bicalcurata, N. ampullaria, N. rafflesiana. Avoid these for windowsills.

[abenckendorf]

Thanks so much

I live in missourI, so the plants get maybe 3+ hours of direct light and 2+ indirect, as they are in a south facing window. As for humidity, I mist them three times a day, and have bowls of water sitting near by. I also fertilize monthly with 1/2 strength orchid fertilizer as a folate feed. The leaves are bright green, so it doesn't seem like they are suffering from low light. The pitcher buds are still alive, they are not brown or dried up, so I know it isn't because they have no points of which to grow out of. As for the heating system, right now, it is maybe 50 f out, so fossil fuels arnt being used to heat up, and thus dry, the air.

[jdallas]

Because it's winter your light is not as intense this time of year. Also, the photoperiod, the length of day, is the big culprit here. When the days are below 12 hours many Nepenthes stop pitchering. Using water bowls or pebble trays are good ways to raise ambient humidity. Misting can actually be detrimental. This is one of those old myths that we all grew up with because it seems logical. Here's what actually happens with misting, however. Each time you mist the plants get a boost of local humidity and water. It quickly dries, however, and the plant has to close it's stomata. As a result you get an up and down effect and the plants never have a chance to adapt to the conditions. I've often run across folks who are having trouble with their Nepenthes pitchering, and almost to the letter they are avid misters. It's not bad to once in awhile do this to clean leaves, but the constant changing of the humidity doesn't help the cause. I've read several houseplant experts that helped tip me off to this along with personal experience.

Here's a photo of a Nepenthes sanguinea I used to have in a west facing bedroom window. The plant was entirely pitcherless the whole winter, then in April as the days got longer, pitchers began to grow. I never misted this plant once, just made sure it was watered. This photo was in June.

Jeff

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[rhheard]

Hey Jeff how old is your plant in the picture?

[wireman]

It's definitely light levels that are preventing it from pitchering. I'm having the same problem with my windowsill plants.

[Carolyn]

I have a glabrata, a khasiana and a spectabilis growing on my kitchen windowsill and all are pitchering like crazy. They're in a northeast window so I was afraid it wouldn't be enough light, but they seem happy.

I especially like the glabrata for the windowsill b/c it's a relatively little guy.

Carolyn