Hardy Tropicals UK

Anyone know how to get my pitcher to pitch,it grows well but no pitchers for the last two years,not sure what time of year it is supposed to produce them as it's been so long.May be connected with the length of daylight hours

http://www.carnivorousplantnursery.com/info/growing.htm

Sean maybe able to answer this better than I. But take a read anyway.

Take it to a baseball match?

Otherwise, could the soil be too fertile, or too alkaline, perhaps? Are you watering with just rainwater? They produce pitchers to catch insects for nutrient supply, so if it is getting more nutrients than it needs, it might not bother to produce pitchers?

Can you post some pitchers? (sorry, pictures )

Maybe nicebutdim has no flies

Where are you growing it NBD, it could be just a little picky on where it's sited. I'm not growing the miranda but have the Nepenthes lowii here and attached it to my tree fern last year on the shady side and no pitchers grew, had leaves though. In late Summer when I bought it inside it started to produce the pitchers and grew throughout the year in my heated conservatory. I've never fed it and am growing mine in coir, where its kept moist. Not sure whether yours is a highland or lowland - mines a highland and seems to like these conditions.

Di

DiCasS wrote:Where are you growing it NBD, it could be just a little picky on where it's sited. I'm not growing the miranda but have the Nepenthes lowii here and attached it to my tree fern last year on the shady side and no pitchers grew, had leaves though. In late Summer when I bought it inside it started to produce the pitchers and grew throughout the year in my heated conservatory. I've never fed it and am growing mine in coir, where its kept moist. Not sure whether yours is a highland or lowland - mines a highland and seems to like these conditions.

Di

I am growing it in a conservatory near the light ,up high.no food and kept quite warm in winter.I keep it moist and use only rainwater.Last year it spent most of it's time outside .I know it likes lots of light but goes red when in too much sun.

Conifers wrote:Take it to a baseball match?

Otherwise, could the soil be too fertile, or too alkaline, perhaps? Are you watering with just rainwater? They produce pitchers to catch insects for nutrient supply, so if it is getting more nutrients than it needs, it might not bother to produce pitchers?

Can you post some pitchers? (sorry, pictures )

I am having a struggle posting pics as I'm using image shack and is very hard going.hopefully this pic will work,I have kept pitchers for a long time and like to think I know their requirements but clearly don't.I have cut the plant back quite a lot as it was getting too long and leggy.It seems the extension exe is not allowed on image shack!so I'm stuck for pics

i think i read it had something do do with humidity being too low.

nicebutdim wrote: I am having a struggle posting pics as I'm using image shack and is very hard going.hopefully this pic will work,I have kept pitchers for a long time and like to think I know their requirements but clearly don't.I have cut the plant back quite a lot as it was getting too long and leggy.It seems the extension exe is not allowed on image shack!so I'm stuck for pics

Files ending .exe are programme files, not pictures! Pictures usually end .jpg or .bmp or .png

From what I've read not enough humidity can stop the pitchers from forming NBD. I planted mine in one of those ready to use cut out tree fern baskets which I bought online and spray at least once a day, sometimes twice depending, it seems to work okay here. Apart from humidity, I can't think of anything else. Hope you find whats causing it to be idle. Good luck.

Di

Dim if you arent using fertiliser and are keeping it well watered then maybe you should consider giving it a more shaded position.

What sort of soil medium are you using? Maybe try repotting it with something basic like a mix of pine bark and sphagnum. I avoid using both perlite and vermiculite with my nepenthes as they can release minerals into the soil which can discourage the formation of pitchers.

Also I have been told that using a copper based fungicide anywhere near then can stop the pitchers forming, as can any sort of copper contamination in the water that you use to water them.

Hope this helps.

Sean

Troppoz wrote:Dim if you arent using fertiliser and are keeping it well watered then maybe you should consider giving it a more shaded position.

What sort of soil medium are you using? Maybe try repotting it with something basic like a mix of pine bark and sphagnum. I avoid using both perlite and vermiculite with my nepenthes as they can release minerals into the soil which can discourage the formation of pitchers.

Also I have been told that using a copper based fungicide anywhere near then can stop the pitchers forming, as can any sort of copper contamination in the water that you use to water them.

Hope this helps.

Sean

Troppoz I only use tap water and have never repotted so I have no idea what compost is there,only to say it's not very much.While I could get hold of some orchid bark I don't know about pine bark,if it's available.I know the importance of humidity and these get mist sprayed at l least four times a day.I know they like bright light,something we don't have as much as you do,as yours is very intense.

Orchid bark and sphagnum moss would be a good mix, any chance your bright light is just a bit too bright and moving into a bit more shade could encourage pitchers?

Troppoz wrote:Orchid bark and sphagnum moss would be a good mix, any chance your bright light is just a bit too bright and moving into a bit more shade could encourage pitchers?

They have only had bright light for about a week now as our light is pretty dim,the leaves are red because of the sun exposure so I have shaded it today.They don't need much,or so I thought in the way of compost, not having much root system,so I haven't taken repotting seriously,just put it in with an alata thinking that would be good enough