Question
Hi sarracenia northwest,

I have a nepenthes alata x luzon that i ordered from e bay it has just arrived  a few days ago and it doing great but i realized that the leaves were starting to curl although there were stiff the pitchers are VERY floppy i give it 4-5 hours of dappled light(it is in an unheated greenhouse)i water it tap water it is in a soil mix of i part peat moss,2 parts perlite and i part dried sphagnum moss ( i got that from your secret e -book very helpful:).i live in Australia
thank you

jason

Answer
Hi Jason,

Floppy pitchers and leaves means water loss in some fashion.  You're probably dealing with problems from shipping, and since it's summer in your area I'm assuming it's fairly hot.  You didn't say how it was packed, or how long the plant was in transit, but it may have suffered damage in shipping.  Also, you don't know how the previous owner was caring for the plant, and if it is dealing with a big humidity change.

For now just make sure the soil is always most (not waterlogged), and keep it a bit more humid than would normally be. (N. alata does not require constant high humidity).  A dappled light area is good.  After a couple of weeks it should start looking better.  If any leaves are partially damaged, cut those off.  It will minimize transpiration.  If you have access to Superthrive a watering with that will help with root damage.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com