Question
Nepenthes
I recently purchased two Nepenthes sanguinea. They arrived
in fine condition but the bottom leaves turned yellow and
pitchers died off. I am watering it with tap water that I
sit out for 2-3 days before applying to plants. Light is mid
range, no direct sun but they are in a bright location.
Right now they are outdoors. Raleigh North Carolina. I
expected shock and not worried about the way they look now.
It is however in potting soil. My Question: Would repotting
them into a sphagnum mix as most places suggest be a bad
idea at this time?
AnswerHi Byron,
First, lets take care of the soil mix. I'm not sure what you mean by "sphagnum mix as most places suggest." From your photo, it looks like the nursery used a mix of peat moss and perlite. We generally don't recommend this type of mix because it doesn't allow sufficient drainage. If you use these ingredients, you'll need to increase the perlite to improve drainage. A mix of 2-3 parts perlite and 1 part peat moss will be fine.
There are a variety of Nepenthes mix you can use. We list a couple on our website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets
We also talk about soil in depth on our video, Volume 3 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series:
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD
In general, you can repot your plant any time. If you suspect the current soil is unhealthy or you want to make sure your soil has sufficient drainage, definitely change it. You won't harm your plant by doing so as long as you are careful to keep the roots intact.
Second, you don't need to leave your water sitting for a day or so. It's a myth that chlorine will dissipate from the water by leaving it out, unless your water was chlorinated with chlorine gas. Most water bureaus use chloramines, which is similar to bleach. This compound does not evaporate out of the water like chlorine gas, so leaving it sitting for a few days will not affect the chloramine levels significantly or at all. The only way to remove chloramines is through a distillation process. (You'll need to check with your local water bureau for information about your water.)
Leaving the water out won't affect mineral levels either. If anything, leaving your water sitting will only increase mineral concentration as the water evaporates over time.
If you're concerned about your water source, switch to bottled distilled water.
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
