Question
QUESTION: Hi! I'm a carnivorous plants from South-East Asia. I grow all my plants outdoors, under 50% shade, even Sarracenia and Flytrap, as the heat can kill them ( It can get up to 40癈 in the mid-day). They get 4-5 hours of filtered light from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. They've been growing well. Then a few months back the climate got exceptionally hot and dry, and the sun was beating down from an aslant angle and directly into my plants. I put on more shade cloth on the side to prevent this but the Nepenthes've just grown leaves(including N.Miranda, N.Bicalcarata, N.Ventrata and some N.Ampullaria hybrids), at a fast pace, though. Then lately it's been raining nonstop. The humidity increased and the temperature dropped significantly, but the plants still didn't pitcher. Then I discovered that the old shade cloth I put on a year ago started to break down and the plastic dust was falling on my plants. So was the heat that affected my plants or the chemicals leaching from the plastic? What should I do?
Thank you so much.


Field of Sarracenia le   ANSWER: Hi Tan,

In your climate, if Nepenthes are not pitchering, it's because they are not getting enough light.  It really sounds like you are trying to protect them too much.  Most growers in the tropics will have 30% shade cloth directly overhead on the plants, but that's all.  Nepenthes often grow on the edge of rainforests, so they are accustom to getting intermittent direct sun.  If you have material falling on the leaves of your plants, that you may need to wash off.  Also, be sure your watering them during dry spells.  If you can, send me a photo of your growing area.

What you're experiencing is a great lesson for many first time growers who can't get their plants to produce pitchers.  Here in the U.S. whenever a Nepenthes isn't pitchering, the first thing everyone thinks is that their plant needs more humidity.  In Vietnam, I'm guessing humidity isn't a problem. :)  It's almost always because then need more light.

Your Sarracenia, however, probably shouldn't be under the shade cloth at all.  They are full sun plants.  Temperatures along the Carolina/Georgia coastal plain, along with the Gulf coast where most Sarracenia come from are regularly around 35 degrees C.  They don't grow in the shade.  I've enclosed a photo of a native stand of Sarracenia.

Good Growing!

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

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


N. Miranda   QUESTION: Hi. Thank you very much for the advice, I'll try to find some 30% shade cloth. One question I want to ask you is that my N. Thorelii is flowering like crazy. As soon as I cut off a flower stalk, there will be another one a week later. This have happened to me 3-4 times this season. Does that mean I'm giving it the unfavorable condition?
Thanks

Answer
Hi Tan,

Thank-you for sending the photo.  As I guessed, your plants need more sun.  Your N. x miranda is light green.  When they are getting enough sun they are reddish.

I doubt anything is wrong with your N. thorelii.  Since it is a Vietnam native, it's probably reacting to some clues in your climate such as photo period, rainy season, etc...

Good Growing!

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