Question
QUESTION: My nephenthes has been outside all summer receiving well water and rain water. About a month ago I repotted it because it was looking kinda ragged (12 inch pot).  Well now it looks worse, the new leaves are turning yellow and the more mature leaves develop dead areas with no sign of insect damage.  The plant is going downhill fast, not sure what to do.  Yellow usually indicates a soil problem but the soil is new, one part Sphagnum moss (the baled kind), 2 parts perlite.  It is developing pitchers however some have died off at the leaf junction.  Whats wrong!!!

ANSWER: Hi Larry,

Yellow leaves don't always indicate that there is something wrong with the soil.  Yellow leaves can occur from iron deficiency, too much light, insufficient watering, high temperatures and low temperatures.  Without knowing the species or hybrid you're growing, your location and your lighting, I can't really offer a specific course of action.  For instance, if you live up in the mountains where nighttime temperatures will get down into the low 40s at night, that would contribute to the yellow leaves, depending on the species or hybrid.  Some plants like very cool nights.  Others don't like it at all.

When you say you've been using well water and rain water, what percentage is well water?  Do you happen to know what the hardness level is?  Nepenthes will tolerate moderately hard water, but if it's too hard, then there's risk of the roots getting burned, which will prevent water uptake.

So I don't have enough information to pinpoint which factor is the culprit.  Of course, more than one factor could be at play here.

Please send me a follow-up with the relevant information.  For a more accurate diagnosis, upload a photograph as well.  In most instances, photographs have proven extremely useful.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

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


My Sick Plant   QUESTION: Thank You Jacob for your interest,

We live in Atlantic County NJ,
Our season has been wet most water is rain water,

It gets the afternoon sun, can Sun damage look like this

Not sure about our water, however the water in the area is soft, subsoil is mostly sand.

Its about time to bring her in, can I safely trim off the unsightly vines.

I really suspect Sun damage, the leaves show a high percentage of red color!!

Thanks for your help

Answer
Thank you for the photograph.  The plant you have is Nepenthes Miranda, a very common hybrid.  However, I'm now a bit puzzled by your original inquiry.  You mentioned yellow leaves in the new growth, which made me think of a different plant.  Your photograph shows red leaves, which you also commented on just now.  

Overall, I really don't think there's anything wrong with your plant.  Nepenthes Miranda will grow red leaves in bright sunlight.  At our greenhouse, we encourage the red leaves because it's what makes this plant unique.  One of the parent plants in this hybrid is Nepenthes maxima.  When you grow this species in full sun, the leaves turn red.  My father in Hawaii grew his Nepenthes Miranda if full sun!  The plant acclimated to the sunlight and produced a set of huge pitchers (15 inches).

The new growth will be slightly paler, but as the leaf matures, it'll darken.  Furthermore, Nepenthes are technically woody vines, so the vine is a normal process.  When the plant enters it's vining stage, the upper leaves and pitchers will be paler than the lower parts.  Again this is completely normal for Nepenthes.

Pitchers also live for only a couple months.  After that, they start to brown.  This too is a normal process.  You can cut off the dead pitchers near the tip of the leaves.

Overall, based on what I see in the photograph, your plant is healthy.  The leaves look firm with good lots of good color.  I suppose that aesthetics is a matter of personal preference, but I don't see anything in your photograph that hints that your plant is sick.

Please take a look at our video podcasts.  We produce a monthly podcast to show growers what they need to do each month.  In our videos, we've been showcasing a Nepenthes Miranda that we've been growing outdoors throughout the summer.  You can see how red the leaves are in the video.  Right now, I have the August and September podcast online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/videos

If you don't like the vine, you can trim it back.  Cut it about 18 inches above the base of the plant.  Within a few months, your plant will then sprout up a new shoot near the base.

For more information about growing Nepenthes and other carnivorous plants, read our care sheets online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin