Question
Nepenthes/ Sink
I am growing 4 Nepenthes in the sunniest part of my house, which is a pair of windows, one facing east, the other south.
Because of a combination of foliage from outside trees and the sun's position in the sky in the late summer, I am not satisfied with the amount of eastern sun the plants are getting. On the southern window, the plants receive bright indirect sunlight, but little direct sunlight. I have had success with one of the Nepenthes, a "poi dog" which I bought 4-5 months ago which still has almost all of its original pitchers and appears to be producing several more on a new rosette of growth. The Nepenthes Deroose Alata initially began losing its pitchers, but the brown spotting stops halfway down the pitchers. Now, it is finally producing new pitchers, but only a handful. The other Nepenthes, a Burkei I purchased 4-5 months ago and a Nepenthes merrilliana x alata and Nepenthes maxima var. curtisii I recently purchased are not pitchering well and have lost many of their original pitchers.
To supplement the light, I purchased a 4 ft. shop light and supplied it with a pair of "daylight" soft white fluorescent bulbs, per a recommendation I read in another posting. It hangs above the plants.
I only have space for one such light and my question is whether the sunlight which the plants are presently getting (and is enough for 1 or 2 of them but not all) and the energy provided from the one shop light, running 12-14 hrs a day is enough to get the plants to pitcher more? Also, how far should the light be over the plants. I have read conflicting information on that account.
Thanks in advance,
Itai
AnswerHi Itai,
Much of the information your reading that appears to conflict is really because no person's situation is exactly the same. Since you already have some natural light, suspend your light about 6 inches above your plants. Depending on how big the plants are you may need to go a bit higher to get better light distribution. Give the plants about a month to see how they do. After that decide if you may need to move the light closer. Your deRoose's alata will be a good indicator since it is a reliable grower, but does need fairly bright light to pitcher. I can see in your photo that the deRoose is in the corner between the two windows, so it makes sense that it isn't pitchering as well. You may also see a change as we get into fall since the south window will be getting more light as the sun gets lower in the sky.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
