Question
Nepenthes Caesar in SE
Hanging in SE facing garden window along with several orchids. Fairfax, VA. Water every other day. Pitcher that came with plant last spring is starting to turn brown (after eating many crickets) which should be normal. But the tips of the new leaves never seem to make new pitchers.
Answer
Nepenthes in Window
Hi John,
I sat looking at your picture for quite some time. A couple things are puzzling. Your window looks fairly bright, but the leaves on the Caesar are wide and a bit pale. This can be symptom of low light. Low light is also a common reason for a plant to not produce pitchers. How much sun does the window actually receive on a sunny day? Are there trees near the window? Do your Dendrobium orchids bloom in this spot?
Try a more direct sun location if possible. Also, fertilize the Caesar some. Try a 1/4 teaspoon of orchid fertilizer per gallon of water every two weeks during the spring and summer, and once a month during the winter. You probably won't see much change now since the days are getting short. It'll be spring before you see new pitchers. Otherwise your plant does look healthy.
I'm including a picture from a grower in Vancouver, WA. His plant is in a hot, sunny, west window. He does fertilize his also. The first plant is a Caesar, the second is a Hualalai. This window works very well for him.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
