Question
I got a Burbidgea this June that was 8" in diameter. When I received it, it had small red dots on the leaves. It didn't appear to be fungus so I figured it was getting too much sun because otherwise it looked healthy and even had a large pitcher. It had a leaf bud that opened a week later but the leaf was small and stunted although it had no spots. It has not produced any new growth since I received it. When I received it, it had five leaves and has since lost one. I am afraid that if it doesn't make any new leaves it will lose them all.

It is potted in a mix of 1 part long fiber sphagnum,1 part large bark chunks,and 1 part granite chunks. During the day the temperature is 78 degrees with 55% humidity and at night I move it to my basement where it gets 63 degrees and 65% humidity. It also gets plenty of fluorescent light during the day.

Hope you can help!

Answer
Hi Mark,

With this particular species, you'll need to have patience, and lots of it.  It grows painfully slowly during the first few years, producing perhaps a new leaf every other month.  Then out of the blue, it will go into a growth spurt and produce large pitchers and leaves.  I've been growing a couple in my collection for a couple years, and I've yet to see more than a couple pitchers per year!  So first off, you'll need to be exceedingly patient.  If you're the impatient type, you're better off growing Nepenthes sanguinea or other quicker growing species.

The red dots are likely rust spots, a type of fungal infection.  There's nothing you can do once it occurs.  It usually occurs on older leaves.  Despite it ruining the aesthetics of the plant, this type of fungal infection is nothing to worry about.

Your soil mix is OK, but I'm not sure about the granite chunks. While it is inert and won't react with other ingredients, I think a better choice would be pumice because of the extra air spaces in the rock.  So you'll get better aeration with pumice than with granite if that's the reason for adding it.  

Your temperatures are fine.  However, I strongly recommend selecting one location to keep your plant.  Having to move plants around daily isn't something that I recommend because plants need time to adjust to their climate.  Either grow it in your basement with fluorescent lights, or keep it in your living area with bright filtered sunlight.  Keep in mind that plants are stationary organisms.  They're not like animals that like to be moved around.  They prefer to stay in one location and adapt to that particular location.  By moving it around, you prevent it from fully acclimating to one location.  In the event that you forget or grow tired of moving the plant, then the plant will have to spend time acclimating to not having been moved.  With a slow growing species such as N. burbidgea, you may set it back significantly to the point where you may not see any new growth for a couple months.

As for temperatures, you can grow this plant like an intermediate, despite it being classified as a highlander. Your nighttime temperatures need only be about 65癋.  So depending on where you live, this might be an appropriate plant for your home.

For more information about growing Nepenthes, read our care sheet online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin