Question
QUESTION: I have a N.Gentle that has two big growth points one is 7 inches and the other 4 1/2 inches and it now has three basals also it's in a 8 inch pot and the media in the pot is LFS and peat from what I can tell I'd like to repot it can I do it anytime and how should I do it should I just pot it up to a 10inch pot with media in it and fill around the rootball or would it be best to try to remove the LFS since from the top the media doesn't look to good I've read LFS can break down over time I think the place I bought the plant had it for atleast a year or more.

The mix I'm thinking of using is orchid bark mix(it has charcoal, orchid bark, perlite) and will pine bark mulch be ok too? should I add anything else like sphagnum peat and how much of each stuff should I mix in?

I also have a Sanguinea it came in LFS/perlite mix in a 3.5 inch pot I'd like to pot it up to a 6 inch pot too will that mix be ok for this type of nepenthes or should I wait a bit?

The N.gentle only has one problem one of the newer leaves has yellow spots and one of the leaf on a basal has yellow spots is this bad or is it due to the increase of sunlight going through the window also will the three basals on the plant slow it down?

Another question I ordered one dente and one red dragon flytraps both are starting to flower both flytraps are in a minibog outside with a judith hindle and have been growing well so far should I cut the flower stalk off right now the stalk is still small I wouldn't mind getting seeds one day, but will this kill the plants or just slow them down?



ANSWER: Hi Nicole,

If it's been more than a year since the Nepenthes had been repotted, you should repot it into fresh mix, especially if the medium isn't looking very good.

There is no one single soil mix to use, and many growers have their own secret recipe.  As long as the soil is low in nutrients and allows for lots of drainage and aeration, you can use it.  We use a mix of 3 parts coconut husk and 1 part sphagnum moss.  

You can use the orchid bark mix that you've mentioned, but you may need to add some sphagnum moss for water retention.  Use 3 parts of the mix and 1 part sphagnum moss.  This mix will do fine for both Nepenthes in your collection.

Avoid adding pine bark since the oils tend to inhibit other plants from growing.  Orchid bark is made from hardwood trees.

Older leaves on plants will turn yellow.  This is completely normal and unavoidable.  I have a saying, cut off any leaf when you can't stand looking at it anymore.  We do this all the time before we ship out our plants.  We cut off the older leaves that are turning yellow.

The basal shoots do not anyway slow down the plant.  Instead, think of it that your plant is growing faster in other areas.  The basal shoots are part of the natural cycle of the plants.  

In general, as long as your temperate plants are healthy, and you're giving them full sun, let them flower.  It's a complete myth that flowers kill plants.  This myth came to be because too many growers grew their flytraps indoors and in inadequate lighting.  Flowers will exhaust already weakened plants, but they have no effect on healthy plants growing in the proper conditions.

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

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

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

QUESTION: Thanks for the help right now it's in a 8inch pot should I just repot it in the same pot or would I be able to pot it into a 10inch be fine?

Sphagnum moss peat or the long fibered stuff?

Right now I only have Chilean dried long fibered moss will that be ok for it or will I need to get the NZ stuff?

The flytraps stay outside all the time only time I didn't is after I repotted it because there was going to be some frost and snow luckily after that it hasn't gone below zero too much.

Answer
Select a pot size that looks proportional to your plant.  Generally an 8-inch pot is large enough for even very large plants, though some growers prefer the hefty look of a 10-inch pot.  At these larger pot sizes, it really comes down to what you prefer.

Sphagnum moss is referred to the long fibered dried stuff.  Sphagnum peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss and has completely different properties.  For this reason, it's also referred to as peat moss, but never sphagnum moss.  So whenever you see me refer to sphagnum moss, it's always to the long fibered dried stuff.

Either Chilean or New Zealand varieties will work.  We've used both here at the nursery, though we use Chilean moss exclusively right now since it's much cheaper.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin