Question
I have three nepenthes plants (blood red, Asian pitcher, and Ventricosa) that I would like to repot into African Violet pots. I have only had these little guys for about two weeks and they seem to be happy and healthy. They are in a south facing window and get lots of light. Is it too soon to repot them into the larger pots? I'm going on vacation in early May and I want to find out how long the rainwater will last in the African Violet pots before I entrust their fate to my husband, who will not be going with me. I have some Schultz sphagnum peat moss and perlite and was planning on using a 1:1 mixture, but I don't have the orchid bark that seems to be on the plants now, as they were shipped from your nursery. I don't want to shock the plants too much and I will wait if you think I should. Right now, I am watering the plants with about 1 ounce of either distilled or rain water every other day to keep the soil moist. Ain't nobody dead yet!! Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Rochelle,

You can repot your Nepenthes at anytime of the year.  Although they were recently potted up at our nursery, you can repot them into larger pots if necessary.  After that, try to keep them in the same pot for at least 9-12 months.

If you plan to use African violet pots, use a 1 part peat moss and 2 parts perlite.  This mix will provide excellent aeration, while still absorbing moisture through the ceramic pot.

The only problem is the brand of peat moss you have.  It will be OK to use with Nepenthes, but avoid using it with other types of carnivorous plants.  I've had many customers complain that that particular brand of peat moss caused their flytraps and sundews to die.  I suspect that the brand has some fertilizer in it.  Even if the brand says it doesn't add fertilizer, it packages the peat moss in the same facility where they process fertilizer, so contamination is possible.  Fortunately, Nepenthes can tolerate mild amounts of fertilizer in the soil.  This will cause rapid leaf growth, but very few pitchers.  Just keep this in mind when using this particular brand.

Another option is to keep the plants in their own pots for now and create your own self-watering system.  You can research online by using the keywords self-watering pots.  I've seen a few websites that show how to create one.  Sometimes a wicking agent, such as a strip of cotton cloth, soaking in a glass of water at one end and the other planted in the soil will do the trick.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin