Question
QUESTION: Hello I live in Indiana and I'm going to buy a N.Gentle soon so I would like to ask a few questions about this plant.

I have a south facing window downstairs in my house I was wondering is it an ok spot for it?

I keep the heat to 68 on warm sunny days and 70 on colder days in the winter not sure on humidity just yet also are N.Gentle highland or lowland and are they easy or intermediate Nepenthes?

Thanks alot for the help.

ANSWER: Hi Nicole,

This is a great plant for a windowsill.  Just make sure it gets plenty of sun, and you water it regularly.  It is very tolerant of a variety of humidity conditions, so don't worry about that.  The light will be, as usual, much more important than the humidity.  Once you have it in the window, give it time to adapt to the new surroundings.  I would expect that you won't see new pitchers until May or June, then it should grow well.  For more general information on Nepenthes culture, visit:  http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7&chapter=1

Nepenthes x gentle is also know as N. x velvet and is a cross of N. fusca x N. maxima.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

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N.gentle   QUESTION: Today I bought the N.gentle It looks fine, but I'm wondering does this type of Nepenthes need cooler nights or normal temperature should be ok?

The soil looks like LFS or maybe a mix of Peat and LFS I'm not sure yet also I have it hanging on a wire for now and some reason it moves very slightly and slowly right to left I can't stop it is this ok for it if not I think if I make the wire a bit more shorter it'd do better at not swinging.

Here's a picture hanging it's in a 8" pot so is that a good size pot for this plant size it seems so to me, but I want to make sure.

Thanks for the help the information from this and on your site is very nice and helpful.

ANSWER: Hi Nicole,

Thanks for sending the picture.  That was very helpful.  

This plant isn't very fussy.  Normal household temperatures are fine.  If the window it's in is sunny on sunny days, that's great.  I also see that you have a floor lamp right next to it.  That is good supplemental light also.  If the light has strong compact fluorescent in it it will assist the plant.  You could even put it on a timer so you wouldn't need to turn it on and off.

It will be able to stay in the 8" pot for a couple of years at least.  Don't worry too much about a bit of swaying.  These plants are much tougher than you might think.


Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

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QUESTION: Sorry for asking so many questions, but I have a few fungus gnats in my house from my mom's poinsettias and I've seen a few of them flying near my Nepenthes are they any threat?

I would like to get rid of them before their larva cause trouble what would be the best coarse of action my mom had bought some sticky traps you put on the window will that help a bit I was thinking of getting the yellow colored sticky traps I've read yellow attracts them or something..


Answer
Hi Nicole,

The sticky traps are a good approach for capturing the adult insects.  Chances are, however, that you already have larvae in the soil.  Try using a Neem based product, and spray it in the soil of the plants, including yours.  Since it just came from a plant store it may have them in the soil.  Repeat the application weekly, or at the recommend rate on the bottle, until you see supression.  Neem doesn't kill immediately, but causes the insects to stop feeding.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com