8 QUICK NEPENTHES TIPS FOR GROWING MORE PITCHERS

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

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[@Anonymouss222]

4:59 😮 what are those purple plants you have growing? (They’re gorgeous)

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

They're Tradescantia zebrina - a scrambling plant - many, many hybrids available.

[@spacespudsonbikes]

I bought a dying pitcher plant and clipped off the dying pitchers and feed the last healthy one and once it digested everything it fell off, about a month later it has grown new leaves and is now super green. hasn't grown any new pitchers tho. I guess it'll grow them when it needs them

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Light is very important - but then again so are all the points in this video. I'm publishing a new video later today about actually 'feeding' Nepenthes which might be of use to you. Sounds like it's happy though. One of the major issues for mine was that they were well into producing a vine. Once they do that, you'll find pitchers are very slow in coming - so I always pinch out the growing tips to keep them compact and producing pitchers from the basal shoots. Good luck!

[@datlaichelle2736]

I like both long and short of all your videos - don’t worry about it. Carry on!

[@cassandracapobianco6867]

Hello from Florida USA

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Hi Cassandra! Welcome to my Wigan greenhouse.🤗

[@fldesigner5047]

I'm in Florida USA. I water all my nepenthes exclusively with rainwater collected in a rainbarrel off my roof and I have tons of pitchers on all of them. I have them hanging outside on the north side of my back porch where they dont get any direct sunlight, but rather bright indirect light all day. We have an over abundance of humidity here. A friend was moving and gave me the first 3. I planted them in a mix of spagnum moss, perlite, course sand and orchid bark with charcoal, per the friend who gave them to me. They all seem happy, happy so long as I dont forget to water them.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Sounds like you've got the perfect set-up!

[@Andys-u2e]

Hi! Have you trie growing Nepenthes on a windowsill in U.K.? I’m curious to give them a try, both with a small terrarium and without.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I've never tried it. I expect it would need to be more on the lowland side in terms of temperature range although that depends on which window sill you use. If I can grow them in a UK greenhouse then I think you'll have fewer problems than me! Good luck!

[@theagg]

Yes I have, successfully..several highland hybrids, pitchering away happily on my west facing windowsill. Humidty average in my living room, where they grow is between 30% - 50% . I water them with tap water, straight out of my East Sussex tap. (So really hard water here) :)

[@tarotreadingsbysteven8545]

Omg you answered my question! I had removed about nine basals from mine hoping to trigger trap production and it sent out MORE basals but the fact it's sending out tons of vining shoots from the main stem answers that question. So I think I'll let it grow a bit taller and when it gets to a good growth height I'll cut the tips in the coming spring, thank you!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad to be of service! The new basals should be more inclined to give you pitchers, especially when you stop the vine. Good luck!

[@stayliftedgermany4041]

I am From Germany, Bremerhaven, Always humid here! I Love your Garden 💯🫶🏼 I got my nephentes in my growroom 😉🔥 leafs get a little Red but plant is growing good

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah same here - pretty always humid! I actually like the red leaves because of the light - although I doesn't seem to do the plants any harm - a little like us getting a sun-tan.

[@michellem9392]

Another awesome video!👏🏽👏🏽

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks Michelle!

[@charles3951-t4v]

Great video.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@iwasnthere1512]

I brought a asian pitcher plant and I don’t know how to prepare it for winter dormancy. Is there a special procedure to prepare or should I just leave it be?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I assume you’re talking about as Nepenthes here - as Sarracenia are also known as pitcher plants. Nepenthes don’t have a dormancy period whereas Sarracenia do. If it’s a nepenthes, just continue with the virtually the same care as you would in summer - except perhaps with less of a need to water and feed quite as much.

[@iwasnthere1512]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Alright, thank you very much! Now I don’t need to worry as much as before. 👍

[@marco9575]

I struggled a bit with nepenthes pitchering here in Northern Italy, as I have to get them inside for 6 months a year at least... I got my first one from a local mart spending something like 5€ and this year it finally got mature and went on full growth, both producing pups and long vines. Now it's in a sunny spot and it's pitchering a lot, I prefer to use moss and bark for them instead of peat, but that means I have to have them sit in a tray, especially during the summer!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah light is key for producing pitchers. I've found coconut husks is a good compromise between moss and more well draining media - in my environment of course. You use what works for you. I'm glad to hear yours are doing well.

[@marco9575]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 thanks! Will try that!

[@safuwanfauzi5014]

Monkey pot are tropical and semi tropical it hard to grow in europe, thank i live in southeast asia country, not just nepenthes, alot species of fern like platycerium, huperzia and others grow well

[@jakoblongbine2987]

Love living in South east NC, where we have carnivorous plants growing naturally everywhere. Got a bunch of sarracenia growing wildly in a field next to my house, and they are surrounded by sundews. Picked up some Nepenthes from the local garden store for $9 a piece and am hoping I can get good results with them too.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Wish Nepenthes were so cheap over here! We’re talking fives times as much- even for the cheapest hybrids!

[@lynnieG63]

The melted snow out your freezer is good to use or distilled

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks for the tip Lynne! 😀

[@MicksMasdevalliaorchids]

Cheers Geoff good information will take some tips on board.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks Mick - it worked for me! 😁

[@gordonjenkins944]

Thanks Jeff, I think I.ll try some of these next year.. Too cold up here to take them overwinter.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks Gordon. You should be ok if you can heat to 12 degrees but obviously there's a cost.

[@gordonjenkins944]

Yes I could but my greenhouse won’t arrive until the 21st and by the time I get it set up, insulated, wired up etc. I’ll be I to mid winter, best to start everything off next season once I have got it all sectioned off into warm and intermediate areas. I’m going to have a sitootery (say it with a Scottish accent) in my second greenhouse which will also be my cool growing (10-12 c min) area. Can’t wait to get started.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Oh yeah I forgot about that. Still, it won’t be long now. You’ll soon have your own plant paradise! 😀🌴🌺

[@szanar8422]

Thank you for a very informative video! I rescued three little nepenthes lowii x ventricosa from a home improvement store (£1.13 in total lol). They don’t have any traps just as I don’t have any experience with nepenthes. I repotted them to a mix of peat moss and perlite 1:1, I mist them with distilled water everyday and provide at least 8 hrs of light (my growing lamp is unavailable due to keeping my sarracenia and two dionaeas alive in dormancy in the garage, I can’t afford a second one). One of them had some sort of pest eggs on the leaves so I disinfected it and keep it in a plant jar. The humidity level is around 60%. I really really really want to save those little guys, I’m absolutely in love with those beautiful plants and hope your tips help them recover! Sorry for the essay haha 💕

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

That's a great bargain! You've done the right things with them, although they could take more light - I give mine up to 12 hours per day. You also don't need to use distilled water to mist them - they can take small amounts of dilute orchid feed, unlike other carnivorous plants. You can also feed this same mix into the roots. And if your humidity is already around 60%, I wouldn't bother misting them unless to feed. Just don't let the media dry out, and give them as much light as possible. That should do it. Good luck!

[@szanar8422]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 thank you!! In a long run using less distilled water will save my wallet haha. I'll figure out the lightning. It's very nice you replied, happy New Year to you and your stunning plants 🎉🎉🎉

[@mereteteichmann9448]

Thank you

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

You’re welcome!

[@abir95571]

I’m from a tropical place , still I spray the whole plant with an atomiser , drench the soil with water until the water runs off through the bottom , and I keep my nepenthes in the south-east balcony hung beside the window . I water not once but twice a day . I have seen some noticeable growth in the plants

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad to hear you've nailed their care in your conditions Abir.😃

[@iBLaCKOuTxZ]

Hey buddy i am back for winter what is good to do ? Also how often do you spray the orchid fer to your nepenthes leaves/ roots ?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I don't spray in summer as they catch their own food - just through winter when the greenhouse is all wrapped up. Probably 2 or 3 times a week - but I doubt there's any limit on it. Hard to be sure, but I feel it made a big difference last year. I certainly got more growth than I've ever had in the past.

[@milkspotscausemetospazzout6813]

I have a Nepenthes Gaya in a aquarium.Mine grows pitchers like crazy.I use a grow light in the winter as I live in a state where we have long winters.In the spring and summer,fall it's outside in the shade in the aquarium.It does not burn from sun light as I spray it every day with R.O water.Thats what works for me.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad to hear you've cracked it. It's a relatively tolerant Nepenthes with great coloured pitchers.

[@vsocarras27]

Hi update with the help of a grow light bulb my Nepenthes St. Gaya finally produced pitchers 4 open ones a new plant let forming and a soon to be 5th pitcher just about to open

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

That's great to hear. Light is a very big factor in pitcher production.

[@IMHobby121]

I sure would like to know your opinion on what the perfect soil mix is for Nepenthes. Thanks so much and God Bless! Great video.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

To be honest I'm not sure there can ever be a 'perfect' mix. Conditions play their part in that you might need to alter the media according to how warm/cold/dry/humid it is. But in general, Nepenthes prefer to stay moist (not wet) but also loose and airy. They are tolerant of a wide range of mixes providing they follow those characteristics. So we're talking mostly long-fibered sphagnum moss, perhaps mixed with something bulky like orchid bark and large perlite. But I've also had success with chunky coconut husks. Practically every one I buy comes in peat moss, but I find that too heavy and not loose enough in my own environment. Hope that helps a little.

[@IMHobby121]

I sure appreciate your response. It is always very helpful. God Bless!

[@Swede_4_DragonBeliever]

Greetings from Sweden! You,Sir, just got yourself a new subscriber.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Awesome, thank you! Hope you find more of what you like. 😀

[@matteo8o]

Thank you very much, good video. Italy

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks Doc! Glad you enjoyed it. 😀

[@jupitervalbuena710]

Do you need to put water inside the pitchers?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

As it happens I made an entire video about that! You can watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5y9hGWMmrCZbq8

[@ioanadumitrescu3836]

Hi! I have a question. About reppoting. My nepenthes is in a 2.3 in diameter inches round pot with a height of 2.5 inches. It has 3 big pitchers and 2 dying baby ones(plus 3 more still growing) The leaves are out 4.7 inches long and the 3 big picthers all 2.9 inches long. I have been thinking of reppoting it. What do you think? Also, is a 1:1 ratio of SM and perlite good?

[@ioanadumitrescu3836]

Nepenthes Gaya*

[@ioanadumitrescu3836]

Horticultural perlite*

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

From what you describe it does appear rather too large for its pot now, especially when you consider how slowly Nepenthes grow when they're babies, so it could have been in the same pot for a number of years. I would definitely pot it up to a bigger size. The mix you describe sounds fine to me. They're quite tolerant of various potting mixes, so long as it's a loose mixture. The roots are extremely fine and brittle so take care with them and only pack the SM loosely around them. Hope that helps! Good luck.

[@ioanadumitrescu3836]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Thank you so much! I will repot it in the following week. 😁

[@HelgrafFireHammer]

I have just one nepenthes, on my windowsill, a Rebecca Soper. It's growing quite well and has a good number of pitchers. The pot I have it in has this kind of detachable bottom that the water from the drainage holes collects in. Whenever I need to empty that water I just take out that bottom part and dump the water out or smth. So to fix the humidity I put my Nepenthes in a tray filled with water. Due to the bottom part of the pot, water can't get in so no root rot, and as the water evaporates it increases humidity around it. I also mist the plant with a spray bottle for good measure :)

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Sounds like you have a good setup. In my experience (backed up by several commercial growers I've asked) humidity is not as vital as people seem to think. I turned off my hydro-fogger and left the humidity to nature - no difference in Nepenthes growth. Misting will help if you include some orchid feed in it - they'll get some help with food too. Good luck!

[@theagg]

I have several Nepenthes successfully growing indoors, on a window sill. Since they are effectively 'houseplants', high humidity is the hardest to achieve (70% plus humidity in a living space is not easy to acheive and will no doubt lead to mouldy books etc in the same space !) So apart from really hot, humid summer days (not that many of those here in the UK), the humidity ranges from around 30% to mid 50% during the year in my home. However, as you hinted at, for quite a few Nepenthes, high humidity isn't really necessary to produce pitchers. So, the several species I have sitting on my window sills all are producing pitchers because, as you describe, the other main key to getting them to pitcher, is high light levels. Way more important than humidity it seems. The windows where they are currently growing face west, so plenty of light there from early afternoon onwards, where they will get direct sun from mid afternoon onwards but that doesn't harm them. (Except winter time, where the sun never gets round that far) Disadvantage of growing them indors on a window sill. Once they start vining, so I'm forced to cut them back, which means I won't be getting any of the different form upper pitchers. (It's a strange one this, as some of the 'upper' pitchers on Nepenthes are the better looking but as you say, vining also seems to drastically reduce pitcher production overall. Plus they begin to 'outgrow' the sill space as they form more sideshoots as well. Oh and the final important point when it comes to my window sill Nepenthes. I water them with tap water, no RO, no filtering etc. Straight out of the tap, which here in the south east (Sussex} is really hard. And the Nepenthes are fine, still pitchering away. I have to keep an eye on the potting medium though, as that hard water does more harm to that than the Nepenthes !

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah - I've had it on very good authority on more than one occasion that humidity doesn't figure that much - specifically if you're keeping them hydrated anyway. I've just recently produced 2 upper pitchers, despite not allowing them to vine. My Rebecca Soper it seems, has had enough with me pruning it back and decided to produce 2 uppers regardless, which I'm very pleased about! Yeah I agree re the water - when I made this video (way back in Sept. last year) I was still thinking RO water, but since then I've read more of 'The Savage Garden' and 'Insect Eaters' - the 2 'main' works on carnivorous plants, and it appears Nepenthes are exceptional in that they quite enjoy being fed through the roots via watering, in addition to a foliar feed. Since I've added both the pitchering has gone off the scale! Great to hear yours are doing so well for you.👏😃

[@billycooper8952]

How long did the pitchers take to form? I bought a plant from a woman who was tired of trying with it. I cut off all the dead pitchers, repotted it in Long grain moss, orchid bark and perlite. She had it in what looked like regular potting soil. It is in a bright sunroom with lots of windows. I don't have grow lights but I do have LED light bulbs in the room that are on most of the day.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

It depends very much on the time of year and the species or cultivar of the Nepenthes, in my experience. Most of mine form pitchers from start to finish in a couple of weeks during mid summer, when the light is brightest and temperatures warmest. This slows right down during Autumn - even though I have grow lights on them. Nepenthes are fairly tolerant of various growing media, but light and temps play a big part in pitcher formation, so it sounds like you're doing the right thing. The only other thing could be humidity, although I think even that can depend on the variety. If you get no joy with pitchers then it might be worth trying to increase it. Good luck!

[@billycooper8952]

Thank you for the quick response! I have a tray of pebbles with water underneath it and a humidifier running at all times, except when we forget and let it go dry. Lol. I had been giving it pond water for a week before I bought distilled water. Sounds like I just have to play the waiting game. Thanks so much! Your videos are great!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@billycooper8952 Thanks Billy I appreciate your kind words! The distilled water should definitely make a difference - they need to be forced into creating pitchers and giving them nutrition doesn't help in that respect. Maybe you should also get one of the established 'vigorous' hybrids while you've already got the setup in place - then you can compare.(I've found Nepenthes Burkei to be particularly 'easy' to cultivate and grows pitchers like there's no tomorrow, but there are plenty of others.)

[@kathymacomber5115]

They are impressive..gorgeous

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks Kathy! 😁

[@thefirebreathingleftist8648]

Great video!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😀

[@gatecrasherfishingadventur3759]

Another grossly informative video. Thank you!!!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad you enjoyed it! I love Nepenthes and wish I had more but they're so expensive over here.

[@babysealsareyummy]

I’m getting a tone of long green leaves spilling over and only a couple pitchers. Any tips for getting it to produce more pitchers?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Well, that's what the video is about! But...light is the main factor - LOTS of bright light but not direct sun through glass.

[@heathernicholson3080]

Bit of advice please. My plant is getting a bit too long. Can I cut the growing tip off without damaging the plant. Would this cause it to produce knew growth lower down

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yes and yes. It’ll stimulate basal shoots. Just prune back to above a node. You can use the pruned part as a cutting.

[@heathernicholson3080]

​@@Grow_Up_Man55worked thankyou

[@monkeydigs6696]

Can these plants have peat moss and perlite mix with distilled water?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

That's the standard mix for nepenthes - although I have it on excellent authority that they're not really that fussed about what they grow in, unlike some other carnivorous plants. I've started using coconut husks (for environmental reasons) and perlite which they seem to really like.

[@monkeydigs6696]

Okay thank you! I have been found 2 stray ants around my house and have fed them to my nepenthes. Thank you for the info :D

[@3911gl]

Hi, what does "not letting vine" means ?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Nepenthes are 'vining' plants i.e. at a certain age, they start putting all their energies into climbing - in the wild this would be up the side of a tree. If you let them begin to 'vine' then unless you have really perfect growing conditions, you should be prepared for quite a long wait until they start producing pitchers again. I hope that helps.

[@3911gl]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Thanks for your reply. So, do you just cut off the top of the plant?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@3911gl That's pretty much it. I keep mine to about 40 cm in length then don't let it grow any taller. Along with all the other care tips, that keeps it producing nice big pitchers regularly.

[@3911gl]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Thanks :)

[@marcipicci4414]

Hello, I also have a N. Gaya and Rebecca Soper. Mine are still very young so smaller. How pretty! I couldn't find much information about N. Gaya so that was very nice to know that they are Highlanders. Great tips!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Thanks! Yeah N. Gaya is such an accommodating Nep. It would need to be in my conditions, to be honest. Mine's still putting out pitchers right now despite it being below zero outside and the days short with barely any light (I keep the greenhouse to a min. of 12°C for the cooler side and also have grow lights on them).

[@hyunelynn5729]

what are your advice for the dying pitcher. i use spagnamost and it looks like my pitcher didn't last long.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Just cut a dying pitcher off where the tendril meets the leaf, then focus on providing the conditions in the video.

[@robertgodwin6604]

What do you consider filtered water? I not have a ROM

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

If you don't have an RO filter then simply use rainwater - you just want to avoid the chemicals (like Chlorine) that they put into tap water.

[@robertgodwin6604]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 can I use spring water or distilled water?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Distilled water is better.

[@tatumpelletier4723]

I bought a pitcher plant a few years ago from a local greenhouse. I'm not sure of it's species, but it could have been a Nepenthes alata, but they called it "Lady Luck" for solid red pitchers. Not long after I bought it, I trapped moths myself and put them in the pitchers but soon the pitchers died off and the plant refuses to grow new ones. It grows the leaves, but the pitchers don't take a very... pitchery shape and never develop. Leaves get massive though. I thought maybe it was a humidity problem, and with being in a small living space, I put a plastic bag over it and used a hair tie to secure it on the pot and made it a mini greenhouse. Seems like it gets humid in there but it still doesn't develop pitchers. Will the old leaves attempt to develop those preexisting pitchers or will the change only affect new growth?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah an Alata is a species - very common and popular these days. But yours isn't Alata if it's Lady Luck - it's actually the same cultivar as I have called 'Blood Mary' which is a cross between N. ampullaria x ventricosa. They are lowland growers so like temps to be above 18°C for the most part. There are a number of things you can do to to increase pitcher growth (which I guess you've already seen in the video) but if I had choose the most likely to work I'd say light is the biggest factor. They just love to get light (not direct sun) and if you can increase it in any way, when it's moved closer to it, or you use a grow light or even a general LED strip light you'll likely find it'll solve your issue. While the bag will increase humidity it'll reduce the light so I'd remove that. Providing your humidity isn't really low (below 35%) then that's not likely to be your problem. And no once a leaf has 'blasted' a pitcher and dried up the tip it won't try again at any point in the future. Hope that helps! (Just my opinion of course!)

[@w_carnivorous5620]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 You actually never will find a nepenthes alata in a garden centre, the ones you find are actually nepenthes ventrata which is a cross between ventricosa and alata. Pretty much always mislabelled as alata or ventricosa. You will almost never find a species in a garden centre, however i have seen a few people find pure N. Ampullaria. Nepenthes Alata is quite rare in cultivation, not many people have one in their collection

[@stormvent2572]

Can you give an example of "don't let it vine" and where to cut? Cheers

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

It simply means don't allow it to extend the main stem and produce new leaves over and over. Once the main stem is around a foot long, prune it back to just above a pair of leaves. Eventually it'll respond by producing a new shoot from a leaf axil, but that's OK - just don't let the thing continually grow longer and longer. That encourages side shoots, and basal shoots which produce more pitchers. Hope that helps.

[@stormvent2572]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Thank you so much, happy growing.

[@monke1919]

Are deerose alata easy to grow?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Nepenthes alata is one of the 'easiest' and most popular species in cultivation at present.

[@monke1919]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 ok

[@agram420]

i bought 2 nepenthes bloody mary and alata, both came in those small pots pre potted in what ever it was, i repotted the bloddy mary into a mix of coco fiber and perlite together with the substrate it came with, will that work?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I'd have discarded the old media - as you don't know how long it's been in that pot and if the media has broken down. When it breaks down it turns increasingly acidic which has a detrimental affect on the plants. Coco fibre and perlite are fine for Nepenthes - but make sure the coco fibre is washed to reduce salinity. Sometimes they do it in the manufacturing process - frequently they don't and high salinity will kill your plants. Good luck!

[@agram420]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 I will get rid of the substrate then and move it to the new substrate, great and informative videos, thanks!

[@gyorgykiszli4269]

I have just bought a N.Mirabillis x Gracillis Red from Lazada. I live in Thailand and it gets pretty hot here and has an abundance of flies around my kitchen area. I have had some venus fly traps but they died off.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah sounds like you very much need lowland nepenthes for your climate. Venus Fly Traps are temperate and need a cold, dormant period. Try some of the tropical species of Drosera.

[@L_T86]

I had a mature Nepenthes Red Beauty plant that suddenly decided to die, but before that it produced 3 daughter plants that, as expected, make very small pitchers. I will wait for them to grow, but it will take a few years.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah that's probably the most frustrating part - waiting for the tiny plants to mature!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

You can see what these Nepenthes used to be like a few months ago in my first attempt at figuring out why they weren't pitchering, and how my thoughts have developed over that time in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4LWlJaPoap-bJo

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

😬

[@braydensmith8334]

If I cut the nepenthes to stop vine growth, will that stem keep growing new leaves or will I have to rely on a basal?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

It’ll start branching again at the node below the cut.

[@misteriousmissGrace]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 that happens on a green vine, but what if the vine is an older one and it's almost like a twig - brown and hard?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@misteriousmissGrace If it’s alive and has dormant buds then it’ll still break below the pruning point, in most cases. Occasionally it might break lower down, like from the base.

[@mtloke5732]

How long does it take for young plant to grow to maturity? How do you know they are "mature" from their appearance?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

OK well the word 'maturity' is a term to simply mean that the plant has grown to a reasonable size. This may or may not be down to number of years in age. A plant could be 3 to 5 years old and be beyond the very small size you see commonly sold online i.e. it's gaining maturity. But then again, if it's kept in less that favourable conditions it could still be this size, despite being much older. There is no single day when it turns from being a youth into being a mature plant, it's just a gradual increase in size. Generally, the smaller the plant, the less robust it is and vice versa. In reasonably good conditions, you should get 'leaf jumps' in size after 3 to 5 years from being a seedling.

[@drewhjc]

Do they collect water in the pitchers in the wild?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

As you can imagine, evolution tries all sorts of variations. Some pitchers have a lid that completely covers the pitchers - keeping the rain out. Some have lids that are open, and some have evolved to sit on the ground and actually collect the rainwater as part of their process of prey capture.

[@zect556]

I got nepenthes Miranda, are dried sphagnum moss and perlite good for the plants?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Nepenthes aren't all that fussy when it comes to media - unlike many other carnivorous plants. Sphagnum and perlite have traditionally been used, but you can use coir or coconut husks too and they'll do just as well, in my experience.

[@zect556]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 I will try your mix for next repot, to reduce moss usage, kinda expensive here, thanks!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Watch this one where I repot one of mine and show you exactly what I use. This plant is now thriving with loads of new large pitchers. Here’s the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXism6pqd96KY68

[@StuartCrabtree]

Am I okay watering with rain water that has landed in a bucket?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah so long as it hasn't gone stagnant. Another thing to watch out for would be fly larva if it's open to the elements. I have a covered barrel that collects rain from the roof - and it's filtered through an old sock before I use it! I'm sure very small critters will get through, but so far (4 years) it's worked pretty well. Although every so often I'll drop some mosquito dunks in it.

[@BlaisZeroni]

I wonder why those varieties are so expensive in the UK, I can get the bloody mary, gaya, rebecca here (in the netherlands) for €15-20 for a medium/large size. You should try a ventrata if you can get it, it grows fastest of all on my windowsill! The rarer ones are terribly expensive though, I would love to have a veitchii or hamata one day but for that kind of money I just don’t dare trying them out on a windowsill... I think us experimental growers with odd conditions should start sending each other free cuttings to swap, lol. My bloody mary is still a small baby so no cuttings, otherwise I would send you one. Question though: if you cut the vines will you ever get to enjoy any upper pitchers?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah I can only assume it's because they're very slow to grow, and take many years of expensive growing conditions to produce. But who knows? I have a small ventrata already - it's doing OK but still pretty slow for me. I'd love some of the species, but I'm not paying the inflated prices being asked for something that might not survive - much like you. I did actually get a Blood Mary a couple of months back and it seems pretty vigorous. It's a great idea to swap cuttings - I'd be up for it. And yeah, no upper pitchers for me for a while yet...🤷‍♂️

[@LarryLourcey]

Great info- thanks!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad it was helpful, Larry. 😀

[@daisyrose7796]

Wonderfully helpful!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you and good luck with your Nepenthes. 😀

[@daisyrose7796]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Thanks so much 🤗 Can you enlighten me if you have a video on your channel that talks about repotting a Nepenthes and what mixture/ingredients you use??

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@daisyrose7796 I think a nepenthes re-pot is about the only video I haven't made yet - but I'm sure I'll do one eventually. Nepenthes aren't that fussy when it comes to growing medium. I would suggest long-fibred sphagnum and orchid bark with maybe some perlite (as suggested by Peter D'amato in the carnivorous plants 'bible'). But they'll do fine in many mixes providing it's open, loose and airy, retains some moisture but allows drainage. That's why hanging baskets are so good for them.

[@daisyrose7796]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 You’re awesome!! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply 🙂 stay safe 🌻

[@nielsmit2947]

Hi, just wanted to hear, are nepenthes and sarracenia very different in terms of care and conditions or if i can keep an sarracenia alive I’ll be able to keep a nepenthes alive?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Very different. Nepenthes are tropical - Sarracenia are temperate. That doesn't mean you can't grow them both, though. I do.

[@nielsmit2947]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 I’ll maybe do some research and get me a few to try it out. I do grow sundews, venus fly traps and sarracenia and they all do fine outdoor jn full sun

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

That's because they're all temperate. It depends where you're planning to keep them. Frost will kill them outright. This might help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmLZeZRmqtJno8U

[@nielsmit2947]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 thank you, atleast I live in South Africa so no frost here.

[@stevetaylor6714]

It`s good listening to a English accent but greetings from the Philippines, I collect water from the roof in a drum actually at the moment its the rainy season so my Nepenthese are happy outside not in direct sunlight Humidity here is around 85% everyday so no problem there. I believe I`m right in saying the Philippines is home to largest number of Nepenthese including N.attenboughrii but I have to grow Lowland spp its too hot for the Highlanders where I live

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah you're in one of the best places for them. It's funny how we always want to grow the thing we can't - I've tried several Lowlanders but all eventually succumbed to the cold and low light levels. I'll stick with highland and mixed hybrids!

[@vsocarras27]

How long does it take for it to produce pitchers

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

An impossible question to answer with any accuracy. It so much depends on the maturity of the plant and of course, the conditions it's in - and then there's what kind of hybrid or species it is...the list goes on. I can tell you that my more mature plants continue producing pitchers all through winter, just not as quickly as in summer. The juvenile plants are much slower, which is generally true of all Nepenthes. But in very very general terms, you should be seeing growth from one month to another. (My fastest growing, most mature hybrids have each produced a couple of pitchers over this last 3 months.)

[@vsocarras27]

Thanks appreciate it

[@themetalone7739]

Just got a Bloody Mary nepenthes today. Thanks for the tips!

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Lovely plant - good luck with it!

[@Joey-vw1id]

Great video it taught me everything to get me started 😊💚🌱 What about having them under a grow light all day

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

They’ll love it! Mine are.

[@Joey-vw1id]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 good because I didn't want to change my set up too much! Thank you 😊

[@sean2val]

I just water mine with tap water and pot them in cymbidium orchid mix and they grow great

[@iBLaCKOuTxZ]

Can you feed them fertilizer i heard Osmocote? Can anyone tell me if its okay lol?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

According to one the industry's 'standard' books on Nepenthes culture (Insect eaters by Adrian Slack) and I quote, "Unlike most carnivorous plants, Nepenthes benefit greatly from feeding. This may be in the form of a high-nitrogen liquid feed applied to the roots weekly in summer, monthly in winter, or as a foliar feed at a quarter strength, applied to the foliage in a spray." Personally, I do the spray thing with about 200 ppm rain Mix orchid feed. I haven't personally tried the Osmocote pellets, but on those I've seen do it, the pitcher containing the pellet very quickly dies off - so make your own mind up which method to go for. I hope that helps.

[@iBLaCKOuTxZ]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 okay so i kinda understand so what do you personally recommend ? My question is like what would a fertilizer do if i apply on the Nepenthes ? Also how much water do pitchers need?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@iBLaCKOuTxZ I spray my Neps with about 200 ppm Rain Mix orchid feed. Any general orchid feed will do. I don't add water to pitchers unless it's just arrived through the mail and lost all its fluids. And new pitchers will already have enough digestive liquids as they open up.

[@iBLaCKOuTxZ]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Okay so by 200 ppm you mean using tap water or what do you mean by that ? Sorry for the question i just want to get this straight? Lol

[@iBLaCKOuTxZ]

@@Grow_Up_Man55 Also what if i myself add insects to the pitchers for it to use it as fertilizer?

[@buggsy5]

The one thing I have noticed with low humidities is that more pitcher bud abort.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah, I imagine really low humidities, (below 35% over a matter of days), would have that effect. In my environment, that's almost never the case. Humidity where I live in the UK is rarely below 70%.

[@inco-gneito7543]

I know it's not recommended, but when any leaves on my nepenthes turn yellow I tear the leaf off at the stem. When the pitchers are at least half way browned due to old age I cut them of at the tip of the leaf, and when that leaf starts to die I pull it off at the stem as well. Also any leaf that is very small and doesn't produce a pitcher I remove. Since doing this, every leaf that all of my nepenthes have produced have produced bigger and bigger pitchers. Also the leaves are much bigger as well as many are producing basal shoots as well. I have done the same thing with my sarracenia and have the same results. Maybe luck or maybe the plants are maturing. No clue but it is working for me. Sure there are only 4 leaves on the nepenthes, but they are big, and the pitchers are big and the plant is still growing rapidly. I do not recommend what I am doing by any means.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

If it works for you then carry on! I also cut off the dead leaves and pitchers. Glad to hear yours are doing so well. 😁

[@AWiz-lx8lh]

Why Don’t you get a Tropical Reptile Heat Lamp In there? That would Heat it Up Nicely In The Winter.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I used to have 4 heat strips - same principle as a heat lamp but around 4 to 6 feet long. They were on 24/7. I bought a gadget that records cost per KWH and did a cost analysis on them. It turned out they were way more expensive than running a 2.5KW fan heater with a thermostatic controller. So I've stuck with the fan heaters and more insulation ever since.🤷‍♂️

[@AWiz-lx8lh]

Well. Thanks So Much for Your Video. My Pitcher Plant Looks Healthy. It Just Isn’t Growing Pitchers. I’m Gonna Go with the Water Every Day First and I Might Just Put it on a Tray of Moistened Pebbles to Increase Humidity. When you say, Cut the Vines, What are you Referring to? Mine is Big but I Don’t See Any Vines.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@AWiz-lx8lh I'd say the biggest factors for pitchers are maximum amounts of light (not direct sun) and foliar feeding with dilute orchid feed. Many growers (including Adrian Slack) rate humidity as negligible - assuming of course you water regularly and don't let the media dry out. Nepenthes are vining plants. all the new growth goes into the plant growing further and further upwards as it would in climbing a tree. I stop mine from doing that by cutting off any upwards growth so I can get the lower pitchers which are easier to form. Once I've got lots of lower pitchers (which I have at present) then I can let it vine upwards and if I'm lucky I might some some uppers, which can be very different in form. Good luck!

[@deborahsykesvaughn9280]

How to cut off brown hard pitchers

[@el4174]

💎

[@isaacmanning2253]

I can get some nepenthes for £5-£25 👍 love them

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Do tell! 😁

[@deeSK8er]

I do not pamper them at all….. water from the garden hose , some in regular potting soil and there thriving, and a new HB, doesn’t have a name, So I am experiencing with that one it’s very different . It like more light, than my other ones. It’s a dropper not an upright, leaves are 15-16 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. The pitchers are huge and getting bigger… 12+ inches unbelievable. It’s got green and red variegated pitchers, simply amazing. I water once a week and mist once every day. I live in Hawaii, so it’s warm and fairly humid. It’s all an experiment esp. the new one. I have been growing them for 21 years and propagate the one kind I have and give them as gifts to people. I love them….. the new one will be a bit of a challenge as it is very different…..but so far .. so good , haven’t transplanted them yet, but have figured out they needed more light than the other kind I have. 😁

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

You’re growing in very different conditions to me so I expect the care to also be different. Light and temperatures play a huge part - and those two factors are naturally lacking in my growing environment. The actual species it hybrid also matters, as there are nepenthes from very different conditions in the world. Glad to hear yours are doing well for you. 😁

[@deeSK8er]

I love them, so I will keep moving them around to see what happens. I bought 3 of the new same kind so I could experiment, 1 is doing great, east location , 3 pitchers, the second not pitchering at all but growing , only a few feet away from the other one that has 3 pitchers..,,, so maybe too much light, or heat under cover east location, and the 3rd one is a undercover west location with 1 pitcher so I’m a little confused wish I new the name of it. Is there someway I can get a picture of it to you?? Aloha Dee 😊

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

@@deeSK8er I don't believe Nepenthes can have too much light - too much sun perhaps - in which case the leaves turn red which will tell you of the problem. I doubt too much heat either. Are you keeping them moist? Are you fertilising or do they catch their own prey? What media do you have them in? You can email photos but I'd rather respond here so other can use the information too. My email address is the ABOUT section - can't write it here or I'll be spammed by millions of bots!

[@deeSK8er]

Thanks for more info. I do have red leaves …so they are burning, it’s summer and when I bought them it wasn’t . I believe I need to water more they do dry out. The sun here is really hot, and the shade is really warm/hot to. Climate change . Every year sun is hotter. The sun is also getting lower in the sky….fall/winter is coming..Nov. I’ve been here 21 years. I moved them around today. more shade , less heat and I-will water mid week see if that helps. I looked again at the sticker on the container.. that I took off and it said SHADE..and med. water..so that probably is some of the problem. The other variety I have ,is doing great, and I don’t know what kind that is either, but it’s a climber, this new one is a hybrid and seems not to be. I will try to reach you another way and send you some pictures. Aloha Dee

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

They should never really dry out at all. One sure way to kill any Nepenthes existing Nepenthes pitchers is to let the roots dry out. (Also they don't want to be sitting in water either!) If you go to my channel and click on the ABOUT section you can find my email address there. :)@@deeSK8er

[@meganwhite721]

I bought a nice starter with some new shoots growing from the base. But when I was learning more about them I realized at the end of the leaf where there was supposed to be a pitcher was a dried up leaf tip instead! Would you suggest I cut the plant back to encourage new leaves to form and hopefully pitchers at the end?

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I would only cut it back if it's started to form a vine. By far the main factor in pitcher production is light - give it as much as you can (not sun through glass). Obviously temperature and watering need to be correct too!

[@NickanM]

These plants are so cool, the not so cool thing is that I've killed three. 😵

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Just the one cadaver for me... so far!

[@heathernicholson3080]

When it is raining a put a plastic bucket outside and catch the rain for my plants

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Yeah that's a great idea! I collect mine in barrels from the garage and greenhouse roofs.

[@KarenBailey-o5h]

Why has my pitches turned black

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Could be many reasons but they don’t last forever. They naturally die off after a certain length of time.

[@berniewray1622]

What is vining

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

Sending out long thin shoots with few leaves - for the purposes of climbing and attaching to something to climb up.

[@charles3951-t4v]

Things don't evolve, they are created by God all mighty. Your car didn't just appear, it was designed and created.

[@Grow_Up_Man55]

I respectfully disagree - but comments aren't for arguing religion or politics!🤣 I hope you found the video useful.😃

[@loladas9]

You clearly haven't evolved

[@strangegreenthing]

Cars evolved to lol, different iterations of vehicles selected for desirable traits over a long period of time since the first cars until we got what we have today. Lmao.