So far, I've been adding water to the pitchers to keep them filled, as well
as watering the slatted 8" cedar basket that it is planted in. In addition
to the bugs I catch, the Nepenthes has been catching many (3-4 per pitcher)
yellowjackets in its summer spot outside my front door. The rainwater seems
to be very beneficial too.
I was intrigued by the way that the pitchers filled with 2-3 cc of liquid
_before_ they opened. Does Nepenthes draw water from the pitchers in
drought conditions? Or does it only derive nutrients from the pitchers? My
speculation is that Nepenthes (mine anyway) tries to maintain a sort of
fluid balance between the leaves, roots, pitchers, and growing tips,
drawing water from wherever it can.
Is it ok to add water to the young pitchers, or should I let the liquid
that appears do its work first?
Thanks for your comments,
Steve Hilles...Hilles@igc.apc.org.....Hampton Bays, NY U.S.A.