Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 23:50:09 EDT From: Necropsy69@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2194$foo@default> Subject: Re: Help save my Nepenthes
>It's not a very big plant - it's only got 11 leaves total, but it's lost
>about 4 pitchers in the last month or so. Is this normal? The pitcher
>that's turning brown now is the only one that had reddened up fully -
>The last few healthy ones still haven't gone fully red around the
>peristome.
The description you provided sounds very normal, actually. As a Nepenthes
plant grows in length, the lower leaves, or better yet, the older leaves and
pitchers begin to die off, since the pitchers only last about 1-2 months after
opening. It's very natural, and it happens with almost every genus and species
of carnivorous plants. The leaves that are dying on your plant were probably
there for quite some time, so there's really nothing to worry about. As the
older leaves die, younger leaves and pitchers will form from the top,
replacing the leaves that died. As long as there are new leaves and pitchers
growing, you should be fine. Make sure to remove the leaves that have died,
because dead tissue usually provides an ideal spot for fungi and bacteria.
Aside to this, I can't really think of any other causes, because you mentioned
that you spray the plants daily, and that you don't use fertilizer. But, just
in case there is a problem, I'm gonna ask you a couple questions: Do you keep
the plants in a large container? I mean, is it really crammed? Make sure to
cut the plant back when it has grown too large, and don't ever overdo the
conditions you're providing for the plant, because it may eventually cause the
plant to become very "weak" and unstable, and also very vulnerable to
infection, which could directly cause the plant to loose leaves and pitchers.
Also, make sure you don't allow the conditions within the container to change
contantly, because Nepenthes can't tolerate volatile atmospheres. They like
their conditions constant. If you need anything else, or want to ask any other
questions, let me know.
See ya
Behrad
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