[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

Evening All,

I dont know if anyone will know the answer to this, but I thought i'd ask anyway.

I have a pitcher plant that got too hot, and all of the pitchers died, and turned brown and crispy.

The foliage was OK, and I have now trimmed it all back (about 4 months ago) and it is glossy and a lovely green colour and keeps producing really strong big new leaves, but it doesnt form any new pitchers, they just dont grow, they get about 2 mm's long and just die, although it doesnt seem to effect the leaf.

Is there anything I can do, or has it lost it pitcher growing MOJO through mishandling?

Regards

Wizzy

[Aunt Sally]

What type of pitcher plant is it?

Tall thin pitchers, short fat ones or the kind that dangle from the end of the leaf.

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

The Dangly type.

Regards

Wizzy

[Aunt Sally]

That type of pitcher plant, the monkey cup (Nepenthes) is quite difficult to grow.  I grow quite a few pitcher plants but not those.

They need quite a high fairly even temperature a minimum of 15-18^oC at night in the winter, and a day time temperature of about 28^oC.  Some species though will not tolerate such fluctuations. They need specific compost, soft water, and a high humidity.  They can do quite well in a terrarium.

Unlike most carnivorous plants they do like a bit of feeding.  High nitrogen liquid feed but applied in a specific way.

Unless you can provide all of these they will not produce pitchers.

If you want more specific advice see if the plant label has the name of the plant on it.  I could give you a bit more specific advice then.

[Aunt Sally]

I forgot to say that although most carnivorous plants are are bog plants, they like to be wet at the roots, monkey cups don't and must never be sat with their pots in water.

[devonbarmygardener]

My younger cousin grows the tall pitcher type plant - he gave one to our granny and hers has done so much better than his!

She keeps hers on the windowsill and her front room is at a fairly constant temperature, so it doesn't get a chance to dry out. 

Jack's going to be so cross when he gets back from uni this easter and sees how great her plant looks now!