Both in the same substrate, same watering, same light and bought nearly the same time. Not however from the same company. Any ideas as to the differences? One has 2-3 nice size pitchers, few leaves and the leaves are not healthy and often discolored. The other has lots of nice orange pitchers filled with leaves and the leaves are actually darker than in the pics to follow. Sorry but I cannot post multiple pics and have no idea why.
Cheryl
sad plant
happy plant
They are both sanguinia (sp?)
This is off topic but related. I bought three new Nepanthes and all are tiny plants which have started making tiny pitchers. So far so good. Two are ventricosa and one is a common hybrid whose name I can't recall. I know its small but does anyone know what this one might be? I think it gets rather large when mature.
C
Seems to me it's the company you bought the weak one from then that raised it badly. IF all things are equal as far as care goes. Hard to say for certain though.
It's a mystery I guess. I have had these plants for almost 4 years now.
C
These plants are 4 years old? Are these cuttings that you have taken from 4 year old plants? Or are these actually 4 years old? I'm confused!
The first two plants pictured are 4 years old. I know they are small.
Cheryl,
Do you know if they are from the same clone? Have you been growing them identically? When is the last time you transplanted them?
Not sure about the same clone but see above for your answers. Only difference is they were ordered from different companies all else is the same.
C
Hi Cheryl,
I did read the entire thread before asking my questions.
It's a mystery I guess. I have had these plants for almost 4 years now.
C
Alright, I am bored. If you provide a little more information we could perhaps help you diagnose this. It could be genetics, it could be cultivation, it could plant pathology, it could be a bunch of things. And just for clarification, I reread the entire thread again before posting this. If I am asking about something it is because the information you have provided is not completely clear to me and I would appreciate some clarification.
"Have you been growing them identically?"
You had originally said:
1) Both in the same substrate
(Please read my question below on this)
2) same watering
(Could you describe how you are watering them, what type of water, how is it administered, how frequently)
3) same light
(literally the same light and same location or same intensity, I am more interested here in whether the spectrum is the same and if the location is the same. Chances are the lighting is not the issue if they have the same intensity but you never know)
4) bought nearly the same time. Not however from the same company.
Could you also comment on temperature and humidity- especially temperatures in the day and in the evenings. What about air flow. All of these things can make a difference with nepenthes.
"When is the last time you transplanted them?"
This was never answered anywhere in this thread, never addressed. It could make a difference. Also, could you clarify, are they in the same substrate that you bought them in? You said same soil- does this mean same type of soil or literally you mixed up a soil mix and transplanted them into it? What about soil density?
I apologize if I sound rude, that is not my intent but you gave us very little actual information to work with. When I asked for some clarification you did not really provide any. You sort of threw my question back in my face. Water, light, and soil are very important with any plant but are not the entire picture- especially with nepenthes. When talking about nepenthes you definitely have to consider temperature as they can be temperature sensitive (admitedly, N. sanguinea is reportedly more tolerant, I do not have one myself), humidity can play a role as well (I have done some experiments which confirm that the effect of humidity on some highland species is significant).
Also, if you already know all of this, I apologize for repeating what you already know but I have no idea who you are and do not know what you know. I am completely going off of the information presented in this thread.
By the way, what soil is that? Is it long fibered sphagnum or something else? Do you let it dry out between waterings or keep it moist?
Hey Cheryl,
My trial is running out in 3 days so I am making my last comments so to speak. I apologize if I came across rude- I think we may have gotten off to a bad start. The unfortunate truth about the internet is all you see is the literal written word and not the rest of the stuff that goes into communication. My sincere apologies for any offense I may have caused.
Here is what I think is going on with your nepenthes. Again, I am unsure of what you know about nepenthes, and I am unsure of how you are growing them, so I am throwing all of my thoughts out there and making few assumptions.
If those plants are really 4 years old, they are much smaller than I would tend to expect. As I mentioned before, I do not have a plant which has been sold to me as N. sanguinea, so my experience with it is limited (I do have an unnamed plant which I strongly suspect is a sanguinea but am not sure- I have had it a year and it is already larger than the one on the right). Both of those plants appear to be a bit uncomfortable to me. My strong suspicion is that the issue is not that one is healthier than the other, but rather both are a bit uncomfortable and one is more resilient to the condition then the other. They both look yellower than I would expect a Nepenthes to look. Its hard to really diagnose what the problem is without more information. The fact that they are pitchering is a very good sign. My gut instinct is it is one of a couple of things:
1) Improper water or improper watering (IE too much water). Most nepenthes actually appreciate going a tad bit on the dry side between waterings and can have problems if kept too wet for too long- especially if grown in sphagnum like that. I would test the pH as well.
2) The slow growth would also indicate to me the possibility that they are not getting enough light.
Are you feeding them? If so how much? If you are not feeding them at all, try throwing a bug in one of the pitchers about once every two weeks- no more than that. If you are feeding them more often, I would cut down. Extra feeding may manifest in the yellowing of the leaves but I doubt it personally. Underfeeding is usually very unlikely as nepenthes tend to fare pretty well on their own but its worth checking out.
N. sanguinea is a highland species and as such should appreciate cooler temperatures- especially at night. I suspect temperature is not the problem but if they are staying really warm in the evenings, it might help to cool them off a bit.
I hope this helps. Best of luck, happy growing.
