FlyTrapCare Forums

Hey everyone, a few days ago I received a small nepenthes hamata, it’s grow tip and some of the leaves were black but I thought that It was simply damage caused by the long shipping times. After a few days I saw that the leaves were getting worse and after doing some research I realised that it was very likely root rot, I then checked the roots (that seemed fine to me) cut the black grow tip and the dead leaves and changed the potting media using sphagnum moss and perlite. Here’s some photos, do you think it is gonna make it? Do you have any advice? Thanks and sorry if I did something wrong, I’m new to the forum.

Could just be shock from the shipping process, but there are many factors.
Was it shipped bare root or potted?
Was it dry when you received it?
What are your current growing conditions? (Inside, outside, temp, humidity, light exposure, watering schedule, etc.)
A picture is worth a thousand words, but a few more words might help.

Thanks! So the plant arrived potted in some moist sphagnum moss. I grow my highland nepenthes indoors in a large terrarium with some red, blue and white led lights in addition to some natural bright light and I keep the humidity quite high by misting the plants 2 times a day and by spraying water in the whole terrarium (now I’m avoiding spraying directly on my N. Hamata); the day temperatures are usually around 80f while at night I reach 60/61f by placing some ice bottles in the terrarium; I usually water the plants when I notice that the top of the soil is dry, then I put a finger in it to understand if it is moist enough, since I started suspecting that the plant was suffering from root rotting I tried to be more careful when watering it.

It could still be root rot, terrariums can hold the water and you don't know it. Other than that, it seems like you're doing good by it. It is likely mostly due to shipping. Give it a couple of weeks, it should come back around. Neps are kinda slow to recover, be patient.
That being said, maybe someone with a bit more experience with Neps will chime in with some help.
Good luck.

Terrariums are very bad for Neps. Sitting in water is not good for them, also they will outgrow the terrarium unless it is very very big. 100% RH also isn’t good(Which I assume a terrarium would provide), I would open the terrarium once or twice a day so the humidity lowers, 85-95% RH is best.

Unfortunately the terrarium is the only way I have of growing them, I will spray water in it less frequently and I will open it a couple of times during the day as you suggested, hoping that the plant will recover well and that its roots are not rotting, thank you a lot .

maybe drill a hole in the bottom?

I thought about it but then I decided to buy some net pots, they will surely help with drainage, thanks .

Joshuamarshall792 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:27 pm

Marco37 wrote:Hey everyone, a few days ago I received a small nepenthes hamata, it’s grow tip and some of the leaves were black but I thought that It was simply damage caused by the long shipping times. After a few days I saw that the leaves were getting worse and after doing some research I realised that it was very likely root rot, I then checked the roots (that seemed fine to me) cut the black grow tip and the dead leaves and changed the potting media using sphagnum moss and perlite. Here’s some photos, do you think it is gonna make it? Do you have any advice? Thanks and sorry if I did something wrong, I’m new to the forum.

Don't give up!! I know many people with crispy dead neps and they came right back! If you take a leaf cutting and try again it would probably do well and I don't suggest any terrariums of some sort they induce rot, get a new pot new media and water the cutting when it is starting to get a little less damp, and keep it OUT of that water tray!

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Why in the world would you take a leaf cutting?

Joshuamarshall792 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:33 pm So it can root and start out a new plant???

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A simple leaf cutting does not work with a Nep. You need a couple leaves and section of vine that contains a dormant bud at the axis of a leaf. Then it can take several weeks or months for that vine to root and the bud to grow.
I don't think there is enough there to try that, you need to do as much as possible with what you have to get it to survive.

For now the leaves aren’t blackening or getting worse so I hope it was simply due to shipping.

Marco37 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:41 pm For now the leaves aren’t blackening or getting worse so I hope it was simply due to shipping.

Soon you’ll probably see a new growth point(or a few) emerging from a little above the base of a leaf.