FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

TrapsAndDews wrote:Do they grow faster or slower than flytraps? As in, how fast do they put out new leaves?

That depends on the nep. A common Ventrata can put out a new leaf every week. A Fusca can take 3 months...
In comparison with flytraps, I think neps grow slower but their traps last longer.

I make my media by wetting LFSM and mixing it with perlite. I start my plants in 5.25in pots. my pots sit on plastic jar lids to give the pot a lift so when i over water it is not wicked back into the pots. I do not like to water my plants more than twice a week, when plants get so large that the use more water i go up on the pot size. More media holds more water.

this is what a freshly potted plant of mine looks like.


I do dome the plants to adjust to my house humidity, so they do not cry. (this is also how i root most plants out of water)


I take my plants out side in the summer after things stay above 50F. In the winter they stay in a west facing window. Take into account i do not buy any really picky plants.

Thanks for the advice. Very appreciated.

TrapsAndDews wrote:How much water do Nepenthes need?

Maybe about two cups a week. Nepenthes don't like to keep their feet wet, so you water them thoroughly and then let them dry out a bit between waterings. Typically two or three times a week. If you can grow some live sphagnum on top, it'll help show you when it dries out.

TrapsAndDews wrote:Also, what kind soil and pot size should they have?

Typically good sphagnum moss makes up the base. No peat moss. From there it depends on the type of nepenthes and how frequently you are prone to watering. If you water frequently (3 times a week) you'll want to add in a healthy dose of perlite and orchid bark. If you water less frequently (1 or 1.5 times a week) a heavier does of sphagnum to perlite is helpful. Small nepenthes typically grow in a 4" pot. Medium in a 6-8" pot. Large in a 10" pot. Give or take. There are some photos of nepenthes growing in 55 gallon trash cans, but those are the exceptions. Because nepenthes like to dry out between waterings, I use net pots. But that depends on your conditions (not required).

TrapsAndDews wrote:How fast do they grow?

It really depends on the nepenthes and it's conditions. Some are super slow to grow. I've had a hamata for 6 months and it probably put out two leaves in that time frame. Most put out probably 1 leaf per month or so. Some of the more vigorous growers (sanguinea for me) will put out a leaf every 10 days or so. If you get a small nepenthes it will typically stay in the smaller stage for 2-5 years. Then it'll start typically vining. It doesn't need to (you can trim it at that point).

But if the nepenthes really likes its conditions it can take off. I put a nepenthes in a fishbowl terrarium at work and it grew from about 3 or 4 inches to filling out the bowl in 10 months. I took it out and replaced it with another nepenthes, and the same thing happened.

Generally speaking, nepenthes doesn't like to be repotted frequently. It is notorious for pitching a fit when it's roots are disturbed. Meaning it freezes in place and refuses to grow for a period of time. Less picky plants will pout for a month. More picky plants will pout for up to a year. So leave it's roots alone. Pot it up, and let it do it's thing. If the plant is sucking up water frequently, then it's telling you it needs a bigger pot. Otherwise (unless the medium started to break down) leave it be.

Thanks for all the info.

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 12:14 am Ok. Thanks.

Do they grow faster or slower than flytraps? As in, how fast do they put out new leaves?

That depends on what species. Some grow slower than a mountains height, while others put out new pitchers every week. If you're talking about x Ventrata (Ventricosa x Alata) then it should grow at around the same pace as an actively growing flytrap.

The tendrils get bigger as the leaf progresses, starting as fuzzy matchstick-looking things on the tip of the leaf, which eventually grow into pitchers in a matter of 1 week up to 6 months.

So yeah, there's a lot of variables when growing Neps comparing to your conditions. Oftentimes, hybrids and species marked for Intermediate conditions accept a wide range of temperatures and humidity, and will often prefer household conditions (around 75F and 50 percent RH°).

That's nice to know. I think I once saw a Nepenthes at Lowes. Is it better to get them online? I know that the the containers the plants are in at Lowes are only temporary. Are the plants still healthy from there?

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:44 am That's nice to know. I think I once saw a Nepenthes at Lowes. Is it better to get them online? I know that the the containers the plants are in at Lowes are only temporary. Are the plants still healthy from there?

Usually not, they can often be nurtured back to health but yes, it is much better to buy online. www.carnivero.com is one of the best online Nepenthes retailers, and one of the best hybrids you can get from them is 'Diana' (https://www.carnivero.com/collections/t ... 2015793195), an extremely Vigorous and easy to grow nep at a relatively low price.

I'll probably consider getting one. I like doing one thing at a time. First I started growing flytraps. Currently I'm growing Sundews. Pitcher plants will probably be the next thing. I hope my room doesn't get overrun by plants.

TrapsAndDews wrote:That's nice to know. I think I once saw a Nepenthes at Lowes. Is it better to get them online? I know that the the containers the plants are in at Lowes are only temporary. Are the plants still healthy from there?

Avoid Lowes. Often times their plants have been sitting in the death cubes for weeks or months. They can be brought back to life, but it honestly isn't worth the effort and risk.

I'd second www.carnivero.com. I think I've gotten 10 or 11 nepenthes from Drew. He offers really healthy nepenthes at what I believe to be reasonable prices. A few others you can consider are: Florae Collaborative (https://www.floraecollaborative.com/; used to be Native Exotics, and Ryan was awesome to work with, but since the merger into Florae I think things have slipped a little, they push more into marketing, prices have increased and my last two emails to customer service have gone unanswered) or PetFlyTrap.com (not the absolute greatest nepenthes inventory, but customer service team is really helpful in helping you find your first nepenthes in my experience. I got #2 nepenthes from them, and the first "non-common" one).

I'd also second "Diana" as a good starter plant. Another alternative option is to scroll through pages of Carnivero's inventory and click on plants you think look neat and are in your price range, then narrow down to the ones that say "intermediate" growing conditions (and not "highland" or "lowland"). That'll get you in the right ball park. Try to avoid hybrids, or if you do go with a hybrid go with a really common one. That way it will act a little more predictably. If you find one you like, ask here if it's a good starter (and/or use the interactive guide [https://www.carnivorousplants.co.uk/res ... ive-guide/] to see if it will like your household temps). We're happy to help.

TrapsAndDews wrote: I hope my room doesn't get overrun by plants.

It's the eternal struggle.

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 12:14 am Ok. Thanks.

Do they grow faster or slower than flytraps? As in, how fast do they put out new leaves?

Definitely slower for me. It can take a few weeks to form a new pitcher. But I have less than ideal conditions a lot of the year, and they might pick up the pace in a warm humid sunroom.

(Edit: ah whoops, totally didn't see there was a second page to the topic and this question was already answered.)

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:42 pm I was thinking of getting a Nepenthes some day too, but the humidity in our house can go really low. In the summer, the humidity drops as low as 30, occasionally even lower. However, that's the humidity on the first floor. It could be higher on the second floor since moist air goes up. What is the minimum humidity a Nepenthes needs?

If you are vigilant you can also spray down your plants multiple times a day to simulate a higher humidity for the plants.

Thanks, for all the advice. I think I now have a pretty good idea on how to take care of Nepenthes. I'll just bookmark this topic for now.