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Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:58 am
by fattytuna
So I bought this N. ventrata a week ago and it does not look its best. Some of the pitchers have blackened and the leaves do not look very strong. (and yes, I do know this is normal for a newly purchased plant that is trying to adapt to new surroundings). I want it to recover fast and I was thinking... what is a good amount of light for N. ventrata; pick one of the following (or add your own!):

- Bright indirect light (as in like a windowsill)
- 3 hours of direct sun, the rest of the time in not dark, not bright shade
- full sun
- dappled sun light (like under a not very dense tree)

People say partial sunlight is good, but what exactly is partial sunlight.

Anyway, the point is that I am planning to move it to my bright windowsill. The rays of the sun do not fall upon it as this time of year, but I will still call it very bright. Would this highly adaptable and relatively tough species be all right with that?

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:43 am
by Daniel_G
I keep mine on a soth facing windowsill, and it pitchers from spring to autumn usually.
I have two larger ones, on on a west facing windowsill, and its producing waxy leaves, and on, small-ish pitchers, trying to see when i get some more.

With neps the more the better, just don't let them scorch

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:50 am
by snapperhead51
fattytuna wrote:So I bought this N. ventrata a week ago and it does not look its best. Some of the pitchers have blackened and the leaves do not look very strong. (and yes, I do know this is normal for a newly purchased plant that is trying to adapt to new surroundings). I want it to recover fast and I was thinking... what is a good amount of light for N. ventrata; pick one of the following (or add your own!):

- Bright indirect light (as in like a windowsill)
- 3 hours of direct sun, the rest of the time in not dark, not bright shade
- full sun
- dappled sun light (like under a not very dense tree)

People say partial sunlight is good, but what exactly is partial sunlight.

Anyway, the point is that I am planning to move it to my bright windowsill. The rays of the sun do not fall upon it as this time of year, but I will still call it very bright. Would this highly adaptable and relatively tough species be all right with that?


Would help to know where you are because the climate in most important to neps .! as they are tropical plant and need reasonably suitable conditions to do well
let start there first so a good lot of info can be posted for you or go to the tutorials and read up of nepenthe care
J

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:33 am
by fattytuna
I live in Sydney. The weather hovers around 26 degrees in Summer, although it reaches lower 30's on the hotter days. Humidity is around 60% on most days. My window is north facing, so it receives full direct sunlight from mid autumn to mid spring. During winter, the temperature is around 20 degrees and humidity, dry. I plan to keep in inside on a direct sun windowsill during winter.

I do not keep it in a greenhouse. Right now, it receives about 2-3 hours of sunlight before the light goes away, when it goes into shade. I have a very healthy Drosera binata next to it.

I know that nepenthes come from equatorial regions, but since N. ventrata is said to be reasonably forgiving, I thought it would be alright when it comes to humidity and heat. It has developed a largish healthy looking pitcher since I got it, so I suppose its okay (I meant to say several weeks in the initial post). The leaves are not waxy, if anything a more yellow green and dryish looking. It is developing new leaves but doing so slowly.

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:44 am
by snapperhead51
OK I am in Adelaide, so know your climate well , just grow it out side mate , under a tree or some dapple shade will do well , your climate will suite it with the subtropical weather you have , may be protect it from hail and heavy rain , ,should be fine , pitchers die off naturally , and usually when transfered to a new location ,but will bounce back once it adapts to it new environment ,
where did you buy it from ?
J

as a reference I refer you to this post i did a while back , all though mine are in a very large green house , its clear roofing and no shade cloth even now on the 40 c plus days ,but it is air conditioned and auto misting too
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/amoun ... t8940.html

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:05 pm
by Myarocks
Direct sunlight burnt my plant. I now keep it under gro lights only but I also live in a part of the world that it could freeze sitting on my windowsill:( It took a long time to pitchure compared to my other Neps, (Its just forming pitchures now and i got it on Oct. 15th 2011) I also started fertilizing it a month and a half ago now using Better gro Orchid plus no urea 20-14-13 as soon as I started fertilizing at a 1/4 strength recommeneded dose, directly to the soil on the 1st and 15th of the month rinsing with pure water every 2 days after I fertilize to flush it, thats when the pitchures started forming again (Finally!) beleive me I tried everything before like humidifyer on it for hours etc...but nothing worked. N. Ventrata is the fussiest plant Ive ever had.

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:37 pm
by jaester
Myarocks wrote:Direct sunlight burnt my plant. I now keep it under gro lights only but I also live in a part of the world that it could freeze sitting on my windowsill:( It took a long time to pitchure compared to my other Neps, (Its just forming pitchures now and i got it on Oct. 15th 2011) I also started fertilizing it a month and a half ago now using Better gro Orchid plus no urea 20-14-13 as soon as I started fertilizing at a 1/4 strength recommeneded dose, directly to the soil on the 1st and 15th of the month rinsing with pure water every 2 days after I fertilize to flush it, thats when the pitchures started forming again (Finally!) beleive me I tried everything before like humidifyer on it for hours etc...but nothing worked. N. Ventrata is the fussiest plant Ive ever had.
Ahh! Sounds exactly my story! I just bought the same exact fertilizer, so I will follow your regimen! I see little nubs forming on about 7 tendrils since I've placed them under my LED grow light approx. 3 weeks ago. The pitchers are forming but quite slow; Then again, they are in a 3 tier greenhouse in my garage, so the low temps might be the reason for the slow growth. Low temps vary from high 40's to mid 50's and humidity stays around 80-95% in the hothouse. Perhaps I should get rid of the greenhouse and try the fertilizer method instead? Snapperhead, can you weigh in? ;)

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:41 am
by snapperhead51
the great thing living here is we do not have to worry about snow or freezing our plants at any time , yer sure they get cold in winter , but in the green house its very reasonable , we don't get temps that go below zero at any time in winter , being in a temperate zone is the best out side of the high land Borneo climate for neps other than subtropical ,I think most people would be quite shocked if they saw first hand how much light these neps acutally get in the wild , is why i do not use any shade cloth at all !!
so my interpretation of growing conditions will vary much from most that live where snow and below 0 temps occurs, I go for the way i see it in Borneo , when i go there to study these plants , and try to emulate that condition here in my green house , is why i get the results i do!!.
as for fert's you have it right no ureas is best for neps , i use focus , full strength , no need to dilute it , and you don't need to flush your plant out after fertilizing too there is no need the plant will use the food as it need it , good air flow will increase the absorption of nutrients naturally if you know how
they feed !! but in that you need a good watering program too, ,mine get misting from 7.30am to 6.30 pm very 2 hours for aproxx 3 to 4 min each day , pluss hand watering evey day,to plants or the lot as required , ,for humidity ,watering , and high evaperation rate from the huge air flow i have in the green house.
J

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:35 am
by fattytuna
Thanks everyone for your help. The plant has grown a new leaf and looks to be pretty healthy.

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:59 am
by Ae9803
Awesome! Im glad to hear that!

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:15 am
by hegory
My fertilizer has urea, and they seem to do fine! this isn't some wimpy obsessed hobbyists plant, that you practicaly have to talk to, these are tough plants.

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:47 am
by snapperhead51
hegory wrote:My fertilizer has urea, and they seem to do fine! this isn't some wimpy obsessed hobbyists plant, that you practicaly have to talk to, these are tough plants.
I to used fert with urea in for many many years, its not a case of the plant being weak its what they do well with , think if you try it you will be very supprsed!!

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:12 am
by hegory
I just might! what do you use John? I have never tried coffee ferting, any tips?

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:58 pm
by Ae9803
Meh, I dont recommend fertilizing at all :\

Re: Amount of light for N. ventrata

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:03 am
by hegory
I can't get mine to pitcher without fertilizing!