Care Sheet For Intermediate Nepenthes

Basic Cultivation of Intermediate Nepenthes
Written by Dave Schloat, Modified by Dave Sackett
Nepenthes (old world pitcher plants, sometimes called monkey cups) hail from Southeast Asia, with some
found as far as Madagascar. They grow almost anywhere there is sufficient moisture, from steamy lowland
swamps to right below the frost lines of mountains. We are going to focus on the care of those nepenthes
which grow at somewhat higher altitude than your average jungles, but much of this info will be true for
the whole genus.
The first thing to realize when cultivating nepenthes is that there is variability in difficulty and
cultivation requirements. You have to know a little bit where a given species is found in the wild to
understand their specific needs. I am going to be as general as I can in this article so that you can apply
these ideas to the largest range of species, including the picky ones, so dont be intimidated.
Lighting
Most species of intermediate nepenthes appreciate high levels of diffuse light. Some can take full sun if
they are adapted to it slowly, however it is best to avoid blazing sun (there are exceptions to this rule, but
even those exceptions will grow just fine with the diffuse light). Early morning sun or late evening sun is
fine. I use a 50% shade cloth in the summer for the mid day sun, but try to let some full, natural sun in
under the cloth in the morning. In the winter, the shade cloth comes off because my New York winter sun
is weak at best
You can also use artificial lighting when selecting a light bulb, you have to keep two things in mind
brilliance (measured in foot candles or lumens) and color temperature. Generally speaking, with artificial
lights, you cant get a bulb too bright. With that in mind, it is better to go with compact fluorescent fixtures
as they produce more light per watt of electricity than standard fluorescent fixtures. Try to find a bulb with
a color temperature between 4000 and 6500 K. 5000 is optimum, but bulbs of this temperature are hard to
find. Plants should be about 6 to a foot under compact fixtures, and closer for standard fixtures. I have
used both standard, 4 twin tube fixtures and the compact ones, and I definitely see better results with the
higher light levels from the compact fixtures also, you can fit more of them in the same space to get even
MORE light.
Potting Media
Nepenthes, as with most carnivorous plants, have evolved their carnivorous trait in response to the
environmental pressure of poor soil. Highland Nepenthes (and most lowland, for that matter) prefer loose,
open media (similar to orchids). I used to use pure long fibered sphagnum (LFS for short), but I have
found better results by introducing orchid mix (bark, charcoal, pumiceI buy the pre-mixed orchid mix
from Schultz) into the mixture. I generally go about 2/3 LFS and 1/3 bark mix. This soil mixture allows
water to wash through so air can come back in to the roots; however it still holds enough moisture to keep
the plants happy.
Some people also use coconut husk and coir in their mixes, but these are subject to contamination
(mostly from salt), so should be rinsed thoroughly before use. You should experiment with different media
mixes to see which work best for you. Cypress bark also works well for some growers.
Watering
Nepenthes, being tropical jungle plants, generally prefer to be moist. However, as mentioned in the media
section, they do appreciate air in their roots, too, which means that you should not keep them soaking wet
all the time. The best bet is to keep the media moist by watering every 2 or 3 days, and letting the water
run through.
A note on the water: you should not use tap water unless you have VERY pure water (or a very good
water filter, like reverse osmosis). Tap water generally contains salts, chemicals and lots of dissolved solids
that can build up in the soil media, and eventually stunt or even kill your plant. So try to use rain water,
reverse osmosis filtered water or distilled water as much as possible.
Temperature
An intermediate nepenthes generally grows at elevations between 1000m to 1,500m which makes them a
cooler growing nepenthes, but not as cold-loving as a true highland or ultra-highland plant
Here is the temperature ranges the plants prefer in the wild:
Day: 75-85 / Night: 55-65 F

Day: 24-29 / Night: 13-18 C
It is generally easier to maintain these temperatures in your average household compare to most highland
plant needs.
Here is a list of nepenthes that are classified as intermediate:

Nepenthes sp. Anipahan (1200-1400)
Nepenthes boschiana (1200-1800)
Nepenthes burbidgeae (1200-1800 m)
Nepenthes burkei (1100-2000 m)
Nepenthes chaniana (1100-1800 m)
Nepenthes copelandii (1400-1600 m)
Nepenthes deaniana (1180-1296 m)
Nepenthes epiphytica (1000 m)
Nepenthes eymae (1000-2000 m)
Nepenthes fusca (300-2500 m)
Nepenthes glandulifera (1100-1700 m)
Nepenthes hamiguitanensis (1200-1600 m)
Nepenthes junghuhnii (1220 m)
Nepenthes klossii (1000-2000 m)
Nepenthes leonardoi (1300-1490)
Nepenthes sp. Luzon (1200 m)
Nepenthes maxima Reinw. (40-2600 m)
Nepenthes micramphora (1100-1635 m)
Nepenthes mindanaoensis (0-1400 m)
Nepenthes mollis (1800 m)
Nepenthes palawanensis (1100-1236 m)
Nepenthes paniculata (1460 m)
Nepenthes petiolata (1450-1900)
Nepenthes pilosa (1600 m)
Nepenthes pitopangii (1800 m)
Nepenthes platychila (900-1400 m)
Nepenthes pulchra (1300-1800)
Nepenthes ramispina (900-2000s m)
Nepenthes reinwardtiana (0-2200 m)
Nepenthes rigidifolia (1000-1600 m)
Nepenthes robcantleyi (1500 m)
Nepenthes sanguinea (300-1800 m)
Nepenthes sibuyanensis (1250-1500 m)
Nepenthes stenophylla (800-2600 m)
Nepenthes tentaculata (400-2550 m)
Nepenthes tenuis (1000-1200 m)
Nepenthes tobaica (380-1800 m)
Nepenthes ventricosa (1000-2000 m)
Nepenthes vogelii (1000-1500 m)
Humidity
ALL Nepenthes grow best in high humidity. Some varieties adapt very well to lower levels..and some
dont. Highland nepenthes are generally more forgiving of daytime drops in humidity so long as it gets
really humid at night. But its still better to keep the humidity up all the time. Days at least 70% and nights
over 80% is optimum.
Also, Nepenthes are creatures of habit. They like a stable environment. Humidity fluctuation should
be avoided if possible (day to day, that is.if every day is 75% and every night is 85%, thats not
considered fluctuation). Sometimes just moving nepenthes can get them to sulk (stop growing as fast as
they were).
Combine these factors, and unless you live somewhere with constantly high humidity, you are better
off either growing them in a greenhouse or in a terrarium. Now, dont panic. There are plenty of species
and hybrids which do adapt very well to less than stellar conditions. N. ventricosa, as I mentioned above,
will grow well just about anywhere (I have one growing out of control on my front step). Every species is
a little different. If you follow these guidelines, though, you can grow just about all of them.
To avoid mold and fungus in this necessarily highly humid environment, you should try to get some air
circulation around your plants dont seal the terrarium completely, or, as some people I know do, you can
rig up a computer fan in the tank (I just leave the tank about 10% uncovered, and it seems to do the trick).
In a greenhouse, an oscillating fan is useful.
Fertilizing
It is generally not necessary to fertilize neps though its fun to FEED them. Remember, these are
carnivorous plants, so they have evolved to absorb their required nutrients from their victims. Feeding
plant will help if grow better.
However, if you grow your plants in a tank, or you simply dont have a lot of insects flying around,
you certainly can fertilize your Nepenthes. The rule of thumb is to use orchid fertilizer, but mix is the
recommended strength for orchids also, you would only do this once a month instead of three times.
You can also use slow release fertilizer like Osmacote again, however, you have to use much less
than the recommend dose. Too much fertilizer will burn a Nepenthes roots. You can also find slow release
fertilizer specifically for Nepenthes at online nurseries like the Black Jungle. Some growers put dried fish
food directly in the pitchers to provide nutrients.
Can I still grow Nepenthes if I cant do all of this?

Yes, you can. As I mentioned a few times, these guidelines are for optimum conditions, which only truly
picky plants require. There are many species (and generally most hybrids) which will tolerate higher light
(if tanned slowly), less frequent watering (so long as you dont let them get bone dry), lower humidity
(not TOO low 30% is the lowest even my toughest plants have been able to grow in) or higher night time
temps. I wouldnt suggest being TOO experimental with potting media regular potting soil is just a bad
idea as too many nutrients can be in the mixes and they are not designed to handle the extra watering that is
required.
Good luck and good growing!

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Basic Cultivation of Intermediate Nepenthes

Written by Dave Schloat, Modified by Dave Sackett

Day: 75-85 / Night: 55-65 F

Here is a list of nepenthes that are classified as intermediate:

Can I still grow Nepenthes if I cant do all of this?

Good luck and good growing!

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