I have a single Pitcher Plant (carnivore) that I rooted from a cutting. The lid of the pitcher is just now opening. Do I do anything with that pitcher now that it is opening for "business"? This is a two-week old picture. The pitcher is twice as large and more red now.

That looks like the same variety I have, Ken. In fact it's hanging right here beside my desk at the moment (cold outside this week). It's good to make sure there is at least a little bit of water in the pitchers at all times. The plant will secrete water into the pitcher itself (just wiggle it with your fingers to see if it sloshes) or you can add it. You should always use rain water or at least tap water that has sat out for a while to evaporate the chlorine if you add water.

My biggest pitchers right now are about 7in long, and have maybe an inch of water in the bottom.

I was told distilled water only..............but we have well water (live in the country). I wonder why I can't use that? And distilled only for watering too.

I was told the same thing, Anna. I started rooting this plant in mid-summer and it has never had anything but tap water. I will syringe a bit of rain water into the pitcher.

Elaine/Anna, when the "lid" begins to open, will it open fully? Mine only has the lid open perhaps 1/3. Also, does an opening lid indicate the pitcher is as large as its going to be? The pitcher is about 3 3/4" long.

AnnaZ said:I was told distilled water only..............but we have well water (live in the country). I wonder why I can't use that? And distilled only for watering too.

That's what some grower will tell you. But what harm would rain water do? That's what wild plants live off of. Distilled may be more convenient that collecting and storing rain water, but I'm sure it is safe.

I'm afraid I am not giving mine good care.............the pitchers either dry up or they are very small. *sigh*............maybe I need some information on how to be a better Mom. I'll take a pic and post it later. No time right now. But, on the bright side, I have had it 3 years and it is still alive and making a new "kid" at the base of the current plant.

I would think that having a pup growing is great. You have three more years of experience than I, Anna.

Ken the lids open fairly wide, but not quite straight up. Here are a couple of smaller pitchers on mine - you can see I don't have a lot of fresh pitchers since the weather cooled off, and the plant got kind of dried out during our hot, sunny December.

Anna, have you tested the pH of your well water? You can get a little aquarium test kit to do it, or take a sample to your water company, or Extension service. Ours is 8.2 which is wicked high for most plants. The aquifer here is all limestone, so it leaches calcium salts into the deep well water. I start getting a lot of chlorosis in the springtime if we have a long dry period where I have to irrigate a lot. The rain water I collect off the roof is pH 7.4 or so and tap water is 7.6 to 7.8 depending on how low the water reserves are.

Thanks, Elaine.

Forgot to say, I think the pitchers continue to grow, but I'm not absolutely sure about that. Looks like the big ones on my plant probably grew during the summer, so I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on them and see what they do.

Here is the single and only one on my plant.

I leave my Nepenthes densiflora pitchers alone during winter, but come summer when it really gets hot and dry here, I spritz the pitchers.

Right now my Nepenthes behaves differently, seems to enjoy watering from below, making it stand in water. If I have rain water, I use rain water, if none, then I use distilled water, not our tap water.

Oh, if I do catch an errant spider indoors, I give it some..loves it!

Here is mine:

I am not sure what variety mine is. The cutting had no label. Apparently it is not the densiflora though. My plant's pitcher is smooth.

Yeah, there are several types, highland or lowland varieties.

Does the shape/size/color of the pitcher indicate what variety I have? I do like to have my plants properly labeled.

For sure it does, but not easy, so pretty much like getting a noid plant, if there is no label, plus there are hybrids too.

OK, I guess it will just forever be a NOID then.

Here is a nice page that talks about them, love that it has some photos and a very informative care sheet too.
http://www.pitcherplant.com/ne...

Mine has a label, it says Nepenthes alata. There are a bunch of different styles of pitchers - saw one at Selby last weekend that had hairs all down the back of the pitcher like a mohawk hairdo. Yours does look pretty similar to mine, Ken.

Elaine, does the pitchers start off red, slowly turning orange as the pitcher(s) grow? My pitcher has never been green. Perhaps it will turn green with age?