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Nepenthes Propagation
"Tropical Pitcher Plant"

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Nepenthes Cuttings

This is quit easy for most Nepenthes. You simply cut the vine between the leaves and stick it in your growing medium. For most Nepenthes cuttings I use 1 part peat/1 part vermiculite/1 part long fiber sphagnum/1 part perlite. Sometimes I add an Orchid mix to this that has charcoal, bark and ceramic nuggets in it. Most Nepenthes will root and grow in long fiber sphagnum moss. Most any Nepenthes media will work fine, just make sure the stem base is in good contact with the soil so it roots in.

Don't remove more than 1/3 of the green growing part of the Nepenthes. You only want to cut the mother plant once and further divide the cutting if possible. Each section needs to have at least three leaves. Cut half of each leaf off, don't cut the top newly growing leaf, but cut the pitcher off of it if present. Soak the bottom of each section in Superthrive for 10-15 minutes and dip in a rooting agent. For Nepenthes that are hard to get to root try cutting a slit up the stem, from the longest part of the base up about an 1/8 inch. Soak and dip after making the slit.

For Nepenthes that grow tight and compact you will need to completely remove the first leaf. You need at least a fat 1/8" of the stem to go into the soil. Do not tear this leaf off, rather cut it off very close to the stem. The area where the leaf meets the stem is called a node. The node can produce shoot or root growth so sometimes I use the first node to aid with rooting.

Make a hole in the medium with your finger or an object and insert the Nepenthes cutting down to the bottom of the first leaf. Gently fill the hole and lightly pack then give it a good misting. Keep humidity high, above 75%. I mist mine a couple times a day for the first few weeks, along with the propagation lid. Eventually it will grow roots or die. It can take several weeks for roots to grow so don't give up to quick. More often than not they grow roots. I generally start mine in their permanent pots so I don't have to disturb the delicate roots too soon.

Once it shows vigorous growth the roots have formed and you should start acclimating it to its normal growing area.

How to Cut Nepenthes Damaged Nepenthes Efflugent Koto
Damaged in a shipment
so I cut the top off
to root it.
Nepenthes Efflugent Koto cutting
And planted it with
the mother plant.
Nepenthes starting growth after cutting
New growth sprouting
on another one.

Nepenthes cuttings in SuperThrive
1
Nepenthes in rooting agent
2
make a hole for the cutting
3
insert into soil
4
all done, ready for propagation chamber
5
economical propagation chamber
6

1. Nepenthes Cuttings soaking in SuperThrive. I generally use a 4" water saucer for this.
2. Cuttings are then dipped in a rooting agent. I pour some in a film canister to keep moisture out of the main bottle. That's the canister lid in the picture. I pour what's left back in the film canister and re-use later.
3. Make a hole in the soil using your finger or an object just large enough to hold the Nepenthes stem. Here I am using a small bamboo stake.
4. You want a thin coating of the rooting agent to remain on the base, even after planting. Gently set the Nepenthes cutting down in the hole.
5. Once the hole is filled with soil your ready to place in a humid area.
6. This is one of my propagation chambers for Nepenthes. It can hold six Nepenthes cuttings. Its a plastic tub I picked up at Dollar General. I'm not sure where the top came from, anything clear will do. It wouldn't quite cover the top so serene wrap covers the rest.
After a few weeks new growth will begin. Once it has grown a few new Nepenthes leaves you can acclimate it to its growing area. Just place a dome over a pot for a quick n easy Nepenthes propagation chamber.

Click here for another walk through on cuttings with Nepenthes Khasiana.


Seeds

Spread them sparsely on the growing medium. I use 50% peat/25% perlite/25% vermiculite. Do not cover with soil. Humidity helps here too so I put them in a propagation container. A 1/2" of soil is plenty. Place the container in bright light or within 12" under a florescent set on for 16 hrs/day. Within one to several months they should start to grow. Damp-off fungus may be an issue here too so use a fungicide if needed. When they have several leaves the can be removed and placed in pots. Acclimate them before moving and be careful not to damage the tiny roots.

Sow Nepenthes seed as soon as you get them. Nepenthes seed does not store well.

Division

Nepenthes often sprout new growth at the base or along the stem. Once these have grown several leaves they can be removed and treated as cuttings. If you don't need new plants then just let them grow. It makes for a full stunning Nepenthes. Topping the plant off from time to time will encourage more of these "basal" shoots.

REMEMBER: Using long fiber sphagnum moss as a top dressing with Nepenthes greatly aids with humidity.







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