Nepenthes Not Producing Pitchers? Improve Pitchering Now!

Nepenthes, or Tropical pitcher plants, are famous for their large pitchers, sometimes also called ‘monkey cups’. Tropical pitcher plants are the royalty of the carnivorous plant family, and their pitchers vary in sizes and shapes. However, if your Nepenthes is not producing any pitchers, there might be a problem with the plant or with errors in the care you provide. In this post, you will find reasons why Nepenthes is not producing/making pitchers and what to do to improve pitchering in Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher plants)!

The main reasons why Nepenthes is not producing pitchers or is not pitchering include the lack of humidity and light. Other causes of lack of pitchering in Nepenthes include over-fertilization and using mineral-rich water or soil.

Nepenthes pitchers (traps) are truly beautiful, ferocious-looking and diverse – depending on the species. Pitchers of Tropical pitcher plants are jug-like, and hang on tendrils from large green leaves. Nepenthes have two types of pitchers – ones on the bottom of the plant, and ones on the top. Bottom pitchers are bigger, while top ones – hang from vine-like stems and form when Nepenthes starts to climb. In Nepenthes, pitchers can reach up to 14 inches (35 cm) long!

Reason 1: Lack of humidity

Wrong humidity levels can affect Nepenthes pitcher production to a great extent. Actually, humidity might be one of the most important factors for a good pitcher development in Nepenthes. There are two types of Nepenthes – Highland and Lowland ones. Highland tropical pitcher plants grow at very high altitudes (above 3000 feet/914 meters), with high humidity levels and frequent rainfall. In contrast, Lowland Nepenthes like growing in open spaces and fields, with less humidity, and below altitudes of 3000 feet.

Please note, there are more Highland Nepenthes species, which require higher humidity. Make sure to check which type your Nepenthes belongs to, so you can provide correct humidity levels. Also, make sure that the soil is always wet (but not waterlogged).

In general, Nepenthes like high humidity, and irrespective of type/species, mist your plant once-twice a day. Ideal humidity levels are around 60-85% and over. You can check your home/garden humidity levels with a hygrometer like this. Nepenthes love good humidity, and even some jumps to 90-100% at night are allowed. It will be appreciated by some species and should improve pitcher production. Also, misting pitchers and new forming pitchers will make them grow much better.

It’s always best to keep Nepenthes species that will do well in your climate. Otherwise, you are likely to run into problems with its care and will need to make special adjustments. But if you don’t know which type your Nepenthes belongs to, you might try asking experts in person or on forums, and then adjusting your care.

Reason 2: Not a growing season

Another reason why your Nepenthes might not be producing any pitchers is that it’s not an active pitchering and growing season. While in the wild Nepenthes grow all year round, in cultivation it’s often different. Nepenthes only pitcher between spring-early fall months when grown indoors or in climates that have big temperature variations throughout the seasons. In winter, they become rather dormant or just stop growing if temperatures get low.

Please note, that apart from pitchering, you should also watch your plant’s general growth. If growing conditions are optimal, your tropical pitcher plant might just grow very large and its vines can reach up to 50 ft/15m long depending on species! Because of that, take your time to prune your Nepenthes when it starts to get out of control.

If you want your tropical pitcher plants to grow all year round as they do in the wild, then it’s possible. To do this, you can grow them indoors in a greenhouse or a terrarium in winter, when it’s cold outside. You can also generally keep them indoors in a room, if you can provide high humidity (possibly bathroom/terrarium) and heat (room or external heater etc.). Use artificial lighting to supply light and make sure humidity and temperatures are optimal (see ideal temperatures below).

Reason 3: Lack of light

In general, Nepenthes like sunny conditions and part to full, but diffused sun (10-14 hours per day photoperiod). Lowland Nepenthes often grow in more open spaces such as fields and forests, so they generally get more sunlight (and higher temperatures too). If you are growing your Tropical Pitcher plants outdoors, make sure to use some kind of shade cloth to protect them when the sun is too bright/hot.

However, Lowland Nepenthes are tolerant of part sun as well. Highland species however, require bright conditions and aren’t really tolerant to lack of light. But at the same time, Highland species don’t like temperatures that are too high, so higher humidity that they need often helps cool them down. Lack of sunlight can in general really slow down growing and pitcher production in Nepenthes. Increase number of sunlight if your tropical pitcher plant looks weak, with leaves losing their waxy look.

If you are unhappy about your Nepenthes not making and growing pitchers year round, you can get artificial lighting for them to use in winter. Also, you can keep them at home in a humid area, terrarium or a small greenhouse. Warm indoor or greenhouse temperatures will keep them growing, while artificial lighting will provide them with enough light.

Reason 4: Wrong temperatures

Temperature is a big deal when it comes to Nepenthes and their pitchering. Tropical pitcher plants will require specific temperatures depending on which type they belong to.

Highland Nepenthes will need cooler temperatures than Lowland ones. If you have Nepenthes that belongs to a Highland type, you will need to recreate conditions of cool-warm days and cool nights. For Highland type Nepenthes, you will need to have hot days, and warm, but not cool nights.

Highland Nepenthes species can be easier to keep for those that have trouble heating the room/greenhouse or generally experiences low temperatures. That’s because they tolerate cooler temperatures.

Reason 5: Lack of watering and/or using wrong water

As you probably know, Nepenthes love having wet soil all the time. If you don’t water your Nepenthes enough, they won’t grow vigorously and it will also affect pitchering. Make sure to soak their soil and don’t let it dry out. But never let it be waterlogged. To help with watering and keeping the soil moist, you can use a self-watering planter or water globes and similar.

If you are growing Nepenthes outdoors, you can install 2-3 misting jets + a pump to help with watering automatically in summer. This will help avoid the burning of plants and will keep them cool and humid in summer. Keep the humidity at 60-85% by using a timer/humidistat like this.

In general, you will need to water your Nepenthes daily in summer, plus mist it once-twice a day if grown outdoors (can be automated with water jets and timers). In winter, water your Nepenthes less, every 5-8 days or so.

Besides lack of watering, using the wrong type of water will also lead to issues and even death of your Nepenthes. Basically, water that is high in minerals is not suitable for carnivorous plants, including Nepenthes. That’s because excess minerals build up in the soil. In the wild, their soil is low in dissolved minerals.

Only use water with less than 150-160 ppm to water your Nepenthes, but the less – the better. Water with levels of 0-30 ppm will allow great pitchering in Nepenthes. You can use a simple TDS tester like this, to check for mineral levels in the water.

Avoid using filtered, tap or bottled water. The best water to use for watering your Nepenthes is purified, distilled or demineralized water. Natural rainwater is also great – you can collect it and use when needed. Keep your gutters clean too, or otherwise it will increase mineral levels in the water.

Reverse osmosis water is one of the best options for watering Nepenthes – you can install a filter like this under your sink for drinking and watering these plants. Always wash your plant’s saucer (if there’s one), and drench the soil from time to time to wash off excess minerals.

Reason 6: Using wrong soil

Nepenthes don’t like slow draining or rich soils. They thrive in light, airy, nutrient-poor soil that holds some water, but also provides a degree of drainage. Tropical pitcher plants hate standing in water, but love wet soil, so be careful with choosing the soil.

You can get a ready potting mix for carnivorous plants like this, or make your own. To make your own soil for Nepenthes, mix sphagnum moss, orchid bark and perlite/vermiculite/lava rock (equal parts). Or, you can at least mix 50/50 of sphagnum moss and orchid bark. Never use general potting soil for Nepenthes, because they grow pitchers and catch prey to compensate for the lack of nutrients in the soil.

If Nepenthes has enough nutrients in the soil, it will not be producing more pitchers to compensate for the lack of it. To have good pitchering on your Tropical Pitcher plant, they need to have nutritionally poor soil. This way they produce pitchers to catch prey and get their nutrition.

Reason 7: Too much pruning

Yes, Nepenthes can grow huge and turn into a big mess in your house/greenhouse/garden if you don’t prune it regularly (unless you want it to become big). Because Nepenthes are climbing plants, they will produce new climbing stems if you don’t trim them. You can always trim back some of the stems to a smaller length, to make the plant more manageable. When pruning, make sure not to cut thick, brown stem parts (they won’t grow back), but only green ones.

In Nepenthes, each of the leaves has a bud at its base. This bud starts growth if a stem that’s above it is damaged or cut off. Make sure not to cut off too many stems on young Nepenthes – this might become detrimental to a plant’s growing and pitchering. In more mature Nepenthes, you can remove up to a couple of stems, because it should have several of them by now.

Reason 8: Lack of space

Nepenthes, as we have previously mentioned, grow pretty big and their growth needs to be controlled. If you grow your Nepenthes outdoors, that’s fine – it will have space to grow properly. But if you are growing your Nepenthes in a smaller container or another confined space – it might be lacking space. If your Tropical Pitcher plant has outgrown its container, it will have a hard time growing properly. Lack of space can affect pitchering in Nepenthes.

Make sure to repot your Nepenthes if it’s outgrown its pot, to let it grow properly. Also, in a continuous cycle of growth, old pitchers on the bottom of the plant will start turning brown and drying off. Old pitchers will then die, and new ones will grow instead. Avoid pouring water inside the pitchers – this will decrease their lifespan. Often, there’s a bare area after old pitchers die on the bottom. To make your Nepenthes grow new shoots, cut the old stems to only 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm).

Reason 9: Too much fertilization

Nepenthes produce pitchers to catch prey and get nutrition, to compensate for the lack of nutrition in the soil. You are probably already using poor nutrient soil for your Nepenthes, because it’s how they grow in the wild. But do you also fertilize your Nepenthes? If you are fertilizing your Nepenthes too often, it could be why it’s not producing pitchers.

In general, you don’t need to fertilize your Nepenthes unless there’s a special need. You can fertilize your Nepenthes if your plant doesn’t have the chance to catch bugs. Or, for example, if you want to have pitchers clean of bugs if you are taking your plant to a show etc. Your Nepenthes can benefit from some diluted(!) foliage fertilizer (never apply on the soil) once a month during the growth season, if it’s growing indoors or in a greenhouse.

Your Nepenthes needs to starve (low minerals in water, low nutrients in soil) in order to produce more pitchers. Don’t fertilize your Nepenthes with strong fertilizers, which can again lead to a mineral buildup in the soil. If you want to use some fertilizer, dilute it properly and only use once a month for 3-4 months in a year.

Thank you for reading this post on Nepenthes not producing pitchers! If you would like to learn more about growing and caring for Nepenthes, please see this page.