Nepenthes alata - Asian Red Pitcher Plant One of the best and easiest species to start with, this plant produces pink/red traps with a narrow 'waist' and is exceptionally easy to grow. Nepenthes are commonly known as pitcher plants or monkey cups as the tips of some leaves form jug like structures which hold a digestive liquid ready for the unsuspecting prey to fall in to. You can recreate their natural habitat in a variety of ways including greenhouse growing, Florida Room, and large terrariums which look magnificent in the home - and are quite a talking point! They can even be grown in a north or east window! Temperature: The Nepenthes come from high up in the hills surrounding perhaps jungles or other similar terrain. They can tolerate temperatures of 54 degrees F. to 95 degrees F. They won't be harmed by increasing the heat but they won't like it if it's kept too low and growth will eventually stop. Humidity: They require a medium humidity of around 50% - 70% as this is what they would normally get in their native environment, remember the highlander's are subject to light breezes where the moisture in the air is constantly being blown away. You can obtain this humidity by wetting the staging or paths if greenhouse grown or keeping a tray of water in the terrarium or under the pot. Misting is also a good idea, use clean fresh water with no additives.Grow these plants in a light position but out of direct sunlight otherwise the leaves and pitchers may scorch. If grown next to a window some shading must be provided such as net curtains or if in the greenhouse apply some whitewash to the glass. Compost & Watering: They prefer a fairly open mixture of compost which should consist of 40% medium bark chippings, 30% peat, 20% roughly chopped sphagnum moss and 10% charcoal. The charcoal will help keep the compost 'sweet' and the remainder will provide good drainage as well as offering good moisture retention. These plants like plenty of water and should never be allowed to dry out, they also require good drainage and this is provided by the charcoal and bark chippings. They will not tolerate boggy, wet compost. Feeding: Feed these plants once a month from May till October with 1/8th strength general purpose fertilizer and flush the pots with fresh water every 6 weeks to remove unused food and to avoid a build up of salts.
