pitcher update

I thought I would carry out an update on the pitchers at home. My love affair for pitchers (nepenthes) began with a pot of N. truncata I got from World Farm. It always starts with that one pot, doesn't it? Soon, I found myself getting another, and then another and before I know it, I have 10 different specimens hanging in my backyard. But it doesn't quite end there, because you end up collecting more, from other nurseries, garden shows, other collectors and so on. I even hand-carried some I bought from Chatuchak market in Bangkok on my flight home.

At the time, I was also fascinated by other savage plants such as sarracenias, venus fly traps, sundews, butterworts and even created a carnivorous plant terrarium, complete with 3 high intensity daylight fluorescent tubes. To-date, I probably have more than 20 different species and hybrids, most of which were bought and some were given by fellow pitcher-loving friends like Lyndi and Jason.

Pitchers are easy to care for, and contrary to popular belief, they do not really need to feed on insects to survive. Insects provide additional nutrients which help it to grow. They seem to be thriving relatively well, but would probably do better in a coolhouse environment.