Nepenthes ventricosa

Nepenthes ventricosa Care & Growing Guide (Do’s & Don’ts)

Pitcher plants are unique and beautiful plants that are often kept indoors. They are kept in homes for their beautiful pitchers.

Nepenthes ventricosa looks awesome with its red pitchers. The red-colored pitchers are contrasted by the green foliage of the plant.

How to care for Nepenthes ventricosa

It is easy to care for the Nepenthes ventricosa plant. Let’s see the specifics of caring for the Nepenthes ventricosa  plant.

Nepenthes ventricosa habitat

Knowing a plant’s habitat is crucial because we can decide what kind of conditions are suitable for the plant. Nepenthes ventricosa is a tropical plant native to the highlands of the Philippines.

The pitcher of Nepenthes ventricosa is more waisted in the middle with a smaller opening and a thin peristome.

Nepenthes ventricosa artificial light

Make sure your Nepenthes ventricosa doesn’t get any direct sunlight at all. Direct sunlight will dehydrate the plant.

It’s best to give them indirect sunlight. Change the position of the plant from the window for a while and observe. See where the plant likes to be.

If you want to grow the plant in a terrarium, you need to give the plant artificial sunlight.

According to experts, 3000-lumen lighting is ideal for the growth of Nepenthes ventricosa. Various types of lights have different lumens. So, choose how many lights to put accordingly.

Light is an important factor that influences the growth of foliage and the development of pitchers. Provide the right form of light abundantly.

Get your plant a T5 lighting system. A 2-feet long T5 LED light would work well.

Nepenthes ventricosa temperature

Nepenthes ventricosa is quite a forgiving plant as it can survive mild fluctuations in temperature.

The ideal day temperature for a Nepenthes ventricosa plant is 70F to 80F. In the evenings, it should range from 50F to 60F.

Do not ever let the plant sit in a frosty place/condition as it can damage the plant(as it’s a highland plant).

Nepenthes ventricosa humidity

Humidity plays a crucial role in the development of the Nepenthes ventricosa plant. It plays an important role in the development of pitchers.

You need the humidity above 70%(ideally ~85%). If it falls lower than this, the pitcher formation will be deterred.

You don’t need to stress a lot about humidity as they can get acclimated to low humidity over time. If you wanna increase humidity, mist the plant once in the morning.

Nepenthes ventricosa feeding

As you very well know, Neps feed on insects. They acquire all the essential nutrients by munching on insects, they do well without a fertilizer.

Feed them only when they are actively growing. Feed them once a month. If the pitchers are dry, add droplets of water with a pipette.

What do nepenthes ventricosa eat?

Just feed the Nepenthes ventricosa a small fly, cockroach, or other small insects if the plant is at a place where it can’t trap insects.

If you can’t catch live flies, try freeze-dried bloodworms, flake fish food, and crickets.

Tip: Move the plant carefully if the pitcher has insect. It smells awful if the insect falls out.

Watering your Nepenthes ventricosa

Water the Nepenthes ventricosa just enough. Let the excess water drain via the hole in the pot. Never let the plant sit in waterlogged soil.

Soggy soil causes root rot. Use distilled or filtered water. Use rainwater if possible.

Tip: Only water when the potting mix feels slightly dry to the touch.

Planting mix for Nepenthes ventricosa

Using the right potting mix is important for the health of Nepenthes ventricosa. Various types of porous, low-fertility mixes would work.

A combination of the below materials will work greatly.

  • Tree fern fiber
  • Chopped fir bark
  • Long-fiber sphagnum moss
  • Peat moss
  • Perlite

I mix perlite in sphagnum moss in a 2:3 ratio. It works well for me.

Potting Mix Tips

  • Repot the plant if the medium breaks down or the plant needs a bigger pot.
  • You should repot the plant if the potting mix dries out quickly.
  • Do not use clay pots as salts get accumulated in them.
  • Nepenthes ventricosa roots are fine, so don’t push the medium down to settle it. Vibrate the pot well to achieve this.
  • Do not add fertilizer to the potting mix ever! This kills the plant if overdone and beginners do it quite often.

How big does Nepenthes ventricosa get?

If you care well for the Nepenthes ventricosa plant, how big can it get? Will it get too big to be an indoor plant? These are common questions.

It doesn’t grow very tall. It just increases the no. of pitchers and grows laterally. The pitchers can grow up to 20 cm long.

The plant can grow up to 6 feet. If it becomes too big, you can trim it off as you see fit.

Sometimes Nepenthes leaves may yellow and die, care well for them. Nepenthes sometimes fail to grow pitchers, I’ve explained why this happens in this blog and how to fix it!

That’s it folks! If you have any queries on Nepenthes ventricosa care, just mail me.