The trouble with Nepenthes truncata
Nepenthes truncata is one of the more widely-kept among lowland to mid-altitude Nepenthes species, and for good reasons: it is easy to maintain and the traps can reach substantial sizes, in the neighborhood of 12 inches tall.
This plant was bought as a seedling about 3 years ago and was moved to a suitably larger pot when it reached about 5 inches in diameter. Big mistake. I should have vastly over-potted the beast. You see, truncatas have this habit of settling down extremely well that any disturbance is resented for some period of time that your patience will be tested.
So when this plant was again repotted to a larger one, it sulked and ceased pitcher production. For almost 11 months. You see a photo of its most current trap, which is dismally small in relation to the length of the stem, which is now in excess of 2 feet, with two side growths. When I repotted it last year, the traps were larger than this current one, and more robust. So I reckon that had I left it in its former pot, the plant should already be producing murderous, mammal-killing pitchers to around 12 inches or more in height by now. My fault. I should have learned from my former mistakes with this species. Maybe I should have titled this post "The trouble with myself when it comes to truncatas" instead.
So if you have this prima donna, remember: Over-pot it, and use a mix made up mostly of stones to minimize the likelihood that you will have to change the mix when it has turned sour, should you be a fan of highly organic soils. And don't look at it funny, either. It might resent that, too.
This plant was bought as a seedling about 3 years ago and was moved to a suitably larger pot when it reached about 5 inches in diameter. Big mistake. I should have vastly over-potted the beast. You see, truncatas have this habit of settling down extremely well that any disturbance is resented for some period of time that your patience will be tested.
So when this plant was again repotted to a larger one, it sulked and ceased pitcher production. For almost 11 months. You see a photo of its most current trap, which is dismally small in relation to the length of the stem, which is now in excess of 2 feet, with two side growths. When I repotted it last year, the traps were larger than this current one, and more robust. So I reckon that had I left it in its former pot, the plant should already be producing murderous, mammal-killing pitchers to around 12 inches or more in height by now. My fault. I should have learned from my former mistakes with this species. Maybe I should have titled this post "The trouble with myself when it comes to truncatas" instead.
So if you have this prima donna, remember: Over-pot it, and use a mix made up mostly of stones to minimize the likelihood that you will have to change the mix when it has turned sour, should you be a fan of highly organic soils. And don't look at it funny, either. It might resent that, too.
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