Trimming Neps
 

Guys/Gals....

Wats the 'rule' for trimming off dead leaves and pitchers on Neps...??

To trim or not to trim..?

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Trimming makes it look more neater..i would go for trimming!

Re: Trimming Neps
 

I used to trim right when the leaves turn yellow, also when the pitcher bottom turns dry and brown.

However I think safer to wait till the leaves are dry and brown. But I don't like the looks of a yellow and blackening leaf, specially as I am afraid it might be diseased so often I do end up cutting those as well.

I agree that it is more aesthetics though because when you see photos of them in the wild, usually there are lots of dried leaves on the plants, and they are okay with it.

Do not over trim or prune though. I go through my neps maybe 2 times a week with my scissors, to cut off dried leaves and stuff.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Trimming Neps
 

That's true that in the wild they are never trimmed or pruned... nature just takes it's course.

I guess we humans just have to have it our way.. nice and tidy...:laugh:

Twice a week is pretty regular.. in fact i've only trimmed my neps once every couple of months... and only the dried leaves/pitchers.

But what i am wondering is if the dead leaves or pitchers do provide some sort or 'recycled' nutrition back to the plant when they degrade to compost.. i am sure they do right..?

Re: Trimming Neps
 

The pitchers in my neps usually lasts for very long so i only cut them once every 1-2 months.

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Just gave my neps a haircut last week, its the first time i did that. They've
been doing really well without trimming but the wife keeps on nagging me to
give them a trim just to make them look neat. Aside from neps, i gave my
sarra's some trimming too.

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Well we do like our neps to look their best right??So why not?

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Just to clarify I try my best not to be bringing around my scissors everytime I'm in the garden because i tend to over prune. So it's just maybe twice a week that I take it around with me. And I only cut off the brown and dried parts.

As for your question, what you are asking is if we should leave them on the plant? Or after we cut them we leave them on the potting mix?

If the second one is your question, my vote is not to do it. I would rather dump them in a dried leaf bin or compost.

Why? well they do not look nice on the pot, plus they might still contain some insects that aren't digested yet and that might rot and contaminate the medium and roots.. etc. But this is just my opinion.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Whenever I go to look for neps in the wild, one of the method to find them is by looking for dried pitchers on the ground if you're in the bush. So I think placing dried pitchers and whatever contents of the pitcher in the pot will likely not cause any harm to the nep.

I have actually done that using trimmed off dead leaves and pitchers to cover the media to avoid being wash away when I water with hose and it also helps to a certain extend to keep the moisture in the media. It did not look nice on the pot but at lease it get the job done and it's environementally friendly... *biggrin2*

Re: Trimming Neps
 

NepNut, kinda brought up the obvious which i was pointing to.

That is Neps in the wild never get trimmed or even get their media changed.. its all kinda like a natural recycled process.

So why do we do it for our plants...? Is there a need...?
Can't we let the leaves die and rejuvenate the media...?

Err.. of course trimming makes the plants look nice but i am not referring to looks here but what would be a more natural process of nature.

Sorry to ask cos i have not have Neps for years on end so i don't know what happens in a couple of years. My oldest Nep in my collection has only been with me over 2 years.

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Well I actually cut only the pitcher off if the vine is thick and if the plant produce uppers it will grab onto the vine

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Just wondering, how do you guys 'trim' when the plant gets too tall and leggy? Eg. Nepenthes Miranda, which loses quite a lot of older leaves at the bottom when it gets quite huge.. Or do you lop off the top portion and replant as a cutting? Thanks

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Yeah I was thinking of that that it would be ugly but...!!I spoted a basal and if the basal covers up the stem then it'll be good

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Good question, I was asking this question to myself as well, because I actually have a longish/biggish Miranda myself and was wondering that if I cut off the top part, would it readily root? The stem is probably 3/4inch diameter already! There is a basal too, but, should we lop off the top and root it? Or lop off the basal and root that?

Anyone can give any suggestions?

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Well I'll decapitate it if I got more experience which I don't because it's so ugly without any pitchers

Re: Trimming Neps
 

I have cut off the top of my Miranda before, but it didn't survive as a top cutting. Too much moisture loss from the large leaves, I suppose.. Basals grew out from the rooted portion, but grow very slowly.. I recently also cut up my leggy rafflesiana and replanted the top portion as a cutting. Seems to be doing well, despite the recent hot weather..

Re: Trimming Neps
 

You guys ever recieve or brought cuttings of nep that only produce uppers? There you go... Hobbyist and commercial growers often trimmed off their neps to be rooted and sold.

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Talk about upper pitcher cutting... im wonder how rafflesiana upper cutting produce small size pitcher... it sure looks cute...

Sorry for hijack the thread

Re: Trimming Neps
 

You mean that can happen ... as in they only grow uppers after being trimmed and grown..? :spinning:

I just trimmed off two of my N.ventricosa x alata and N.ampularia and planted them. You mean they are going to grow just uppers...:confused:

Re: Trimming Neps
 

That is what I was told as well and yes I have had cuttings where the top of the vine have rooted and produced uppers.

So if the cutting was already making uppers, it will make uppers.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Trimming Neps
 

Might be a silly question but can we trim pass the leaf area to the brown area. Would the whole brown vine die?

What about if your goal is to produce flowers. Should we trim?

Re: Trimming Neps
 

CJ,
If you wanted the nep to flower, don't trim off. Wait till still it done flowering, collected the pollen / seed then you can trim.

The brown area is usally harder to root. However if you cut off the green stem and left the brown part intact with the roots, you'll have better chance of getting generation of new bud. This is however, very dependent on your growing condition and species/hybrids.

Re: Trimming Neps
 

I c.. didn't know that... :spinning:

Something new to learn everyday....:blush: