Trimming Neps

[jixxxs]

Guys/Gals....

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

To trim or not to trim..?

[Aliamyz]

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

[arvin555]

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

[jixxxs]

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...

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..?

[Aliamyz]

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

[delphiguy]

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.

[marvin1997]

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

[arvin555]

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

[NepNut]

Originally Posted by arvin555

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.

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...

[jixxxs]

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.