Nepenthes Northiana - Cultivation

Cultivation

Nepenthes northiana has a reputation amongst Nepenthes growers for being difficult to cultivate. For some time it was speculated that a potting medium involving limestone was necessary to successfully cultivate the species, but this is apparently not the case. It appears to grow well in low light conditions, with direct sunlight resulting in brown patches of dead tissue on the leaves and a decline or cessation in pitcher production. The species is also sensitive to fluctuations in relative humidity and grows best in moist environments.

In The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants, Peter D'Amato writes that peat and Sphagnum moss stunt the growth of N. northiana. He notes that a good alkaline medium for this species consists of two parts coarse vermiculite to one part each of perlite, pumice, and sand. Other growers have reported that the choice of growing medium is apparently of little consequence.