Nepenthes Cutting Tutorial

Supplies

I've seen a lot of discussion online recently about how to take Nepenthes cuttings. Since I recently started going through my collection to trim the plants up and take a few cuttings, I figured I'd snap a few photos to show you what I do. But, first, you'll need the following supplies:

• Gallon-sized "zip-lock" bags
• Clear plastic cups
• Razor
• Long-fiber sphagnum (or other Nepenthes media)
• Rooting hormone

Where the cutting will root

The first thing you'll want to do is wet some sphagnum and place it in a cup. I like to use clear plastic cups because I can check the progress of the rooting much easier than if I were to use a opaque pot. (I can also easily check for algae and other nasties that might prevent rooting...rooting cuttings is, as John Phillip, of NECPS fame said, the race between rooting and rotting).

Nepenthes ampullaria 'Bau Green'

I'm going to use this Nepenthes ampullaria 'Bau Green' as my demonstration plant. It's a bit harder to root N. ampullaria cuttings. Their growing tip is a bit softer than many other species of Nepenthes, making it necessary to cut further down the vining stem for a portion that will root well.

Cutting the Stem

In choosing a place to make the first cut, I like to opt for a nice, green, non-woody area between two leaves, slightly above the bulge in the stem that is a dormant growth node. The cut should be at an angle.

Trimming the Leaves

After cutting the stem, I cut all the leaves on the cutting in half. You can see above how I'm just making one nice slice through the leaf. (You can also see a bit of burn on the edge of the leaf where it touched the glass, hence the trim of this amp).

Ready to Root!

So here we go, the almost completed cutting. Notice that I did not cut the newly developing leaf. My rule of thumb is to leave the active growing tip alone. Also notice that this cutting is actually a bit longer than you'll need for most Neps, which require a space of only 2-3 leaves, not the 4+ I have here.

The Cut

I like to trim the sides of the cut a little bit as well. The importance of cutting at an angle and trimming the side is to give the cutting more surface area. This helps it absorb more water and will help it have more area to generate roots from as it grows.

Dipping in Rooting Powder

Technically, you should pour the rooting powder out on a clean, dry surface before dipping the cut end into it. Here, I'm just demonstrating the dipping motion.

Rooting Powder Covered Tip

So, you'll want to end up with something like the above when you're all ready to plant. You should use your finger to create a depression for the tip of the plant to go into the moss without knocking off too much rooting powder. 

The Potted Cutting

Then, you'll want to mound damp moss over the cutting, covering over the top of at least one leaf. Since this is a cutting with an active growing tip, if all goes well, it will continue growing from the active tip and roots will form either at the cut base or near the lower, dormant growth node.

Bagged and Ready

You'll want to put the whole cutting and cup into a sealed "zip-lock" bag with a bit of extra water (for humidity). Then, place in bright light, but not direct sunlight. In a few months, if all goes well, you'll have a newly rooted plant!