Nepenthes 'Gaya' D9 - A spectacular carnivorous plant!

Nepenthes 'Gaya' is certainly one of the most admired carnivorous plants. These are the plants that correspond to the stereotypical vision of what carnivorous plants are.

IMPORTANT: Insectivorous/carnivorous plants do not pose any danger to humans. Their digestive juice is at most a good hand sanitizer! Many come from the misty jungles of Southeast Asia, forming tree-climbing herds, and their traps really do look like traps.
The trap of this plant is a tight pitcher with slippery edges, very difficult for prey to climb. The mouth of the pitcher is adorned with a structure called a peristome. The peristome helps to retain prey, and also directs prey into the pitcher. The pitcher has a lid on top. This helps to keep rainwater in the pitcher, but its main function is to attract prey due to its color and the presence of nectar. Prey that hangs on the underside of the lid is in danger of falling into the trap.
Nepenthes care instructions
Humidity: Abundant

Light requirement: Partial shade

Soil type: Mixture of equal parts peat, vermiculite and sand. Nepenthes can fix its roots on the bark of trees, leading an epiphytic life - but it needs high humidity.

Fertilization: The plant generally resists very well without being fertilized, especially if it has abundant food or if it is an epiphyte. In the absence of these factors, it can be fertilized monthly, in spring and summer, and once every 2 months, in winter, with a liquid fertilizer intended for orchids. Multiplication: Multiplication can be achieved, in spring and summer, by air layering or, more simply, by taking cuttings of shoots. These are kept at high humidity and at 20-23°C, in mini-pots, for safe rooting.

Diseases and pests: The plant can be attacked by gray rot in conditions of excessive air or substrate humidity. Occasionally, also as a consequence of deficient conditions, cochineals or lice may appear.

Care: To develop and color their pitcher plants properly, they need permanent and necessarily filtered light, all year round. They are very sensitive to dry air. If the temperature exceeds 28°C, the plant requires spraying. The substrate is moistened so that it is permanently moist but without puddles. The water is removed from the saucer, mandatory after each watering.

Height with pot included: 10-15 cm
Pot diameter: 9 cm

Note: Some cups do not show the specific variegation due to being immature. The number of cups and their size vary from one specimen to another.

The cups may show defects due to transportation and temperature variations.