Gift Republic GR200010: Grow It. Grow Your Own Carnivorous Plants, Green

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This article was written for the everyman who’s just stumbled upon their first Venus flytrap and wants to keep it alive. The basics covered above will do just that – keep your plant happy for the time being. Now it’s time to find out what species you have! Outdoor plants feed themselves. Indoor plants accept careful hand-feeding. Don’t overfeed the plant with insects and never feed it meat or other inappropriate food. Plants rarely die from not-eating insects, but easily die from over-feeding. Unfortunately without a picture of the plant and the environment it’s in I can’t accurately diagnose specific problems, especially with Nepenthes, whose issues frequently depend on ambient conditions. I live in Oregon. It’s wet and rainy up here, and the experience I draw off of might not apply to Southern California. For a more complete response, I recommend reaching out to growers through the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society and others in your region. The first thing to understand is that, due to their varied native ranges and natural habitats, carnivorous plants can vary considerably when it comes to what they need. Let us know how it works! I’d love to hear more about tropical dormancies for temperate plants. If anyone lets me know of better methods I’ll write another reply.

Carnivorous plants have evolved in association with peat bogs and have always been thought to grow best in peat. However, some growers have undertaken their own trials with peat-free alternatives and are now sharing their successes. Yes! A number of plants will thrive on a bright windowsill or conservatory and require no special attention once you meet some basic requirements. Plants growing outside, especially those in containers, may need regular watering in summer and in long dry spells. The smaller the container, the faster it will dry out in hot weather, so keep a close eye on them. Putting a mulch of pine bark, or other acidic material, on the compost surface will help to hold in moisture. Your plants should be either coming out of dormancy or out of dormancy already, depending on the species and where you live. Here in Western Oregon, some of my Sarracenia flava pitchers are already over 24″ tall. All the plants I have chosen to let flower have done so and some are dropping their petals, as expected. Any seeds will be ready to harvest in late fall.Most carnivorous plants are relatively low maintenance, as long as care is taken to give them the correct growing conditions. Some need a period of dormancy with reduced watering and cooler temperatures, and those that are not hardy should be brought indoors over winter, if they’re not permanently grown indoors. Venus flytrap feeds on insects because the soil it grows in has insufficient nutrients, and basic insects around the plant can provide these nutrients. You can still enjoy its pretty flowers, often treating you to a variety of hues, from yellow to purple. A carnivorous plant that many may not know is the humble Butterwort. These plants are lazy when it comes to trapping, using no movement at all to lure or catch their prey. Instead, its yellowish buttery leaves have a coating of resin that attracts and traps insects.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Winter dormancy, sunlight, temperature, and humidity. Also, should your plant be outside? That’s it! You can grow about 75% of all carnivorous plants under those conditions. Let’s flesh those points out: Cape sundew ( Drosera capensis), Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula), and purple pitcher plant ( Sarracenia purpurea) are relatively easy to grow as houseplants. Other popular options for growing indoors include: Choose a bright windowsill, but avoid scorching of the leaves through the glass. Pinguicula also respond very well to cultivation under fluorescent or LED lights. TemperatureYou can buy specialist peat-free compost for carnivorous plantsfrom online suppliers and some garden centres. Ready-made composts will specify for which types of carnivorous plants they are suitable. Like other plants that can grow in cold temperatures, the Purple Pitcher Plant also goes through dormant periods where it does not grow, so do not worry when you feel like your plant has stopped growing. 8. Bladderworts (Utricularia) As these plants look best when they form colonies it is desirable to use wider containers and add a group of plants. A depth of around 10 cm is suitable Watering Found only near the summit of Mount Victoria on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, Attenborough's pitcher plant ( Nepenthes attenboroughii) is critically endangered. One of the largest of all carnivorous plants, it grows 1.5 metres tall and produces pitchers that are 30 centimetres in diameter - and it's capable of digesting rodents. How do carnivorous plants attract their prey? These are just a few examples of the most common problems that are encountered when growing these plants.

Overwintering North American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia) is easy. I assume your plant is a Sarracenia because they are the only pitcher plants with the hardiness to withstand zone 9 winters.The refrigeration method that you mention is feasible, but according to anecdotal reports, plants regularly die in the fridge from mold. If you do decide to place your plant in the fridge, you may have to keep it uncovered so as to avoid mold. You may need to spray with a sulfur-based fungicide regularly. Lighting is not essential during dormancy, so the dark fridge should be adequate until spring.

The go-to method for increasing humidity around indoor plants is to add a humidifier to the room. Constantly keeping your plants wet will also do. Temperature For Nepenthes it is worth adding some orchid bark to the mix. This is required as Nepenthes really need a light soil. Carnivorous plants should be watered from below throughout the growing season. Usually, this is done by standing the plant pots in a shallow vessel filled with water. In the winter, the same approach should be taken, but excess water should be drained between times in most cases. Stand the pot in a wide saucer with approximately 2 cm of rainwater when the plant is actively growing (April – September). In late Autumn it is a good idea to move the plant to cooler conditions so it becomes semi-dormant over Winter. At this time the pots should not be standing in water but the compost should be kept damp at all times. Feeding Know the plant’s light and temperature requirements. Not all carnivores are tropical. Some need a period of cool temperatures or dormancy.

Pitfall traps

This carnivorous plant has tiny bladders hidden beneath the soil or water, depending on the variety you choose. The trapping mechanism is much the same. Its bladders (which are mutated leaves) have trigger hairs. When these are touched, a sort of trap door opens. This is lined with a substance that attracts a variety of insects, including mosquito larvae. Once trapped, the insect is digested. For those who enjoy the look of succulents, then the Pinguicula gigantea will be to your taste. They have flowers too, which are usually purple. Bladderworts Normal indoor temperatures are fine, but Drosera capensis will survive dropping to around 4 degrees C in the winter. At lower temperatures the plant will become semi-dormant. Alice Sundew ( Drosera aliciae) Dionaea – Venus flytrap. B I T E Y B O I. The one and only. Related to sundews and inheriting their sense of touch, Venus flytraps close when prey stimulate their trigger hairs, sealing shut to digest them. They are native to a 90-mile radius around Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.