Growing Carnivorous Plants
This is just a brief summary on how to grow carnivorous plants.
We recommend using Sphagnum peat moss. NOT coco peat or sedge
peat, because these contain high levels of salt which will kill
carnivorous plants. We use Canadian TEEM Sphagnum peat moss.
We recommend using propagating sand. NOT river sand because even
if washed, still contains high levels of salt which will kill carnivorous
plants. Propagating sand is coarser and sharper than normal sand, and is
normally washed. The sharp corners enables the water to get through
the peat moss, encourage root growth, and doesn’t pack down as
tightly as rounded water worn sand. Propagating sand is usually used
for propagating cuttings. We supply a ready mixed Carnivorous Plant potting mix
available at most nurseries.
DIONAEA MUSCIPULA (VENUS FLY TRAPS)
The most famous carnivorous plant.
A large plant will grow to a maximum of 15 cm.
They have a white flower in spring.
They will catch and digest flies and mosquitos and other insects.
Dionaea muscipula is the only species in the genus.
NATIVE HABITAT: Peat bogs in Florida, Georgia, and North and
South Carolina, U.S.A. The habitat fly traps grow in naturally is
called the “Savannah”, which is a series of raised low islands, ranging
in size from 1 to 5 hectares, of which probably no more than 50 of
these islands remain in their original condition.
HOW THEY CATCH INSECTS: The trap consists of two halves, not unlike a
clam shell. The outer margins are lined with teeth or cilia. A sweet
nectar is produced by glands found along the inner base of the teeth that
rim the trap. Insects are lured by the nectar to enter the trap. The flat
surface inside the traps have 3 trigger hairs on each side of the V. When
these are repeatedly touched by insects moving about drinking the nectar,
the trap snaps shut. At first, the trap closes loosely, so that the bug can
continue to run back and forth within the trap. If the bug is too small, it
can escape. If that happens, the trigger hairs inside the trap would not be
further stimulated and the trap would reopen in about a day. This is how
the plant avoids wasting time trying to digest sticks, rain drops or prey
that gets away. But if a bug remains trapped inside, its continued running
about would stimulate the trap to close more tightly, and digestion begins.
Glands on the inner surface of the lobes begin to secret digestive juices,
and the insect drowns in this fluid. The trap stays shut for several days
and when it finally reopens, all that remains is the exoskeleton of the
insect. Each trap only has a life of about three meals, then the trap and
petiole die.
REPOTTING: Use a mixture of 75% Sphagnum peat moss, and 25%
propagating sand. Wet this mix thoroughly through first before potting your
plant into it. The best time to re-pot is in the early spring when the plants
are just starting to grow. Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving
it enough room to grow for the following year, but not too big that it
dwarfs the plant. The pH of the sphagnum peat moss needs to be
about 5.5. TDS (total dissolved salts) should be 0 (zero).
WATERING: Do not ever let your Venus Fly Trap dry out. During Spring,
Summer and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water
frequently. The water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If
your water is good enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is
alright to use on your plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled
or reverse osmosis water. In winter do not let the plant dry out but
don’t leave it sitting in water all the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up
killing your plant this way. The plant must enjoy the “thrill of the
chase”, so that it releases it’s digestive juices, to devour the insect.
You can give it some fish emulsion based liquid fertilizer at half
strength to what is recommended on the container. Basically the
plants live off the peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Venus Fly Traps require a high level of light. A window sill
inside the house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in
winter is an excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a
terrarium, greenhouse, glasshouse or porch and some growers grow
them outside in the full weather.
HUMIDITY: Venus fly traps like humidity around 70-90%. A terrarium or
glasshouse will provide this. But a warm sunny window sill will give you
enough heat for the plant to survive. Venus fly traps don’t like
temperatures over 35 degrees celcius. Their growth stops at these
temperatures and it is very hard to get them started again. Where the
fly traps grow naturally, it reaches 40 degrees celcius all through their
summer. But the fly traps have finished growing at this time, and the
ground is always cool, as they are watered by capillary action from
beneath the ground.
DORMANCY: During winter your Venus fly trap will go into their
dormancy period. They will stop growing and may even die back to
almost nothing. Do not worry. This is a natural occurrence and the
plant must go through this period in order to stay alive and gain
strength to grow their spring traps and flowers. Cut off any dead
leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the plants will send
up their new leaves/pitchers.
FLOWERING: Dionaea muscipula’s flower in spring, and are white.
If you want to try pollinating your venus fly trap flower, you need
to hand pollinate the flowers. Do this by taking the pollen off the
anther and putting it on the stigma. You have to do this with each
flower as it opens. The seeds take about 3-4 weeks to ripen and can
then be planted straight away, or can stay viable for up to one year.
The seeds are hard and black when ripened, about half the size of a
grain of wheat.
Seed production can tire the plant considerably, so if you notice the
plant not looking too well, this is why.
PROPAGATION: Division, leaf cuttings, seed.
PESTS AND DISEASES:
APHIDS: result in twisted and deformed new traps. Spray with Malathon.
SPIDER MITE: common in hot dry climates. Spray with a general House and
Garden spray or Folimat.
BLACK SPOT FUNGUS: can appear on plants in an overly wet and humid
environment. Use a fungicide for control.
NEPENTHES (HANGING PITCHER PLANTS)
These plants grow in the tropical forests of South-East Asia and very
north eastern Australia.
They are vines that can climb to the top of 15 metre trees.
They have jug shaped pitchers, some varieties up to 30cm long.
These pitchers fill with liquid as the pitcher grows, and when the liquid
is ready to digest prey, the lid opens and the trap is ready.
The traps can catch flies, mosquitos, wasps and bees, and even moths,
rats and small birds have been found in large traps.
In the Philippines and Borneo, large pitchers are sometimes used for
cooking rice and vegetables.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Nepenthes you should use a mixture of
75% Sphagnum peat moss and 25% medium size orchid bark, or they can be
grown in straight Sphagnum moss. Wet this mix thoroughly through first
before potting your plant into it. The best time to re-pot is in the spring
when the plants are doing most of their growing. Use a pot to suit the size
of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for the following year, but not
too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Nepenthes dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength to
what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Nepenthes require a high level of light to help produce their
pitchers. They need at least a couple of hours of natural light a day. A
window sill inside the house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon
sun in winter is an excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a
terrarium, greenhouse, glasshouse or porch. Don’t put the nepenthes
outside in the full weather because they require more protection.
HUMIDITY: The number one reason for Nepenthes not growing pitchers/
traps is lack of humidity. The easiest way to create humidity is to place a
tray of water under the pot filled with pebbles. The tray underneath
nepenthes should be twice the area of the pot, and the pebbles should be
porous i.e. scoria, so that they absorb the water and create humidity.
Change the water in the tray every month. A terrarium or glasshouse will
provide warmth and humidity. But a warm sunny window sill will give you
enough heat for the plant to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Nepenthes will go into their dormancy
period. They will slow down in growth. Do not worry. This is a natural
occurrence and the plant must go through this period in order to stay alive.
Cut off any dead leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the
plants will send up their new leaves/pitcher
When a Nepenthes goes through its transition stage and starts to grow its
vine, it will have a time gap before it starts to grow upper pitchers. In the
wild, they won’t grow upper pitchers until the vine reaches the top of the
tree where it gets more light, and to catch the insects that live up there.
FLOWERING: Nepenthes will only flower in a high light situation. They will
only flower once they start to produce upper pitchers. Nepenthes plants
are either male or female, so cannot be self-pollinated. You need one
of each to pollinate. Check Dionaea Muscipula for how to pollinate.
SARRACENIA (PITCHER PLANT)
These plants grow on the east coast of North America.
Their brightly colored pitchers attract flies, wasps, bees and other
flying insects.
Crawling creatures such as ants and slaters climbs up the pitchers,
attracted by the sweet smelling nectar, or by the smell of insects
already rotting inside the pitchers.
The pitchers have downward pointing hairs to stop any insects crawling
out.
They all flower in spring with the flowers varying in color from red,
yellow, pink or green.
A mature plant can grow up to 60cm tall.
Most have hoods to stop the pitchers filling with rain water and
washing the food away. Some varieties don’t have hoods and use the
rain water to drown their prey.
REPOTTING:
Use a mixture of 75% Sphagnum peat moss, and 25% propagating sand. Wet
this mix thoroughly through first before potting your plant into it. The best
time to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their
growing. Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to
grow for the following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Sarracenia dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some fish emulsion based liquid
fertilizer at half strength to what is recommended on the container.
Basically the plants live off the peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Sarracenia’s require a high level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch and some growers grow them outside in
the full weather.
HUMIDITY: Sarracenia’s like a reasonable amount of humidity. A terrarium
or glasshouse will provide this. But a warm sunny window sill will give you
enough heat for the plant to survive. For sarracenias, heat doesn’t seem to
be a problem. Our growing houses reach 50 degrees celcius in summer.
We don’t put any cover over the plastic house, as the more light you can
give the sarracenias, the better they are. But they must never dry out.
Be very wary of high fertiliser concentrations when the temperatures get
up this high.
DORMANCY: During winter your Sarracenia will go into their dormancy
period. They will stop growing and all the traps will die off. Do not worry.
This is a natural occurrence and the plant must go through this period in
order to stay alive and gain strength to grow their spring traps and flowers.
Cut off any dead leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the
plants will send up their new leaves/pitchers.
FLOWERING: Sarracenia’s will flower in early spring, if the plant is of
flowering size. They put up their flowers first so that naturally in the wild,
the insects will pollinate them. They they put up their traps to catch and
eat the insects. To learn to pollinate sarracenias, we have some good
books on the subject available for sale.
DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA (COBRA LILY)
The Cobra Lily grows naturally on the west coast of North America.
They can grow up to 60cm tall.
They can trap flies, mosquitos, wasps, and crawling creatures such as
slaters and ants.
They look a lot like a cobra snake ready to strike, with their tall
twisted pitchers, and puffed up heads and fangs.
They have small windows in the walls of the pitcher which lets light
in and confuses insects who cannot find their way out.
They flower in spring.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Darlingtonia Californica you should use
Sphagnum moss.
Wet this thoroughly first before potting your plant into it. The best time to
re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing. Use
a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for the
following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Cobra Lily dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time. They need their roots kept cool, so water daily with very cold
water.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some fish emulsion based liquid
fertilizer at half strength to what is recommended on the container.
Basically the plants live off the sphagnum moss they are living in.
LIGHT: Darlingtonia’s require a shady position. Under a bench in the green
house is a good spot, or a shady porch. Otherwise you can grow them in a
terrarium, or glasshouse.
HUMIDITY: Darlingtonia’s don’t require a lot of humidity.
DORMANCY: During winter your Darlintonia will go into their dormancy
period. They will stop growing, but won’t die back. Cut off any dead
leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the plants will send up
their new leaves/pitchers and flowers.
DROSERA (SUNDEWS)
Droseras are found in most parts of the world, but more live in Australia
than anywhere else.
They catch mosquito’s, ants, flies and other small insects by catching
them on the sticky nectar on the tentacles of their leaves.
They all flower at different times of the year.
Some varieties go dormant in summer when the soil dries out, others
grow all year round.
Some lay flat on the soil to catch crawling insects, and others stand
upright to catch flying insects.
Some varieties can grow up to 60cm tall.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Drosera you should use a mixture of 75%
Sphagnum peat moss and 25% propagating sand. Wet this mix thoroughly
through first before potting your plant into it. The best time to re-pot is in
the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing. Use a pot to
suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for the following
year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Drosera dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength to
what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Droseras require a high level of light. A window sill inside the house
that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an excellent
position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium, greenhouse,
glasshouse or porch and some growers grow them outside in the full
weather.
HUMIDITY: Drosera’s like humidity. A terrarium or glasshouse will provide
this. But a warm sunny window sill will give you enough heat for the plant
to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter most Drosera’s go into their dormancy period.
They will stop growing. Do not worry. This is a natural occurrence and the
plant must go through this period in order to stay alive and gain strength
to grow their spring traps and flowers. Cut off any dead leaves at the base
of the plant. In spring the plants will send up their new leaves/pitchers.
CEPHALOTUS FOLLICULARIS (ALBANY PITCHER PLANT)
This plant is native to a small part of south western Australia, called
Albany.
They have small jug-like pitchers with slippery sides and sharp teeth
around the rim to prevent insects from escaping.
They can catch flies, mosquito’s, slugs, ants and slaters.
When grown in the shade the pitchers will become green in color,
but when grown in the sun, the traps or pitchers will turn dark red.
A mature plant will have pitchers up to 5cm in length
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Cephalotus follicularis you should use a
mixture of 75% Sphagnum peat moss and 25% propagating sand. Wet this
mix thoroughly through first before potting your plant into it. The best time
to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing.
Use a large deep pot for the plant, and mound it up on top of the surface.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Cephalotus dry out, they like to be wet
all the time. During Spring, Summer and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water,
changing the water frequently. The water should cover the drainage holes
of the pot. If your water is good enough to drink straight from the tap,
then this is alright to use on your plant. If not you should use either rain,
distilled or reverse osmosis water. In winter do not let the plant dry out
but don’t leave it sitting in water all the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength
to what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Cephalotus require a medium level of light. A window sill inside
the house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch.
HUMIDITY: Cephalotus like humidity. A terrarium or glasshouse will provide
this. But a warm sunny window sill will give you enough heat for the plant
to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Cephalotus will go into their dormancy
period. They will stop growing but will not die back. Cut off any dead
leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the plants will send up
their new leaves and pitchers.
PINGUICULA (BUTTERWORT)
Pinguicula’s live mainly in North America, but some are common in
South America, Europe and Asia.
They grow in shady places and trap ants, mosquitos and flies on their
greasy leaves.
When an insect lands on the leaves, the plant covers it with a sickly,
sweet smelling liquid and the insect drowns.
The flowers can be purple, blue, yellow, white or red.
New plants will grow on the tips of the leaves and these are called
`pups’. They can be removed and planted in a pot of their own.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Pinguicula you should use Sphagnum
moss. Wet this through first before potting your plant into it. The best time
to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing.
Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for
the following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Pinguicula dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength
to what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Pinguicula’s require a low level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in winter is an excellent position. Otherwise
you can grow them in a terrarium, greenhouse, glasshouse or porch.
HUMIDITY: Pinguicula’s like humidity. The easiest way to create humidity is
to place a tray of water under the pot filled with pebbles. The tray
underneath nepenthes should be twice the area of the pot, and the pebbles
should be porous i.e. scoria, so that they absorb the water and create
humidity. Change the water in the tray every month. A terrarium or
glasshouse or a warm sunny window sill will give you enough heat for the
plant to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Pinguicula will go into their dormancy
period. They will slow down in growth. Do not worry. This is a natural
occurrence and the plant must go through this period in order to stay alive
and gain strength to grow their spring traps and flowers. In spring the plants
will send up their new leaves/pitchers.
UTRICULARIA (BLADDERWORTS)
Utricularia’s are found in most parts of the world, usually growing in
ponds or in slow flowing creeks and others in very damp soil.
Balloon like sacs or `bladders’ grow at the roots of the plants and are
very small, some no bigger than the head of a pin.
If a small insect swims past the bladder and touches the tiny trigger
hairs, the trap door swings open and creates a vacuum inside the
bladder, sucking the insect inside. The door snaps shut behind it.
The prey of Utricularia’s is usually mosquito larvae that live in the
water.
They all have flowers varying in color from yellow, white, pink or
purple.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your terrestrial Utricularia you should use a
mixture of 75% Sphagnum peat moss and 25% propagating sand. Wet this
mix thoroughly through first before potting your plant into it. The best time
to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing.
Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for
the following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant. Aquatic
Utricularia’s can be grown floating in a tank of water on a window sill or
in a pond.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Utricularia dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit your terrestrial Utricularia in a saucer of water, changing the
water frequently. The water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If
your water is good enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright
to use on your plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse
osmosis water. In winter don’t let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting
in water all the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength to
what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the peat
mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Utricularia’s require a high level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch.
HUMIDITY: Utricularia’s like a bit of humidity. A terrarium or glasshouse will
provide this. But a warm sunny window sill will give you enough heat for
the plant to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Utricularia will go into their dormancy
period. They will stop growing. Do not worry. This is a natural occurrence
and the plant must go through this period in order to stay alive and gain
strength to grow their spring traps and flowers.
HELIAMPHORA (SUN PITCHERS)
Heliamphora’s grow on mountain tops called tepuis in Venezuela,
South America.
They have vase like pitchers which trap insects.
They can catch flies, mosquitos, wasps and crawling insects such as
slaters and ants.
They flower in spring.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Heliamphora you should use Sphagnum
moss. Wet this mix thoroughly through first before potting your plant into it.
The best time to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of
their growing. Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room
to grow for the following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Heliamphora dry out. During Spring,
Summer and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water
frequently. The water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your
water is good enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to
use on your plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse
osmosis water. In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it
sitting in water all the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength
to what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Heliamphora’s require a high level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch.
HUMIDITY: Heliamphora’s grow in high humidity. You can create humidity
by placing a tray of water under the pot filled with pebbles. The tray
underneath nepenthes should be twice the area of the pot, and the pebbles
should be porous i.e. scoria, so that they absorb the water and create
humidity. Change the water in the tray every month. A terrarium or
glasshouse will provide enough warmth, or a warm sunny window sill will
give you enough heat for the plant to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Heliamphora will go into their dormancy
period. They will slow down in growth. Do not worry. This is a natural
occurrence and the plant must go through this period in order to stay alive
and gain strength to grow their spring traps and flowers. Cut off any dead
leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the plants will send up
their new leaves/pitchers.
BROCCHINIA REDUCTA (BROMILIAD)
Brocchinia’s grow on the planes of Venezuela, South America.
The leaves form a vase like shape and are the only ones in the
Bromiliad family that digest the prey that drown in the rain water of
their vase.
They can catch such insects as flies, mosquitos, wasps, slugs, slaters
and ants.
They are cool growing.
REPOTTING: When re-potting your Brocchinia you should use a mixture of
75% Sphagnum peat moss and 25% propagating sand or orchid bark. Wet this
mix thoroughly through first before potting your plant into it. The best time
to re-pot is in the spring when the plants are doing most of their growing.
Use a pot to suit the size of the plant, giving it enough room to grow for
the following year, but not too big that it dwarfs the plant.
WATERING: Do not ever let your Brocchinia dry out. During Spring, Summer
and Autumn sit it in a saucer of water, changing the water frequently. The
water should cover the drainage holes of the pot. If your water is good
enough to drink straight from the tap, then this is alright to use on your
plant. If not you should use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water.
In winter do not let the plant dry out but don’t leave it sitting in water all
the time.
FERTILIZING: Do not fertilize with flies or insects. You will end up killing
your plant this way. You can give it some liquid fertilizer at half strength to
what is recommended on the container. Basically the plants live off the
peat mixture they are living in.
LIGHT: Brocchinia’s require a high level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch.
HUMIDITY: Brocchinias’s like humidity. The easiest way to create humidity
is to place a tray of water under the pot filled with pebbles. The tray
underneath nepenthes should be twice the area of the pot, and the pebbles
should be porous i.e. scoria, so that they absorb the water and create
humidity. Change the water in the tray every month. A terrarium or
glasshouse or a warm sunny window sill will give you enough heat for the
plant to survive.
DORMANCY: During winter your Brocchinia will go into their dormancy
period. They will slow down in growth. Do not worry. This is a natural
occurrence and the plant must go through this period in order to stay alive
and gain strength to grow their spring traps and flowers. Cut off any dead
leaves/pitchers at the base of the plant. In spring the plants will send up
their new leaves/pitchers.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SCALE
Scale is a small, usually black shelled insect that lives on many plants,
including sarracenias. They suck on the leaves and secret out a honey like
dew from their back ends, which then attracts ants to this dew, so you end
up with an ant problem as well. You can treat it in two ways, either use a
product called Malathon, which should be available at most nurseries. Or
simply cut off the infected traps and throw them away. You will find that
during late autumn and early winter the sarracenia traps will be dying back
anyway to go into dormancy, so this is the easiest and cheapest way to get
rid of scale.
FUNGUS
The black mould that occurs on some carnivorous plants, including
sarracenias is fungus. You might get a bit of fungus over winter when the
plants remain wet from watering, rain etc, and the weather is not warm
enough to dry them off. Also if the plants are grown close together, and
there is not much air movement between them. A product called Fongarid,
again available at most nurseries should clear the plants of this, or again
just cut off the infected traps, especially during winter.
We actually go through all of our Sarracenia houses during early winter
and cut off all sarracenia traps, not sparing a thing. This gets rid of fungus
and scale, and cleans the plants of all their old traps which will die at some
stage over winter. It allows the plants to have a good resting period over
winter, before they put all their effort into growing new traps for spring.
Sulphur based fungicides are alright to use on carnivorous plants.
Copper based fungicides are deadly to carnivorous plants.
APHIDS
In spring, watch for aphids, a small green insect which loves to chew on
new sarracenia leaves, making them distorted when they grow. A good
‘House and Garden’ type aerosol spray will kill aphid, but don’t spray too
close to the plant. Spray up and let the spray waft down, as aerosols can
freeze the plants. You may have to have a few goes to get rid of all aphids,
as they are actually born pregnant, so their life cycle is quick.
DORMANCY
If you live in parts of the world where it is always warm and humid, and
you never really get a cold winter, you will have to make your carnivorous
plants, especially Sarracenias and Dionaeas, go into a forced dormancy
period each winter. Do this by un-potting them (if you don’t have room for
the pots) and lay them in the bottom or crisper section (where you would
keep lettuce and tomatoes) of your fridge. You can loosely wrap the roots
in plastic to keep the fridge clean. And don’t forget to keep the name tags
with the correct plants. You will probably need to re-pot them in spring
anyway, so it is not a waste of time un-potting them. Don’t put them in the
freezer or at the top of the fridge where it is colder. They need to stay in
the fridge for about 6-8 weeks during mid winter. You can cut all the
leaves/traps off your sarracenias before putting in the fridge, as these will
die back anyway.
WATER
Most tap water around the world is deadly to carnivorous plants because
of the high levels of salt it contains. Most people need to collect rain
water or buy distilled or Bottled water with a very low TDS ( Total dissolved solids).
Check the label, the TDS should be 50 or below.
Test the water that you use on your plants.
If it is too alkaline, or contains salts, then this is not good. This must be
fixed before it is used on the plants. A pH meter will do this. The pH
should be neutral, which is about 6-7.
We supply a Carnivorous Plant water to most Nurseries that stock our plants.