Please help beginner with VFT and pitcher plants.

I got a VFT in early fall, from Lowe's. A cp grower told me that they usually die because of the way they are treated and the directions are all wrong for what the plant needs. So, I slowly acclimated it to more light and being in the air, kind of. It is still in the small pot, but is set inside the mini bog of sphagnum and is now residing in a western window close to the glass so it cools down. It looks much better in some ways than it did when I got it, but I want to make sure this will be okay for it. I was trying to emulate winter dormancy, it gets chilly but warms during the day, same as zone 7.

Well, I find the cp's to be pretty fascinating, so today, at Lowe's, they had some pitchers, so I grabbed a red and purple, and have no idea what they really want, and how much to baby them to get them used to better conditions. First, does it hurt to let rain water hit the top of the plant, like over the pitchers and all? Second, are they really delicate or can I put them in shade of bigger plant for a week and then move it out to a sunny spot of it's own? I just want to give them the best chance to prosper. So please help if you can :).

HI 3js

We're a bunch of newbies like you on the garden design forum in Charley's Goth and Ungoth thread. We're going through the learning curve as a group. Sharing info and CP's. The best info we've found comes from http://www.cobraplants.com/ They have YouTube videos that cover all the basics. We've all been to Lowes etc. and are working on the same problems.

At this point we've come to the conclusion that the small ones need the sun, distilled or rain water and to be outside. We've also decided to mulch heavy if they're in a bog or to bring them in if it freezes. Our plants are the same size as yours. Cuties

Join us here and we'll share what we know etc. RRM is leading the group and if you'll ask her she'll tell you what she's done with her CP's. Mechelle is in TN and Flower is in Indiana so they would probably be the closet to your zone. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1056987/

Cool them down and eventually put them where it gets no warmer than 35-40 degrees F. but not freezing, an unheated garage for instance. Mine go in a zip lock bag and then the fridge until the end of February. Then they go in a sunny south window until all danger of frost passes.

I found info at this place. I bought my sundew plants from her...

http://mkfarmsofms.weebly.com/

I'll have to check out cobraplants, too.

I am a little nervous about the fridge, only because of light. Have you successfully wintered them this way in the past?

Yes for 5 years. They don't need light when dormant.

I have 5 VFT's, and 3 pitcher plants, most new this year but a couple are what survived in a terrrium without a dormant period. I am leaving all of them out in my zone 7b-8 yard in a corner spot up against the house. If they live, I will let you know. If they don't, I will order some new early next spring and start them out right next year.
C

I am from MI originally (zone 5) and we have purple pitcher plants up there that are native, so maybe they would do fine in KY?
Cheryl

Thanks. I'll see if I can research it and try to get them to survive this year and plant them out next spring.

Plant them all in a peat moss, sand mix and sit them in shallow trays of rain water outside in the sun. They love to stay moist and like full sun.

That is a nice size plant and the bloom is great!, Breeindy.
Nice collection.

Thanks! That last pic they were looking abit scabby from winter but here they are now growing great in summer...

That is Gorgeous. Mine are still in their winter dormancy. Got pinestraw over them.?
Have some VFT under it too. Don't think the sundews made it but who know what Spring will have show up.
Thank you, It looks like a Rainbow Garden of CP'S. It is beautiful.

Can I plant my pitcher plant seeds in a shallow dish with peat, sand & rain water & set them outside to germinate?

Thank you,

ants

I have never tried them from seed, someone else needs to give you some advice on that.
C

Have you already had the seeds refrigerated? then yes, you should be able to.

No, I haven't had them in the fridge. I just got them & don't know much of anything about them other than they look really cool :) I had originally planned to put them in a spot in my back yard that is kind of wet most of the time. But it is in mostly shade under pines.

ants

It won't hurt to try them. Sometimes I have good luck with seed, sometimes I don't. I just plant and hope for the best..

breeindy,

...you sure grow them pretty in Australia. Nice and robust-looking, healthy.

Bree has some gorgeous plants.

For germinating Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia) you need to stratify. If you live where it is cold and wet, you can put them on a mix of peat and perlite or sand, and leave outside for the winter. If you live in a warm place like me, you can put the seeds on a paper towel, spray with rain water, spray with a fugacide like Neem, fold the paper towel, put in a ziplock and put in the fridge for three months, then put it on the correct soil mix in full sun outside, and they will germinate quickly.

Bree has gorgeous healthy plants.

I know, aren't we all envious of Bree. Most beautiful plants ever.

Here are some of the plants at the botanical gardens where I volunteer as the curator for carnivorous plants.

A close up. The hard winter did good things for the plants.

Another view.

Those are beautiful. my cp look like the light green ones. Love them .

Those are great pictures. Nice to see them in their bogs and doing well. It must be great to work there.

What do you call that one with the red colored bloom? I want to find one of those to go with my green ones from RRM. Is that one of the ones Cody id buying in the co-op thingy? Do you know, RRM or Seray?

Some of the reds are S. "Judith Hindle" and some are S. "Daina's Delight" and some are S. purpurea. The yellow ones are S. flava. There's one that has red flowers that are more of an orange. I think those are the prettiest. I have no idea what it is. These plants were donated to the gardens by a hobbiest. We were so lucky to get such an amazing collection.

Here's a picture from my garden.

Here's my new S. leucophylla "Tarnok". Right before the tussock caterpillars decided they were lunch. :)

Those might be some dead caterpillars if they ate such a lovely thing at my house! The bog pics are very nice and show what the plants look like when the get what they need. I can only dream...
C

Does it hurt them when it rains and fills the little pool with standing water? Do you have to pour some out?

I'm sorry, I forgot to say how pretty they are. I love the pool for the pot to hold them.

I move the caterpillars to the compost heap. They can eat everything growing there. :) I have a live and live attitude with my critters.

The pool is perfect for the Sarracenia. Venus Flytraps don't like to get too wet, so I keep them in another container. The pool will overflow if there's too much water, and that's fine. I also have holes drilled about 1 inch below the rim. My plants are always drying out, so I am always trying to figure out how to keep them wet enough. Since they are bog plants, they like to be wet.

OH ok and thank you. I have mine outside too but wondered if they can get too much water.

The parrott pitcher like to even be underwater. Very important to keep them outside. When I planted the bogs are the botanical garden, the pond liners were filled half way with way. Then I added a mix of peat and perlite. The result was like quicksand. Then I put in all the plants. They have been very happy.

WHen VFT get too much water they shrink because the roots rot.

I have some little green cobra lilies in mine and was wondering if they get too much water if they stay out in the rain. I kept them in this pot in the greenhouse then when it warmed up a bit I put them outside but never had any before and was thinking of getting more and different ones and just didn't want to kill these. Can they all stay together in a pool and outside?

The cobras like cold water over their roots. They are used to growing in running streams in the N.W. U.S.

Thanks. Here is a bloom from one of my pitcher plants with it.

That's really a beautiful flower.

Here's a care sheet for cobras. Yours look wonderful.
http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=77&zenid=9e8b5e0ad6b066c6250020760e188b4e

Thank you for the link. I'll copy the information so I can look back on it.