Hello! I've been gardening for many years and I have thousands of plants, but I've never been able to keep carnivorous plants alive for more than a few months. So I want to start fresh and learn how to grow them the right way. Information on how to grow them and such would be great. Can the Lowe's plants be trusted? I favorites are sundews and leah's child pitchers, but I love them all!
Thanks!
Devon
Starting in Carnivorous Plants
Check out cobra plants nursery website, they have good information. And welcome, these plants are so addictive and rewarding.
Some of Lowe's plants might not be in the best shape as they water them with tap water.
Cheryl
Welcome! Some links to get you started!
http://www.carnivorousplants.org/index.html
http://www.pinguicula.org/pages/pages_principales/content.html
http://www.omnisterra.com/botany/cp/slides/pings/pings.htm
http://droseragemmae.com/CareGuide.html
http://www.bestcarnivorousplants.com/cultivation_pygmies.htm
I never seen any of these unusual plants in person but kept drooling all over the pics I saw online. They seem so out of this world and I was sure it was impossible for me to try to keep them alive... But my conditions are similar to those of Tommy's so maybe I'll give it a try this season. Any suggestions on beginner-proof species? I really like Sarracenia and Nepenthes. Besides I love to start seeds, would it be a good idea to try some easy ones? Will really appreciate any tips. I'm not an expert gardener but my hoyas, succulents and gesneriads do well for me.
Maria
Sarracenia purpurea (northern) are native to MI, as am I so they would likely survive your winters outside. There is also at least one sundew native to OH/MI and similar climates but I cannot remember the name. If you search this forum, Tommy and others explain how they overwinter some of their plants in the fridge. I grow 4 kinds of sarracenia, venus fly traps and a southern sundew outside year round in full sun. I also have a few nepanthes and tropical sundews that I keep indoors year round. I guess that means it depends on which plants you want to try.
I think sarracenia are the easiest but most species are only hardy to zone 7 or 8 and they all need to live outside and have some winter weather. The same is true of fly traps but to me they are harder to grow into big healthy plants.
Certain species of Nepanthes are not too difficult as house plants and some tropical sundews are pretty easy as well.
C
Thanks for the suggestions. How about Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii seeds? are they difficult to grow? I just saw them available, the plant looks very interesting.
This message was edited Feb 6, 2011 9:10 PM
I think venosa likes warmer climates. I would think the northern variety would do better in OH and MT.
That was really fast! I keep exploring the species. BTW what would be the best time to order a plant? maybe when it's dormant? I read some reviews and many complains about damadged pitchers/leaves.
Cobra plants does a pretty good job of protecting their plants for shipping. Some leaf damage will probably occur but plants recover quickly. I would order Sarracenia in spring after dormancy. Remember that group needs a winter chill. Honestly I don't know much about growing them where its really cold. I only know of the one species that can survive zone 5 without any real protection. If they are happy and in a sunny local they can actually grow quite a bit over one summer. I have seen some companies that sell rhizomes but have never dealt with those myself. I order tropicals whenever, keeping in mind that winter can be a problem. The temperate ones I have always gotten in early spring.
Sometimes you can find plants for sale at stores. I bought 2 really nice sized Judith hindle varieties at of all places the grocery store. I have even rescued the poor plants from HD and Lowe's but those are usually small and not in the best condition. I found some huge VFT's at Kroger one year.
Try some tropicals if you have a nice sunny area or lights in the house. LOL as you can tell I really like this group of plants and they are addictive. Nothing is prettier than pot of red Sarracenia.
S. purpurea subsp. purpurea is the most cold tolerant.
Oh yeah, your plant looks incredible. It seems I'm less lucky here -- never seen any of them besides VFT at Lowes/Walmart. I really like the idea of a potted plant, it would be my first choice -- easier to protect and meet the requirements I guess. I do use flourescent lights and keep some plants in the garage in winter, just have to pick the right ones, tropical or hardier? or both? lol
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5538.html
Take a look.
I would just keep whichever Sarracenia and Flytraps you like in pots and bringing them to an unheated garage or basement for the winter, and put them out in spring when weather hits about 40.
If you get Sarracenia seeds, learn about stratification. I am happy to cut and paste the instructions, just let me know if you get the sseds. The first year the seedlings need to be protected.
Cobraplant care sheets will get you through growing these plants and make it easy. You can friend them on facebook, and Jacob will send you updates when he releases new podcasts and videos online.
If you want an easy Nepenthes to keep in the house, N. "ventrata" (sold as alata at Walmart) and N. "miranda" are super easy. Miranda is very showy. Both are hybrids and easy.
You wouldn't need lights for the plants in the garage. They are dormant, since they are temperate plants. They start growing again in spring.
Let us know what you get, and we'll send you specific instructions.
Great info, thanks! I'm definitely interested in S.purpurea sp. purpurea. Miranda is incredible too, never seen anything like that in Walmart though. Or any other store. So I'm gonna be on-line shopping, just enough time till spring. Hope to be back soon, thanks again for the support.
M
Look in Walmart in the spring and around Halloween. They have N. miranda and ventrata regularly and VFT. I usually talk them down to 50% off because the plants show wear.
I buy all my online plants from Jacob at cobraplants.com. I have for years. Only place my plants don't show up mangled. (But I let everyone who is new know I am biased. I have been helping him to edit his ebook. But I was a delighted customer for years before I started working with him, and I haven't edited for him in over a year.)
I found out this evening that a Ping I got from cobraplants last year won first place at the fair. :) I will make a thread with pictures in the next couple days. :)
I'm so exited! just got my first plant, Sarracenia from Lowes. They had usual VFT plastic boxes and just one S., what a surprize! It's a small plant, no cultivar mentioned, just 'never below 40F'. I uncovered the container at home. Do I have to repot it? They recommend 'bright light' so what is better: East/South window or flourescent lights? Do I have to pour some water inside the pitcher? I'd really like to make it happy and beautiful.
Another shot. One of the leaves has brown tips
It looks like a purpurea of some kind and they can handle lower than 40F and actually need lower than that to do well long term. Is it growing in pure sphagnum moss or soil? It will need rain or distilled water only and I usually replant them but it could probably wait til spring. Give it as much light as possible and slowly let it adjust to the sun outside in spring. That plant wants and needs full sun eventually just don't burn it and let it get used to slowly increasing amounts of sun. If its a purpurea var. purpurea or northern pitcher it can live outside year round it OH once it gets used to that. Those grow naturally in the midwest and even into Canada. I love them and they have nice red flowers in spring or early summer.
C
It's in sphagnum moss. When repotting what medium would be the best? No chance of rain here so far so will it be OK to use melted snow for watering?
I think so or buy some distilled. I haven't had any problems with growing Sarracenia in pure sphagnum but when I replant I use half Canadian peat moss and half sand, then add a layer of dried sphagnum to the top which usually greens up for me. I have a pot of purpurea outside in sphagnum that I will repot this spring. Unfortunately we had killer freezes for TX and most of my plants are not rated for anything less than zone 7. I am afraid I have lost some. Time will tell. I know OH has bogs that have purpurea growing in them so it should do well for you if you keep it moist and in the sun. I do fill the pitchers if they seem dry on that type of pitcher plant, they depend on rain but other species make their own fluids.
C
A link to OH CP's though not with nice colored pics.
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/1779/V13N05_097.pdf;jsessionid=08810AD8E7A07FE5E16E91063C798DAD?sequence=1
http://www.ohcps.org/
Click on the link above and select locations.
This message was edited Feb 8, 2011 6:17 PM
This message was edited Feb 8, 2011 6:19 PM
Thank you so much for the tips. I'd love to see Sarracenia in the wild but have no idea where to look for. I wish there was something like map available. it will be interesting to google it.
Sorry for your plants, hopefully they'll come back for you. Do you have them planted or potted? Pots are easier to resque indoors.... Pain in the b... but well worth if something valuable is involved
Wow, thanks for the link!
If you visit any of those sites, take some pics...it will remind me of home.
Cheryl
I'd love to, two of them are not so far away. Their meeting is held in Columbus, 120 miles, too much for me....
How about this:
It's a Heron to the left, poor thing
That's a beautiful in a desolate way picture. That looks like a Great Blue Heron. I think it amazing how large their native territory is, since they live in Florida and Canada. Are those ducks on the water?
Yes, there are always ducks and geese in our community pond. Even in winter
Our frequent guest
Cheryl, does it remind you of home?
I do miss real fall color, we really don't get that here.
C
Thank you for all the useful information!
Thank you for the starting an interesting thread. Sorry for some off-topic reflections, hopefully we could enjoy the new carnivorous plants and their pics soon as it warms up?
I'll do my best ;)
My Sarracenias are blooming like mad. I have bunches of bugs up. I keep dumping cayenne pepper on them so the squirrels won't eat them. I'll put up pictures soon. S flava seems to pop up first.
Darn, I only have one pitiful flower. I do want to see your pics. Guess the winter was hard on my plants.
C
The winter does the best for the Sarracenia. There's no worry there. Are your plants adults? Did they bloom last year? Mine usually don't get cold enough. A few freezes and some frost and I get great flowers in the spring. I need to take flowers. Right now they are all balls. They will open in a few more weeks. At the Botanical Gardens the flavas are open for business. And Starting to send up leaves.
Hi Devon, I never received your half of our arranged trade last year..????