Carnivorous plants

Any fans out there? I have a couple of questions.

TO

 

I keep being lured into buying those packs of seeds, but have yet to get one to germinate.

 

I've grown a few over the years, but there are lots of different kinds totally unrelated really.

 

I have always been attracted, but believe they are 'difficult', so have yet to try (am actually kicking myself that I didn't buy the �£1.49 reduced price venus fly trap I saw in Homebase last week.

 

They are in most cases jarbax fairly easy growing, as long as you apply certain principles.
No fertilizer or feed, waterlogged conditions and acid compost.
And leave them to get on with it.
Nepenthes are a bit different, but not difficult until you venture into the more unusual types.

 

I have a pitcher plant and a venus flytrap. They are both happy in the original small pots they came in and I keep them damp with rainwater.

Following advice I have even fed them caught insects but what I want to know is when the flytrap leaves start to blacken and die after their third or so feed should I remove them or leave them.

Same with the pitcher should I trim or leave alone?

TO :confused:

 

Ah - thanks! Will give one a go then (bet I'll have to pay full price though!)

I remember a friend in my student days struggleing with one - collecting rainwater and directing a daylight bulb at the thing - it still died a slow death...

 

I own up ... I killed mine this year ... jail sentence for me. However, I think it was a case of neglect!

 

T&O, you can trim back anything thats obviously dead, so the black traps can be cut off, but if the leaf behind is still green I would leave it, likewise pitcher plant traps, if its brown and dead cut it back to the green bit.

Not really house plants jarbax, although a window sill is possible, venus flytrap really needs a cool or even cold winter I reckon, so a cool greenhouse is best, as hot as you like in the summer with humidity.

Just a thought, but I used to feed mine ones cheese, and they grew pretty big. :D

 

Thanks Pete,

Mine are on an inside kitchen windowsill amongst my tomato plants to deal with the pesky bugs. If I was to repot them into a bigger pot what soil should I use?

Fascinated by the cheese thing! Brie, mozzarella? I can imagine them loving that stinky cheese made famous by Wallace and Grommit!

TO

 

I used sphagnum moss peat with just a little sand and perhaps some charcoal, the type sold for bottle gardens.

Its strange that you say you want them to deal with the pesky bugs, I found that green fly attack venus fly trap badly and cause distorted growth.

I found good old cheddar was best, a really mature one. :D

 

Oldest spawn has a Venus Flytrap, Cobra something and a Honeydew plant which live very happily in the greenhouse in total neglect, scoffing some of the bugs in there.... they get the occasional dose of Tomato feed as I pass with the watering can, and a good old splosh of pond water to sit in. I have been asked to get something big and unusual when we go to Hampton Court.... They are totally fascinated by the gory way the poor bugs are digested by the plants and if you look at the Venus Fly traps leaves, there are the sucked out remains in there!!!

 

Funnily enough, I got them a couple of years ago when greenfly attacked my indoor herbs and wrecked them.

Depending on the weather I also get those horrible small harvest flies so having decided to grow my tomatoes inside on a sunnny windowsill this year I've got the carnies in with them. So far so good.

If I had a greenhouse I would absolutely love to have a couple of those giant (pitcher's!)hanging down. Might have to keep the cats at a safe distance though!

TO