Sarracenia- carnivorous plant not doing well

[monivik]

So I decided to get a carnivorous plant, after reading that they can be handy to have around your orchids and other plants. So I thought let me start by getting one, a sarracenia. By the way I've noticed a lot of fruit flies around my herbs (parsley, koriander etc) and the orchids lately.

I've had the sarracenia for a couple of weeks now. But it doesn't seem to be doing that well, at least I think so (see picture). I read that they should be constantly moist, so I keep checking every day and I make sure it never dries out. I also make sure it's not in the direct sun light.

I also read that one shouldn't water these plants with tap water, but preferably rain water. Honestly I don't have any way of collecting rain water. So I've been using filtered water. You know from a pitcher with a filter, the kind of water we drink.

Maybe worth mentioning: I water my orchids with regular unfiltered tap water though, I've been doing this for years, because I've been told that the water where I live is soft water, and that that's not that bad. Can I use this same water on the sarracenia?

The other thing is the temperature, as we are currently in summer here, the last couple of weeks the temperature has fluctuated a lot here, outdoors as well as indoors. My house has most of the time been arround 24-25C (75.2-77C) but it has also been as low as 21C (69.8F). However, this week has suddenly turned into a heat wave, inside my house is 30C (86F). I live on the top floor apartment with a flat black roof, and I do not have airconditioner.

[Bulbopedilum]

Sarracenia can tolerate a lot less PPM than orchids. Get a TDS meter or find a source to see how much PPM your water has. I would use it if it has < 70 PPM. Distilled or RO water from the store is the best.

[fooferdoggie]

they can take a ton of heat. they tend to love that. but stye also want full sun . they don't do well inside unless it is a more tropical one.

[Ray]

I grow them in sphagnum moss that is pretty compressed - sogginess is not an issue. Lots of sun and as pure a water as possible.

[fooferdoggie]

Originally Posted by Ray

I grow them in sphagnum moss that is pretty compressed - sogginess is not an issue. Lots of sun and as pure a water as possible.

I use 50/50 peat moss and pearlite. just use hose water. they grow like weeds some of them. but I don't keep them soaking I use extra large pots and water once a week and if really hot twice.My biggest problem are weeds and its not being hot enough. the flytraps want a hot spring to grow really large.

[Subrosa]

Your problem is a lack of light. Water is not nearly as critical for Sarracenia as many people think. I worked at a nursery that watered everything with 200 ppm Philadelphia tap water, including carnivorous plants. Sarracenia and Nepenthes were fine, Drosera and VFTs not so much.

[fooferdoggie]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Your problem is a lack of light. Water is not nearly as critical for Sarracenia as many people think. I worked at a nursery that watered everything with 200 ppm Philadelphia tap water, including carnivorous plants. Sarracenia and Nepenthes were fine, Drosera and VFTs not so much.

yep thats why they suck indoors. you see these pathetic flytraps in store the poor things. plus heat they like it hot. our porch can get upto 1180 degrees and they thrive in that right on or next to blacktop.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Soft water is not necessarily a good thing. Remember that water softeners usually act by stripping out calcium and magnesium, adding in sodium (ok for humans, often bad for plants).

I agree with getting the plant out into the sunshine and switching to rain water or distilled water. A filter probably won't help, unless it is a deionization or reverse osmosis process.