Sarracenia Project

[WaterWitchin]

So... since I have spare time while waiting to transplant my Coconut Project tree, I've been wanting to attempt growing sarracenia for years. There are lots of Jack in the Pulpit growing down by our tiny creek, but I've always wanted the native Northern Pitcher Plant by my pond. I planted a few Jack in the Pulpit many years back up by the house, and have a nice little colony here.

I recently found a place on Etsy that had rhizomes for a very decent price... a "grab bag" of assorted rhizomes, six for $25. They should arrive Friday. Exciting, right?!?

Been doing all my reading and homework. I bought a bag of Canadian sphagnum peat, and already have sand on hand...doing a 3:1 mix. I plan to bury them just below surface level, crown just above soil line (Sounds like planting a water lily.)

I was going to plant in a large pot with holes in the bottom and place at top of my pond biofall. It seemed perfect, as they'd have a constant water flow and stay moist. Was going to put them in the garage to overwinter.

Now I'm reading that pond water will have too many nitrates and will slowly cause death of the sarracenia. So rainwater or RO water. I guess when it says a "bog plant" that the bogs aren't adjacent to fish poop water. {{sigh}} So much for my idea of having them in a bog in my pond area. Now another place to haul RO or rain water to instead.

Any successful sarracenia growers who want to chime in with advice on WaterWitchin's latest and greatest project??

[Mr.Fakename]

I don't grow Sarracenia, but if I were you I'd say screw it and try anyway, with a Guinea rhizome

Depending on the type of wet land they like, there's a chance nutrients aren't totally missing. I've seen wild Drosera growing happily on very rich compost.

If you can, get live Sphagnum; it will act as a buffer and sequestrate most nutrients.

[DirtyCoconuts]

you can make a one way water ladder ( i made up that name lol)

take a large cheapo pot 3-4 gallon and fill the bottom with the largest lava rock an charcoal you can find and then bury the pots into the pond "edge" up to the level that the rocks occupy in the pot.
then add an inch of sand and more rocks and then use the last 6-8" of the pot for the bog mix.

this is like a backwards backwoods drinking filter.

the water will wick up but the materials should reduce the movement of nutients (i am doing this adjacent to a neighbors koi pond and it is working for sundew and pitchers.


i think that a lot of the water ends up coming from rain here but it is working for about 8 months


you can also just fake the build in the pond and use a pond liner to keep the water separate

[estación seca]

It's really true that nitrogen is death to establishing Sarracenias. Same with mineral content. Do some reading at the International Carnivorous Plant Society. The safest way is living Sphag and rain, or peat:sand and rain. Wash the sand multiple times in pure water. Many CP addicts keep a container of live sphagnum for potting new plants. It requires pure water, direct sun and intermediate temperatures.

Stand the Sarracenia pot in a dish of rain in full sun in spring. You might need to move it when it heats up.

Do you mean mixed species/hybrids rhizomes? Purpurata needs/tolerates much colder winters than the others.

[Ray]

If you go enough off the beaten path, they often grow in ditches around here, but they often have standing rainwater.

When I lived in SC, I grew them in pots that were 50/50 sand and sphagnum. Bright sun, no fertilizer ever, lots of water.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fakename

I don't grow Sarracenia, but if I were you I'd say screw it and try anyway, with a Guinea rhizome ...If you can, get live Sphagnum; it will act as a buffer and sequestrate most nutrients.

Easy for you to say! Guinea Pigrhizome will happen once they proliferate. These guys are usually expensive! Ummm... I could buy some live sphag, but then I'd have to also keep it alive.

---------- Post added at 08:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 AM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

you can make a one way water ladder... a backwards backwoods drinking filter....fake the build in the pond...

the water will wick up but the materials should reduce the movement of nutients (i am doing this adjacent to a neighbors koi pond and it is working for sundew and pitchers. i think that a lot of the water ends up coming from rain here but it is working for about 8 months

I like the one-way ladder/backwards drinking filter idea. Think I'll try that experiment once I get some growth. Most of the sites I read where folks grow the sarracenia said the ones they had in real deal pond water lasted two or three years and slowly declined. (chat places where folks grow sarracenia but main focus is koi pond). Once I get a colony going, it would be fun to grow like that and just have "replacements" ready once they decline. And most of my pond water comes from a hose and just dechlorinated. We don't get enough rainfall here to keep up with the hot summer months.

---------- Post added at 08:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

It's really true that nitrogen is death to establishing Sarracenias. Same with mineral content. Do some reading at the International Carnivorous Plant Society. The safest way is living Sphag and rain, or peat:sand and rain. Wash the sand multiple times in pure water. Many CP addicts keep a container of live sphagnum for potting new plants. It requires pure water, direct sun and intermediate temperatures.

Stand the Sarracenia pot in a dish of rain in full sun in spring. You might need to move it when it heats up.

Do you mean mixed species/hybrids rhizomes? Purpurata needs/tolerates much colder winters than the others.

I have read there, and it's a good resource. Yes, these are mixed species and includes one hybrid. It's a guess until they grow what they are, but also why they were inexpensive. I plan on wintering the whole thing in the garage in winter. Likely will get a purpurata, but my focus is a couple of tall "wow" type pitchers. Go big or go home type display.

---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

If you go enough off the beaten path, they often grow in ditches around here, but they often have standing rainwater.

When I lived in SC, I grew them in pots that were 50/50 sand and sphagnum. Bright sun, no fertilizer ever, lots of water.

Supposedly they grow off the beaten path here, but I've yet to see them and have spent a lot of time off the beaten path over the years. Geologist/surveyor cousin spends tons of time off the beaten path in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas... he said very occasionally he'll see a few. When you were in SC, I presume rain water or RO, right?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

When you were in SC, I presume rain water or RO, right?

No, tap water, but it was so pure, it was close enough.

Here in southeastern NC, about 80 miles from where I lived back then, our tap water is about 100 ppm TDS (true, not measured), of which half is calcium added to "sweeten" the taste.

[WaterWitchin]

Plants just arrived! Pictures will be coming up soon, after I get them planted! I'm excited!

[WaterWitchin]

Here's my new little beauties, just unpacked.



Then a lot of thinking and being nervous about planting them. I read that if you used sand, it had to be clean and washed. Ran to hardware store so I could substituted sand with perlite.

Then the quandary... right size pot and depth. Wringing of hands. Bugged a friend half to death with questions (thanks Judah for the patience!). Numerous pictures of pots sent back and forth. Then decided they should be in orchid space for awhile until they recovered from their trip, so convince husband to haul everything upstairs.... That guy who was promised once I had the new orchid space he wouldn't have to schlep pots up and down the stairs.

FINALLY planted.



This is almost as nerve wracking as waiting for a coconut to sprout!

[DirtyCoconuts]

I think it is perfect. Just keep the lower bowl full and you will see amazing growth