Carnivorous Plants

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by Paul

An note of concern I would bring up, LB, is for you to check to see if NYC adds either fluoride or chlorine to its water. Very common for cities to do, but not a good thing for the plants.

I think if you let the water sit open for a while in a used water jug, the chlorine evaporates.

Anyway my flytraps are blossoming now!

[Dave S.]

You may want to check if you have chloramine added to your water as it does not evaporate like chlorine.

Are you planning to make VFT seeds? Many growers cut off the flower stalk to give their plants more vigor during the growing season.

[Laserbeak]

I've been using tap water for a while now and I see no changes in any of the carnivorous plants, if anything they look like they're doing better! It looks like the TDS test was right! Like I said now three out of three flytraps I have in a community pot are in bloom with pretty little white flowers on long inflorescences.

[wintergirl]

Interesting article about research on carnivorous plants:

Scientists say the tropical carnivorous plant regularly exploits natural weather fluctuations to adjust the slipperiness of its pitfall traps in order to capture and dine on batches of ants at a time, rather than individual ants.

Pitcher plant is a great catcher - IOL SciTech | IOL.co.za

[tarev]

Love this thread!

I have added some more cps's in my collection. Last year I got Sarracenia psittacina and in late Fall Sarracenia purpurea and a drosera.

It was my Sarracenia's first winter outdoors, so I have been observing how it goes. Sarracenia psittacina is ghastly right now, really dormantly ugly. Sarracenia purpurea on the other hand not that bad, it did manage to make a new pitcher. So Sarracenia psittacinia is just so ugly dormant right now..do I just cut off those dead parts later as temps improve or do I wait for signs that the plant is waking up?

I kept my drosera indoors sitting in water, beside my other orchids. It was busy making blooms all winter long.

Then last Saturday at the Pacific Orchid Expo, there were lots of cp vendors, and I decided to buy one a nepenthes, the tag says Nepenthes densiflora x spathulata x spectabile. Such a long name. But it does look interesting. So far I have this one by our windowsill near the kitchen sink. It has one well formed pitcher and is trying to grow another one right now. I have been reading more about Nepenthes and it seems there are lowland and highland varieties. I think the one I got is a highland one.

My Sarracenia psittacina when I got it around June 2014, it was in bloom too, those blooms lasted quite long:


Same plant by Oct 2014


Winter dormant Sarracenia psittacina


Sarracenia purpurea - added this one around Fall


This Pinguicula I also got in Fall and it bloomed this winter:


This is my oldest Pinguicula, always in bloom in late Fall to Winter, has grown so much already


The new Nepenthes densiflora x spathulata x spectabile I got from the Pacific Orchid Expo:


Oh, and this is the Drosera I got around Fall:


I have not done any repotting yet..I feel my oldest Pinguicula needs to move to a bigger container soon..and my Sarracenia psittacina may also need a repot..but I am honestly unsure how to do it right now. I am trying to find a good peat media. I hate those that have enriched additives..got to find just a simple peat base and some nice sphagnum moss.

[Tindomul]

Those are awesome. I am currently growing Drosera rotundifolia in my terrarium. Its a struggle to keep the moss from overgrowing it even though the plant has grown quickly since I got it.
Here is a picture.
Drosera rotundifolia by tindomul1of9, on Flickr
Drosera rotundifolia by tindomul1of9, on Flickr
Drosera rotundifolia by tindomul1of9, on Flickr

[tarev]

Amazing closeups Tindomul!

I have been watching my Drosera, thankfully it is quite happy just sitting in water, no terrarium, just that bowl to hold the water. I am watching if it is getting sunburnt now that the sun is getting stronger. So far seems okay, just making more bloomstalks.

[Tindomul]

Thanks! Like I said, mine is growing, but the moss is slightly more aggressive and its hard to see the plant now.

[Subrosa]

Fwiw other than a few less commonly kept species, you won't be giving Drosera a sunburn unless you live near the equator or at extreme altitude. They are for the most part true sun lovers that happily take all you can give them and more as long as they don't dry out.

[Subrosa]

Here are a few pics of some stuff. #1 My only Nepenthes, a ventricosa x (aristolochioides x thorelli), #2 Cephalotus follicularis 'Emu Point',#3 & 4 A Sarracenia hybrid (alata x minor) x flava rubricorpa