BigPlants

Growing Tips

Keep the growing medium wet at all times. I use the tray method. Place the container in a saucer or tray and keep at least 1/2 inch of water in the tray. Addl water to the tray, not the container. Use rain water or distilled water. It's not the chlorine in tap water, it's the minerals that carnivorous plants don't like. Bottled driniking water is not acceptable. I have used the water that comes out of my air conditioner. I also have a de-humidifier that produces lots of mineral free water each day. I use tap water in an emergency. Empty the trays ocassionally to hep prevent any mineral buildup there. Nutrient poor soils are vital. In the wild most CPs grow in bogs of peat and sand. I use 1/2 sand to 1/2 peat moss in containers. The sand should be clean and mineral free. Do not use any sand that has lime in it. DO NOT use sand from the beach. Even a tiny amount of sand will harm the plants. In general carnivorous plants grow in vey sunny areas.The red color in most carnivours plants really comes out if they get a lot of direct sun. For most pitcher plants full sun for 12 to 14 hours a day in the summer is not too much. Keep the humidity high. Most carnivours plants grow under conditions of high humidity. Keeping the plant watered helps. You can place in an open terrarium. The pitcher plants (Sarracenia) and Venus Flytrap (Dionea) need a dormant period. If they don't get a cold dormancy for a few months they will decline in vigor and slowly die.