VENUS FLY TRAP, SARRACENIA & DROSERA General Information  LIGHT - These plants prefer a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight a day or lightly filtered light all day. During winter and the early months of spring, these plants do best in full sun, especially in early spring. As the days get hotter in summer, the amount of light may have to be reduced, depending on your locality.
WATER - Keep them in a tray of rain water if possible or better still, on a thick bed of sphagnum moss. Sarracenia & Drosera can sit in plenty of water, even water features. Allow the Venus Fly Traps tray to dry completely before refilling it. Never allow the pot to dry out. During winter, the Venus Fly Traps can be on the dryish side. This will allow the pot to get warmer and thus, they will break dormancy quicker. CARE - They should not need fertilizing if they are getting ample insects. Though some references suggest no fertilizing, it has been found it can benefit them. If it is needed, use a general purpose fertilizer during spring/summer at ¼ strength monthly or a very mild dose of slow release, (1 grain/2.5cm of pot size). Excess fertilizer & low light both result in lanky vegetation with little colour & possibly death of the plants. Venus Fly Traps, Sarracenia and some Drosera go into dormancy in winter. Trim dead leaves & pitchers back when they appear unsightly. Give Sarracenias a complete trim 2cm from the crown in mid winter, if they are looking unsightly. It is best to repot them then. Do not trigger the traps of Venus Fly Traps. Try catching a fly in a glass jar & upending it over a plant, to see its dynamic action. Repotting is best done when the plant is in its dormant cycle, if it has one. Repot Venus Fly Traps into peat moss & 20% perlite in winter or early spring if needed.
Sarracenia & Drosera can be repotted into any very low or no fertilized general potting mix or peat moss mix with some perlite in it. Drosera can also be planted into coir and a small amount of peat moss and perlite, or the above mix with a bit more perlite. If using coir, soak and rinse well to flush out any possible salt residue. Sphagnum moss is also suitable to use on all these plants.
NEPENTHES and PINGUICULA General Information  LIGHT - They prefer highly filtered light all day, though they will tolerate some direct sunlight.
POSITION - Keep protected from the harsh natural elements, especially frost with nepenthes. WATER - Keep them moist with preferably rain water. Never allow the pot to dry out as nepenthes will sacrifice their pitchers first. These plants like high humidity. CARE - If they are getting ample insects, they should not need fertilizing. They can benefit from a light fertilizing monthly. A high nitrogen fertilizer such as Flourish, Aquasol or Thrive or the like, applied at ½ orchid strength (1/4 strength) for pinguiculas and orchid strength (1/2 strength) for nepenthes will do. Slow release fertilizer can be used at 1 grain per 2.5cm of pot size for pings, double this for nepenthes. They should not need fertilizing if they are getting ample insects. Though some references suggest no fertilizing, it has been found it can benefit them. Trim dead pitchers & leaves back when they appear unsightly. Nepenthes can be repotted into any very low or no fertilized, fairly open, general potting mix or a quality coir with a small amount of peat moss and some perlite. If using coir, soak and rinse well to flush out any possible salt residue. Pinguiculas should be repotted into equal amounts of quality peat, perlite and vermiculite or sphagnum moss or a mixture of these. ------------- CARNIVOUROURS PLANTS REPOTTING GUIDE ---------------- 17 June 2010
VENUS FLY TRAP, SARRACENIA & DROSERA General Information LIGHT - These plants prefer a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight a day or lightly filtered light all day. During winter and the early months of spring, these plants do best in full sun, especially in early spring. As the days get hotter in summer, the amount of light may have to be reduced, depending on your locality. WATER - Keep them in a tray of rain water if possible or better still, on a thick bed of sphagnum moss. Sarracenia & Drosera can sit in plenty of water, even water features. Allow the Venus Fly Traps tray to dry completely before refilling it. Never allow the pot to dry out. During winter, the Venus Fly Traps can be on the dryish side. This will allow the pot to get warmer and thus, they will break dormancy quicker. CARE - They should not need fertilizing if they are getting ample insects. Though some references suggest no fertilizing, it has been found it can benefit them. If it is needed, use a general purpose fertilizer during spring/summer at ¼ strength monthly or a very mild dose of slow release, (1 grain/2.5cm of pot size). Excess fertilizer & low light both result in lanky vegetation with little colour & possibly death of the plants.
Venus Fly Traps, Sarracenia and some Drosera go into dormancy in winter. Trim dead leaves & pitchers back when they appear unsightly. Give Sarracenias a complete trim 2cm from the crown in mid winter, if they are looking unsightly. It is best to repot them then. Do not trigger the traps of Venus Fly Traps. Try catching a fly in a glass jar & upending it over a plant, to see its dynamic action. Repotting is best done when the plant is in its dormant cycle, if it has one. Repot Venus Fly Traps into peat moss & 20% perlite in winter or early spring if needed.
Sarracenia & Drosera can be repotted into any very low or no fertilized general potting mix or peat moss mix with some perlite in it. Drosera can also be planted into coir and a small amount of peat moss and perlite, or the above mix with a bit more perlite. If using coir, soak and rinse well to flush out any possible salt residue. Sphagnum moss is also suitable to use on all these plants. NEPENTHES and PINGUICULA (General Information) LIGHT They prefer highly filtered light all day, though they will tolerate some direct sunlight. POSITION? Keep protected from the harsh natural elements, especially frost with nepenthes. WATER ? Keep them moist with preferably rain water. Never allow the pot to dry out as nepenthes will sacrifice their pitchers first. These plants like high humidity. CARE? If they are getting ample insects, they should not need fertilizing. They can benefit from a light fertilizing monthly. A high nitrogen fertilizer such as Flourish, Aquasol or Thrive or the like, applied at ½ orchid strength (1/4 strength) for pinguiculas and orchid strength (1/2 strength) for nepenthes will do. Slow release fertilizer can be used at 1 grain per 2.5cm of pot size for pings, double this for nepenthes. They should not need fertilizing if they are getting ample insects. Though some references suggest no fertilizing, it has been found it can benefit them. Trim dead pitchers & leaves back when they appear unsightly. Nepenthes can be repotted into any very low or no fertilized, fairly open, general potting mix or a quality coir with a small amount of peat moss and some perlite. If using coir, soak and rinse well to flush out any possible salt residue. Pinguiculas should be repotted into equal amounts of quality peat, perlite and vermiculite or sphagnum moss or a mixture of these.
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