Expert: Christopher Littrell - 10/2/2008

Question
Hi Chris,

This is my first year with carnivorous plants and I have had great success and would like to keep it going with a few tips. I have two Nepenthes ( Sanguinea, Ventrata) which seem to be around 2-4 yrs old and I was wondering since they are tropical if they would need a dormancy period of Oct-Feb like Sarracenia and Dionaea do.

Also I have germinated many seeds of S. Rubra, D Muscipula and Drosera Spathulata. These all sprouted in early April and I was wondering if they too would need a period of dormancy since it is their first year. I have read that they do not for the first year or two until they become larger.

I also have a Darlingtonia which I rescued from certain death by mold and it has grown well outside so far but the only worry I have for it is that the growth has been minimal and small compared to the size of the pitchers I had to cut off when I received it. Will it make it through the dormancy? (It is all green but the pitchers seem quite small).

Lastly, can I apply the fungicide to moist Sphagnum peat technique for all of these plants or do some, such as Nepenthes, require different methods?

Thank you ahead of time, a habitual reader at this site,

Yann R

Answer
Hello Yann,

Nepenthes are tropical plants that will not need a dormant period. Best bet is to keep them iside in a sunny window or under florescent lights during winter.

The Drosera spatulata is also tropical in growth pattern, so will not need a winter dormancy.

The Dionaea muscipula and Sarracenia rubra will both need a dormancy, however; if they are young plants, they can indeed be kept growing all year round their first year and provided dormancy cues next fall. The main thing to worry about will be lighting as both are full sun plants that will require far more light than winter window sun if they are not to go dormant. You will need to keep them under florescent lights to supplement window light and keep the florescent lights on at least 14-16 hours a day to keep the plants from going dormant. As always, when growing plants indoors, look out for mold and signs of light deprivation. You will need a minimum of 10000-12000 lumens of florescent light and a good window. The artificial lights should be about 4-6 inches over the plants.

I am not too sure about the Darlingtonia as I have had very limited experience with them to date (as my profile indicates). I would suggest talking to Sarracenia Northwest as they are very experienced with Darlingtonia.

I rarely apply fungicide to my plants as they simply have not required such attention. When I do apply fungicides, I use Neem oil and pyrethrines and spray it on the leaves and moss wherever mold might grow and only as per the instructions on the bottle. You can also use sulfur powder on the moss if that is what you have at hand. You can use the same fungicides on all of your carnivorous plants as they all have similar enough needs. Never use copper based fungicides nor fungicides with potassium based fatty acids (soaps).

Good going with your plants.

Christopher