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Carnivorous Plants/Lighting for Asian Pitcher and Adalae

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Expert: - 8/3/2008


Question
i have a few asian pitchers and adalaes and got a simple question about lighting.  Is a flourescent light a must?  because i have a few light bulbs that give off a slightly yellow color and im not sure if the plants will grow the same with them.

Answer
Hello Matt,

If you are relying primarily on artificial lighting for your plants you will need florescent lights since incandescent light is completely the wrong spectrum. Cool white florescent tubes or true daylight florescent tubes for the 48 inch shop lights (40 watt tubes) are the closest to the natural spectrum that you can get without spending extravagant amounts of money for shorter lived lighting. Another aspect of such lighting is intensity. Ensure that you have about 12000 lumens for your plants and that they are at least 4-8 inches from the tubes for best results. Each tube should be around 3000 lumens, so you would need 4 tubes in two twin mount florescent shop light sets side by side. It is easiest to set up some shelves and just hang the lights from the shelves on adjustable chains with the plants set up in pots under the lights.

Christopher

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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