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Carnivorous Plants/Nepenthes Alata

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Expert: - 1/29/2009


Question
Hi Christopher,

I recently got myself a Nepenthes Alata and would like to know if they are meant to be sitting in a tray of water, similiar to most carnivorous plants? The reason im asking is because it was sitting in a tray of water at the garden centre where I bought it and some websites advised not to do so.

I have also recently moved my venus flytrap and sarracenia flava to sit in a same tray of water. Is that ok even though they are in their own individual pots? Will it disease from one pot spread to another in this case or is it better for them to sit in their own individual tray of  water?

Thank you so much and look forward to your reply.

Cheers,
Eugene

Answer
Hello Eugene,

Nepenthes can suffer from root rot when placed in standing water. You could use a shallow water dish and a tall pot, but best bet is just to water the plant a little every few days and never let too much water drain out and collect in the tray under the pot.

Venus Flytraps and Sarracenias live in very similar conditions, even coexisting occasionally in nature. You could actually plant them together in the same pot with no problem other than making sure the Saracenia gets a higher water level than the Flytrap by creating a slope or hill in the pot with the Flytrap at the highest point. Sarracenias prefer up to half the pot in water depth while Flytraps prefer up to 1/4 the pot in water.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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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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