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Carnivorous Plants/Serracenia leucophylla and MiracleGro products

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Expert: - 4/3/2009


Question
Thanks again for your excellent answer about this bog plant on Dec. 14, 2008. The plant is still doing well. I have purchased MiracleGro sphagnum peat moss and perlite for repotting the plant, but I notice that you said to another questioner that all MiracleGro products have fertilizer that will be harmful to bog plants. I just want to verify that this is true, and request your recommendation of a brand name of peat moss and perlite that will be OK.

Thanks,

Lenore

Answer
Hello Lenore,

You can purchass plastic wrapped baled of sphagnum moss that say premium Canadian sphagnum peat. It comes in dry bales in 1 or 2 foot cubes and can be found in nurseries and garden centers. I tend to go the easy route and just buy from carnivorous plant suppliers so I can be assured that the product will be safe. I buy directly from cobraplant.com and get my soil from them pre-mixed.

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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