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Carnivorous Plants/Can i grow Cape Sundew in Coconut Fiber from Eco Earth?

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Expert: - 2/25/2010


Question
I am trying to grow Cape Sundews in Coconut Fibers that i got for my hermit crabs at Petco.

Answer
Hello Lewis,

I would avoid the simulated peat products as those may contain substances the plant cannot tolerate, like minerals and salts. The only substance that most varieties of carnivorous plants have been proven to safely grow in is sphagnum peat moss with a 50/50 mix of perlite or horticultural or silica sand added in for drainage. Avoid small bags of peat moss in stores as those usually contain fertilizers that harm carnivorous plants. Go for the big dry bales of sphagnum peat moss from nurseries and use only dry unfertilized perlite or sand. You can buy these products ready mixed and used specifically for carnivorous plants at sites like cobraplant.com.

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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