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Carnivorous Plants/Too much of a good thing ?
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Question
Hi Jeff and Jacob
I have two outdoor bogs. Along with the CP in my bogs, I have a nice crop of sphagnum moss growing. So much so that in places it is as much as four inches deep. Some of this moss is surrounding the base of some of my sarracenia, meaning that a new pitcher has to grow as much as four inches before it actually reaches sunlight.
Should I clear the moss around the base of the sarracenia so they get more sun earlier in their growth ?
As always ... thanks for all your help
Nicole
90 miles north of NYC
Hi Nicole,
This is pretty common, especially in more humid climates. You can easily pull some away or just push it down some to give more light to developing plants. You can also just trim it with scissors. Whether you need to or not depends on the plant, and how you have it planted. Larger plants won't have any trouble with it. Some like S. purpurea are very used to growing in sphagnum as are sundews like D. rotundifolia. If it seems to be impeding growth, then trim it some. Overall, having live sphagnum around your plants is a good thing. I've found repeatedly that plants with live sphagnum around them tend to grow bigger, and have more color. I have a Sarracenia rubra jonesii growing in sphagnum that is almost twice as tall as its neighbors in regular mix.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
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Answers by Expert:
Sarracenia Northwest
Expertise
If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!
Experience
With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.
Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.
No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.
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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION: We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?). Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?) For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website: http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets For business questions: http://www.cobraplant.com/contact |
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