Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 12/21/2011

Question
QUESTION: I was looking for a device that I could use to water cobra lilies that would mimic slow moving water over their roots...I know this slow water movement occurs naturally in mother nature and during the warmer months of the growing season it cools their roots.

I was wondering if you have ever heard of or used this product? Do you think it would be ideal for watering cobra lilies and other CP's??

http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/product/oasis-watering-system/watering-supplies

Thank you,

Derick

ANSWER: Hi Derick,

This looks like a great device.  It's designed to be a vacation watering system for regular plants, which means it probably doesn't release all that much water at one time.  Depending on the settings, it would probably work just fine for watering other carnivorous plants, but what you're trying to accomplish with Darlingtonia is something a bit different.

With Darlingtonia you would want actual moving water.  You can do this best with aquarium/pond supplies, and probably quite a bit cheaper than this device.  You can use a simple pond pump with a reservoir that runs water through a large pot with Darlingtonia planted in it.  You would need to choose a media that allows the water to drain thought.  What this does is greatly increase the oxygenation of the roots.

Most folks I've talked to have reported great results when they have set up pots or mini-bogs that have running water through them.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Jeff for your valuable insight regarding my Darlingtonia inquiry. Once I get my aquarium/small pond pump set up and ready to go, how long would you let it run watering the cobra lilies especially during the hotter parts of the year??

My Darlingtonia growing medium I was going to use was 5 parts peat moss,3 parts washed sand,2 parts perlite,1 part pumice or 3/8 in minus lava rock, and 1 part small orchid bark. Do you think this mix will provide adequate texture and oxygenation for my Darlingtonia??

Thank you!

Derick

Answer
Hi Derick,

You want the water running all of the time.  In nature Darlingtonia are usually found in springs, along the edges of small creeks, and in places of constantly dripping water.  Keep the water running all the time, especially during your hot Missouri summers.  Once the weather cools off in the fall you can have the water off.  Depending on what you're doing with them during the winter, you would not have the water on during freezing weather.

On your soil this looks like a good media.  I'd leave out the perlite just because it will be a pain with any water reservoir. (It floats)  Also, make sure your pump has a screen around it so the peat and sand don't clog it.

Here's a link of the video we did in 2009 on Darlingtonia in the wild.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XebZMWy2SLU

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com