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Carnivorous Plants/Drosera Spathulata Fraiser Island colony

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Expert: - 2/11/2011


Question

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I am using distilled water, with a 50/50 mix of sphagnum peat and perlite, and it is under two 4' T8 32 watt bulbs about 3-4" down, but I have been loosing what looks like entire little plant's and it is now only about half of it's originsl size. I am using Neem Oil for the mold problem but what might be causing the brown dying pieces. I have been pulling some partially green still alive pieces and sticking them in seperate container with mix in hopes that they may come back and servive. Sadely the only moss I could find was Miracle Grow but it has very few nutrients of any kind like 3 types with the highest level being .03%. What should I do. Thanks for all of your help and your time I appreciate it.

Answer
Hello Joe,

It looks like the Miracle Grow killed your Drosera spatulata clump. Miracle Grow adds fertilizers to all their products, which is great for many non-carnivorous species of plant, but deadly to most carnivorous species. You can find unfertilized soil mixes at online sites like cobraplant.com pre-mixed and at nurseries in large bales of dried sphagnum moss by brands like Black Gold and Canadian Premium. Perlite is also difficult to find unfertilized. I typically buy my soils pre-mixed from carnivorous plant sites like the one previously mentioned just to be on the safe side.

If possible, and if any plants survive, try to repot to an unfertilized mix as soon as possible.

Christopher

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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