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Carnivorous Plants/Questions Answered by Expert Christopher Littrell
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Venus Flytrap Crowding | 2/10/2012 |
| Q: Chris. My Venus Flytrap is definitely growing traps out of two areas from the rhizome, possibly 3, ... A: That is the way Venus Flytraps naturally grow. They will divide into several plantlets that will ... | |
| drosera adelae | 2/4/2012 |
| Q: Is it a good idea to separate drosera adelae from each other? Mine grow fine in clumps, they they ... A: Drosera adelae does grow well alone and in clumps. As a clump grows, you can separate out the plants ... | |
| Nepenthes Growth | 1/22/2012 |
| Q: Chris, I have a question regarding a small green leafy thing emerging from the stem of my Nepenthes. ... A: Nepenthes are vining plants like Ivy. When the main stalk ages and begins browning, or when you ... | |
| Moss growth | 1/16/2012 |
| Q: Is a carpet of green moss on the surface of the ground in the pot detrimental to the health of ... A: In general, moss growth is not problematic. It is simply going to happen in bog plant pots due to ... | |
| drosera spatulata | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: I live in Pennsylvania, zone 6, About three months ago, I bought two drosera spatulata from a garden ... A: I really do not have enough information to answer specifically. What temperatures and type of water ... | |
| Dormancy | 1/11/2012 |
| Q: I remember what you said about the dormancy for the venus flytrap and my pitcher plant Purpurea. ... A: The plants you have are zone 7, for the Venus Flytraps, and variable zones for the Sarracenias, with ... | |
| Sundew Issues | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: Chris, and happy new year! My question is why my sundews aren't producing any more dew on their ... A: Then that could not be the problem. The temperature is fine. Does the humidity fluctuate widely? Are ... | |
| Sundew Issues | 1/9/2012 |
| Q: Chris, and happy new year! My question is why my sundews aren't producing any more dew on their ... A: Yes, I can see from your pictures that your S. purpurea and Venus Flytraps do have good coloration. ... | |
| Sundew Issues | 1/8/2012 |
| Q: Chris, and happy new year! My question is why my sundews aren't producing any more dew on their ... A: The answer is... none of the above. Actually, Sundews need a large amount of light to produce dew. ... | |
| Can we save our Venus Flytrap? | 1/8/2012 |
| Q: I bought this Venus Flytrap for my boyfriend as a Christmas gift. We've never grown any carnivorous ... A: I think the advice your getting is different because there are a lot of myths about carnivorous ... | |
| Already potted want to repot | 1/6/2012 |
| Q: I just received a nepenthes aristolochioides that my husband ordered before he left for the army and ... A: Superthrive is not necessary for Nepenthes, but it does decrease repotting stress and increases ... | |
| ponds | 1/6/2012 |
| Q: what carnivorous plants will grow in a pond? i live in so.cal and temperatures can reach 110 ... A: If I understand your question, you want to grow aquatic carnivorous plants in a pond? There are a ... | |
| floppy leaves | 1/3/2012 |
| Q: (AGAIN) I've some nepenthes in ordered( n.veitchii x eyemae and a n.alata luzon)from e bay. They ... A: Floppy leaves can result from not enough water or too much water. In this case, if the plant came ... | |
| Nepenthes Rajah | 1/1/2012 |
| Q: I've had this N. rajah for about 6 months now. It hasn't increased in size at all and looks the ... A: You miht want to increase the amount of light the plant receives slightly. Nepenthes like bright, ... | |
| Nepenthes Soil Mix | 12/31/2011 |
| Q: It's getting to be the time of year when I repot my nepenthes, however the local nursery from which ... A: You can order the soil premixed from cobraplant.com. You could use play sand, horticultural sand or ... | |
| Dormant | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: I live in New York.The weather is a little warmer than it usually is at this time of the year.I have ... A: Just keep them from drying out or getting frozen solid. You can use mulch or bring them in and place ... | |
| Are terrariums bad for carnivorous plants? | 12/3/2011 |
| Q: My 9-year old son is eager for some carnivorous plants this holiday season. I see on the ... A: Terrariums are mainly used for plants that simply cannot survive without high humidity and ... | |
| vitamin b-1 solution | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: So i decided to buy vitamin b-1 soultion. but lowes said that they don't have it. can you help me ... A: Since I do not grow Heliamphora (as my profile indicates), I would suggest you try Sarracenia ... | |
| My pitcher plants | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: I do have one other question. I'm located in Florida and we are already beginning to get some ... A: If you have Nepenthes, they are tropical pitcher plants that need temperatures above freezing all ... | |
| sarracenia | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: i grow sarracenia in a terrarium and i have recently noticed a white fuzzy growth in patches on the ... A: This is one of those situations where too many myths circulate about carnivorous plants. There is no ... | |
| nepenthes pitcher plant | 11/4/2011 |
| Q: ..I'm hoping that you can offer some advice. I've had a beautiful pitcher plant for 5 months or so ... A: If the end of the yellowing vine is still growing, it is fine. In any event, Nepenthes generate new ... | |
| Sarracenia ID? | 10/31/2011 |
| Q: Can you help me ID this Sarracenia? It looks like some kind of S. leucophylla but I've been unable ... A: That is the problem with hybrids. They are sometimes hard to place if there is a generational ... | |
| Sarracenia ID? | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: Can you help me ID this Sarracenia? It looks like some kind of S. leucophylla but I've been unable ... A: What you have is not a S. leucophylla, but a hybrid of that species with one or more other ... | |
| my collection | 10/17/2011 |
| Q: this is my first dormancy and i am afraid of losing expensive plants like wacky ,korean melody and ... A: If you have an indoors window or room in your house that stays below 60 degrees, it would do. You ... | |
| fertilizing cobra lily seedlings | 10/6/2011 |
| Q: I have some cobra lily seedlings (coastal plain variety) that are a few months old and I was wanting ... A: As my prodile indicates, I have very little experience with Darlingtonia. In any event, one thing I ... | |
| Light | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: Hallo, Whats the different between filtered and partial sun? Can we do that with fluorescence light? ... A: Filtered sunlight would be through a mesh or other shield that would reflect some of the light from ... | |
| Indoor lights for CP's | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: I'm not able to get the 8 feet shop lights, but I will be able to get 4 foot ones. I was looking at ... A: The 4 foot, 40 watt, T-12 tube shop lights are the ones I use. You can find them with one, two, and ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Dormancy | 9/29/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have several questions regarding the dormancy of my carnivorous plants. I have 1 ... A: I understand. It does take a large area to provide that many lights indoors. I was only indicating ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Dormancy | 9/29/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have several questions regarding the dormancy of my carnivorous plants. I have 1 ... A: Most of your plants will need much higher lumen levels than 2000 (I have 36000 lumens over my North ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Dormancy | 9/28/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have several questions regarding the dormancy of my carnivorous plants. I have 1 ... A: The only plants you have that require dormancy are the Sarracenia and the Venus Flytrap. The rest ... | |
| nepenthes rajah | 9/27/2011 |
| Q: HI again christopher littrell i want a nepenthes rajah but i can not find one do you noe any nursery ... A: The only nurseries I know of would be cobraplant.com and californiacarnivores.com. I do not know if ... | |
| nepenthes plants | 9/22/2011 |
| Q: Hi christopher littrell my question is the leaf on a nepenthes plant once you cut the old pitcher ... A: No, each leaf grows one pitcher in its lifetime. Once that pitcher has died off and been cut off, ... | |
| how to fertilize | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: I have a nepenthes x ventrata that I want to fertilize. I have made a mix of 1/4 teaspoon of high ... A: I have never felt a need to fertilize my carnivorous plants since they will easily obtain their own ... | |
| Nepenthes and Sarracenia pitchers | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: Hallo. I would like to ask you if the pitchers of Nepenthes and Sarracenia should be full with ... A: It is according to whether you are talking about Sarracenias or Nepenthes and what particular ... | |
| Nepenthes | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: Do I cut off the dying cups at the cup, or at the leaf? I can't seem to find this specified ... A: You sometimes will notice that Nepenthes pitchers, or cups, die slowly from the lid down over ... | |
| Uncovering my Sarracenia? | 9/9/2011 |
| Q: I have some Sarracenia that I've grown from seeds. Some are getting close to two inches now with ... A: This is good information. The readout indicates that the water is just a little hard for carnivorous ... | |
| Uncovering my Sarracenia? | 9/8/2011 |
| Q: I have some Sarracenia that I've grown from seeds. Some are getting close to two inches now with ... A: First off, harden them to your home humidity. There was no reason to grow them in a terrarium at ... | |
| Winterize Sarracenia | 9/5/2011 |
| Q: Greetings and thanks for taking the time to answer my question, I live in Zone 4 (Nebraska), and ... A: Sarracenia flava typically live in USDA zone 7 weather, so zone 4 would be a bit cold for them to ... | |
| nepenthes alata | 8/23/2011 |
| Q: Hi again while you no I live in san Francisco and I had got a nepenthes alata from home depot but I ... A: How much light is the plant getting? Nepenthes like bright light, but full sun is not required and ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant lighting indoor. | 8/13/2011 |
| Q: I have several plants in my room that i want to grow. I just to take them out side because its super ... A: The Venus Flytrap and Sarracenia (Tarnok) are full sun plants that can handle high temperatures up ... | |
| seeds | 8/9/2011 |
| Q: What would be the best way to store seeds that your not going to use right away. And how long can ... A: You can store seeds in a small plastic container in the door of your refrigerator for a year or two ... | |
| Unknown Sundew | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: I received a Sundew labelled Nitidula x Ericks in my pack of 6 sundews, but upon looking up the ... A: D. nitidula is a pygmy Sundew. I have not yet had the time to grow any of the gemmae bearing ... | |
| peat moss | 7/22/2011 |
| Q: I bought a big bale of Majestic Earth 100% sphagnum peat moss and the bag doesn't say there are any ... A: There are a few things to look out for in buying sphagnum moss in bags and bales. If the moss looks ... | |
| Sundews | 7/22/2011 |
| Q: My Sundews have arrived in the mail from BugBitingPlants today. In the bag of soil they shipped, ... A: Yes, a ratio merely means whatever measure of one material to the same measure of another material. ... | |
| Sundews | 7/21/2011 |
| Q: My Sundews have arrived in the mail from BugBitingPlants today. In the bag of soil they shipped, ... A: I would not know if the material they shipped is perlite, but if they sent it as a component of soil ... | |
| red spots | 7/20/2011 |
| Q: I have a 4 years old sarracenia alata growing ouside in by south facing back patio. I gets lots of ... A: Your Sarracenia sounds healthy to me. As pitchers age, they develop red coloration, sometimes even ... | |
| cape sundews tendrills bending backwards | 7/19/2011 |
| Q: I had bought a cape sundew from my local nurserie about 2 months ago in late May and had first ... A: Cape Sundews are native to the South Cape of Africa, so your conditions should be natural to the ... | |
| Ordered Sundews | 7/19/2011 |
| Q: My question for you today is concerning some Sundews that I have ordered from site called ... A: Since the plants are arriving bare root, they will hopefully be shipped in damp paper towels and ... | |
| Correct Potting for CP's | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: I took your advice and bought cheap green plastic pots that are 5" in size for each of my plants. I ... A: The Nepenthes is too young to place right now, but could be sanguinea, ventrata, alata, or some ... | |
| Nepenthes Miranda | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: I copied the following quote from another website: "Nepenthes "Miranda" is thought by most growers ... A: Since N. miranda is a hybrid, it has the strengths of both species. It is a tolerant plant capable ... | |
| nepenthes x miranda | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: miranda and my baby n,turncata thank again for all your help A: I am not sure I understand your question, but I think your asking about fertilizing Nepenthes with ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Lighting | 7/11/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have recently begun to grow carnivorous plants once more, this time in a 10 gallon ... A: There is really no need to stress about a hobby. Anyways, yes the 40 watt tubes are four feet long. ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Lighting | 7/11/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have recently begun to grow carnivorous plants once more, this time in a 10 gallon ... A: Actually 40 watt shop lights are likely less expensive than the light system your thinking about ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Lighting | 7/10/2011 |
| Q: Christopher. I have recently begun to grow carnivorous plants once more, this time in a 10 gallon ... A: Looks like you have the same problems I experienced when I first tried my hand at cultivating ... | |
| nepenthes x miranda | 7/8/2011 |
| Q: I need a little info on caring for my nepenthes x miranda,when my plant arrived in the mail the leaf ... A: After shipping, plants are often received with a damaged leaf or other problem. They are only leaves ... | |
| nepenthes pitchers are dry | 7/5/2011 |
| Q: I live in Florida, about 40 miles south of Tampa. I have a nepenthes fusca, that seems to be in ... A: I do not have enough information to make an extensive diagnosis of the problem. The cover you use ... | |
| N. Ventrata from local nursery | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: I got a nepenthes ventrata from my nursery today. They dont specialize in carnivorous plants. ... A: Only the nursery knows what the plant is growing in at this point, so you may need to ask them. In ... | |
| grow carnivorous plant | 7/2/2011 |
| Q: Hi christorher littrell a i been trying to find what zone is san francisco for carnivorous plants i ... A: After a quick search og USDA zones in San Francisco, I found the following information. San ... | |
| Nepenthese | 7/1/2011 |
| Q: N. alba (Highland) N. chaniana x veitchii (Highland) N. ventricosa x talangensis (Highland) All ... A: All of the plants you listed require somewhat cooler conditions than Houston provides. Some of them, ... | |
| nepenthes x miranda | 6/30/2011 |
| Q: HI again christopher littrell i just got a nepenthes x miranda it is a monster but i just want to ... A: Moving plants around is a bad idea. They grow roots to remain in one place, so moving them often ... | |
| nepenthes x miranda | 6/27/2011 |
| Q: x judith hindle@ s.flava plants thank you very much for the help A: There is no reason to put water in pitchers of plants that have lids over the pitcher. The only ... | |
| buying plants | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: ! A: Have you tried a search online for Nepenthes miranda? You might obtain a host of results from random ... | |
| Identifying D. Capensis forms. | 6/13/2011 |
| Q: I am finding it difficult to identify the difference between Drosera Capensis broad leaf form and ... A: I myself asked a similar question regarding the differences between Drosera capensis broad leaf and ... | |
| nepenthes ventricosa | 6/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a nepenthes ventricosa which I've had for three years. This month I set it outside in the ... A: Has the plant been repotted in fresh soil yearly? Has it experienced any chemical sprays for mold or ... | |
| newly bought nepenthes | 6/9/2011 |
| Q: I just bought a pot of nepenthes 2 days ago during a vacation. Because I am really really new on ... A: First off, just treat it like a new plant and keep it in partial sun, watered every couple of days ... | |
| Sundew Not Catching Flies | 6/7/2011 |
| Q: I Bought a Lance Leaf Sundew From Lowes and i placed it near all my other Venus Fly traps, a Fly Got ... A: There are many reasons why your Lance Leaf Sundew might not be capturing insects. For one, flies are ... | |
| drosera rotundifolia info | 6/1/2011 |
| Q: I have finally obtained some of these plants last year, and problems already appeared! I am growing ... A: Drosera Rotundifolia is rather more difficult to grow then some other species of Sundews. First off, ... | |
| Purple Pitcher Plant Pest | 6/1/2011 |
| Q: I have a healthy purple pitcher plant here in Brunswick, Georgia. It grows out on a table in full ... A: Aphids tend to merely suck sap out of leaves, causing deformity and weak growth. Grasshoppers, ... | |
| S. Oreophila | 5/30/2011 |
| Q: I recently purchased and planted a sarracenia oreophila (legally of course)in my outdoor bog garden. ... A: Several species of Sarracenia tend to have pitchers that, as environment or age dictate, fall over ... | |
| outdoor bog garden | 5/30/2011 |
| Q: i want to have outdoor bog garden. i really want to have cobra plant with my sarracenia, venus fly ... A: Your zone 7-8 there in Seattle, just right for many North American species. If in doubt, you can ... | |
| napenthes | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: I just got my Nepenthes bicalcarata 'Brunei orange' and Nepenthes muluensis. I was wondering if they ... A: Pots with no drainage holes are only asking for trouble as you will have water building up in the ... | |
| s. pitchers hurt | 5/19/2011 |
| Q: My sarracenia alata has been growing lots of developing pitchers. But last might my careless mom ... A: The pitchers are just leaves. Since they have been damaged, those particular pitchers will not ... | |
| Scarlet Belle | 5/11/2011 |
| Q: I planted a Scarlet Belle last summer. It did not increase much in size, but did develope a few ... A: If the roots are still creamy white and or reddish near the crown, they are alive. If the roots are ... | |
| cephalotus follicularis uk | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: i got one of these great cp last year and it seems to be about to send up a flower stork is it like ... A: I have several Dionaea that are flowering now, one that has flowered for four years consecutively ... | |
| When To Expect Growth | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: this is a question regarding my pitcher plant. My plant is a hybrid between leucophylla and ... A: According to region, when the cold has receded and the temperature has warmed to over 60 degrees, ... | |
| Drosera Multifida | 5/2/2011 |
| Q: Littrell, I am growing a Drosera Multifida in an east facing window using distilled water and ... A: Good going with your Drosera multifida. There is nothing wrong with the plant. If you are concerned ... | |
| Sand | 5/1/2011 |
| Q: I have a question regarding soil. When mixing peat with sand for a soil mix, what is the best sand ... A: You can use sand, but make sure it is silica based, not beach or lime and calcium based sands as ... | |
| When to Plant? | 4/30/2011 |
| Q: I live in USDA zone 4/5, and I have an outdoor bog garden. I was wondering when the best time to ... A: If your plant vendors are from warmer regions, it would probably be best to wait until your weather ... | |
| Dying Nepenthes | 4/30/2011 |
| Q: A few months ago I bought a highland Nepenthes mix and it was doing fine, but about two weeks ago ... A: Is it one of the tougher species that can tolerate warmer nights? If not, make sure your nightly ... | |
| Young Pitcher plant stem turning brown? | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: I live on the coast of Georgia in brunswick. I got my small pitcher plant (unkonwn, but probably ... A: The main thing to watch for is continued growth from the vine tip. Yes, younger Nepenthes are not ... | |
| Young Pitcher plant stem turning brown? | 4/27/2011 |
| Q: I live on the coast of Georgia in brunswick. I got my small pitcher plant (unkonwn, but probably ... A: Normally, Nepenthes do brown from the ground up as they age. I have a Nepenthes sanguinea that has a ... | |
| nepenthes miranda care | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: The pitchers on my Nepenthes miranda turn brown after a few weeks. I have a very large plant in a ... A: It is true that a Nepenthes does seem to need the nitrogen and phosphorous from capturing insects, ... | |
| nepenthes miranda care | 4/19/2011 |
| Q: The pitchers on my Nepenthes miranda turn brown after a few weeks. I have a very large plant in a ... A: Each Nepenthes has its own life span for its pitchers. As long as the plant and its pitchers have ... | |
| N.Alata | 4/18/2011 |
| Q: How do I reproduce this plant. Thank you. A: Nepenthes require cross-fertilization to produce seeds as they are divided into male and female ... | |
| My baby pitcher is dying- what do I do??? | 4/4/2011 |
| Q: I purchased a Judith Finn Nepenthes several months ago and it has been thriving. But now the baby ... A: Unfortunately, I do not know enough about the growing conditions of the plant to know what occurred ... | |
| Nepenthese sanguinea soil. | 3/27/2011 |
| Q: im new to nepenthes with the nepenthes sanguinea going to be my first purchase. i am wanting to ... A: If the coconut material if fibrous, be wary of using it due to the possibility of salt added to it. ... | |
| Nepenthese sanguinea soil. | 3/26/2011 |
| Q: im new to nepenthes with the nepenthes sanguinea going to be my first purchase. i am wanting to ... A: Nepenthes are generally tolerant of a wide range of soil mixtures so long as a few main ... | |
| tortoise safe | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: Could I plant sarracenia purpurea in an enclosure for redfoot tortoises safely? The tortoises may ... A: You are quite correct. Tortoises, as well as a number of pests and herbivores of many kinds, would ... | |
| safe insecticides | 3/22/2011 |
| Q: Chris, My question as you can see in the subject screen concerns using safe insecticides for CPs. ... A: Actually, I have rarely needed to use insecticides on my carnivorous plants. The ones to use would ... | |
| My nepenthes and pinguinicula | 3/21/2011 |
| Q: My pinguinicula is producing Sticky substance in the flower stem why is it and Is it normal. And I ... A: Pinguiculas commonly have glands that produce droplets of glue on their leaves, flower stems, ... | |
| fungal growth and my sundew | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: You gave me some advice as to telling what type of sundew I was given as a gift. Thanks for that, ... A: There are several good anti-fungal mixes out there, but stay away from the ones that use a soap ... | |
| Care for my Sundew | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: My girlfriend placed a Sundew on my desk this morning as a birthday present. Obviously I'd like to ... A: The description does seem to cover a number of the dozens of possible Sundew species your plant ... | |
| Tropical pitcher | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: I have a N fusca and it doing fine right it's producing pitchers but the problem is that the pitcher ... A: Yes, that is the problem I indicated to you. If Nepenthes cannot complete the production of pitchers ... | |
| Tropical pitcher | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: I have a N fusca and it doing fine right it's producing pitchers but the problem is that the pitcher ... A: Two issues may be causing the problem. 1: The plant might not be getting enough light through the ... | |
| Nepenthes ventracosa | 2/17/2011 |
| Q: I have noticed two little plants growing from the main stem ( roots). Ones leaf span is about 1 inch ... A: What you are seeing are new vines growing from growth nodes where old leaves were on the browned ... | |
| Sarracenia alive/dead? | 2/15/2011 |
| Q: I'm a college student in Minnesota, and I brought with me a Sarracenia (cultivar Dana's delight) ... A: That is the problem with terrariums, they create stagnant, moldy conditions that can infect and kill ... | |
| Hydroponic fly traps | 2/12/2011 |
| Q: What is your opinion on the dunecraft Hydroponic fly traps? I have it already and there starting to ... A: Considering that Venus Flytraps are quite easy to grow open pot without expensive terrariums, ... | |
| spoonleaf looks dead | 2/12/2011 |
| Q: I recently purchased a Drosera Spatulata and it came in the mail in pretty good condition. I put it ... A: Without more information I am unable to determine what exactly happened to your D. spatulata. It is ... | |
| Drosera Spathulata Fraiser Island colony | 2/11/2011 |
| Q: I am using distilled water, with a 50/50 mix of sphagnum peat and perlite, and it is under two 4' T8 ... A: It looks like the Miracle Grow killed your Drosera spatulata clump. Miracle Grow adds fertilizers to ... | |
| D. Adelae: Sphagnum moss. | 2/9/2011 |
| Q: I recently got my first CP 3 weeks ago. It was given to me in a 2 inch pot with 100% sphagnum moss ... A: Repotting the plant to a larger pot would not hurt as it looks like it hardly has any medium in the ... | |
| Nepenthes Ventricosa Burn Recovery | 2/7/2011 |
| Q: I've had this Nep for almost a year now, and probably five or six months ago moved it under some T5 ... A: Once a growth point is damaged or on its way out, all you can really do is wait for alternate growth ... | |
| Nepenthes Leaves | 2/6/2011 |
| Q: I have a 55 gal. Terrarium with various Nepenthes, pings and sundews. All plants are doing well ... A: Terrariums are one of the main ways that many carnivorous plants die by. The variety of species you ... | |
| soil for nepenthes | 2/3/2011 |
| Q: Would it be fine if I gave my nepnthes ventrata a soil mixture of 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 2 ... A: Too much moss in the soil would hold too much water in and possibly drown the roots. Nepenthes like ... | |
| pitcher plant | 1/30/2011 |
| Q: Bought this mature plant from a green house is N.C. It has been doing well up intil a couple weeks ... A: It sounds like you have some good tools to use (the D'Amato book), however; the change from a ... | |
| pitcher plant | 1/29/2011 |
| Q: Bought this mature plant from a green house is N.C. It has been doing well up intil a couple weeks ... A: What kind of pitcher plant is it? There are five different geni of pitcher plant across the world. ... | |
| pland light | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: I want to get a plant light for my carnivores plants and for there seeds, but I don't know what the ... A: It is according to the number, size, and species of carnivorous plants you have as to what lights ... | |
| sarracenia | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: I'm planning on buying some sarracenia online this year. I was just wondering if you could suggest ... A: Virtually any time is fine to buy carnivorous plants, basically whenever a vendor is selling them, ... | |
| Cephalotus colours changed | 1/5/2011 |
| Q: My Ceph's leaves have changed colours. The on-carnivourous is now red and the carnivourous leaf is ... A: What intensity of light does the plant get? When Cephalotus, or most other kinds of carnivorous ... | |
| Nepenthes Ventricosa | 12/8/2010 |
| Q: A: Nepenthes often need far more light than people think. If the window is not providing the plant with ... | |
| Venus Flytrap | 11/28/2010 |
| Q: I have two venus flytraps that are about 3-4 years old. I live in southeastern Massachusetts and it ... A: Venus Flytraps are hardy North American plants that can experience down to 20 degree weather in the ... | |
| Lowe's "Plant Light"?? | 11/28/2010 |
| Q: Hey guys, I just had one, major concern. I am currently growing two venus flytraps and a cape ... A: The Venus Flytraps are full sun plants that will need to be grown outside during the growing season, ... | |
| pot | 11/27/2010 |
| Q: 5inch pot would that be OK or should i repot it into a wider/bigger pot? Thanks. A: As with any plant, size of plant, condition of the potting medium, time of year, and plant condition ... | |
| nepenthes | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased an amazing nepenthes that is about 6 years old and very big. I think it is a ... A: First off, ask the vendor you acquired it from what humidity they kept the plant in so that you know ... | |
| Cephalotus dying | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: I just received my Cephalotus after a week in the post. Can you tell me ifa) it is dying or deadb) ... A: Normally I do not answer Cephalotus questions as I am not that experienced with them, however; in ... | |
| Some of my Nepenthes aren't growing well | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: I've had a N. Macrophylla for almost 3 months and the plant is still unravelling the same newest ... A: I typically do not grow Ultra-highlands, however, it sounds to me that you need higher humidity in ... | |
| sarracenia seedlings | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: Ga and they are growing under a 36 watt light bulb and i was wondering should i leave it where it is ... A: Sarracenia seedlings can be grown indoors under artificial lights or in a good bright sunny window, ... | |
| nepenthes alata | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: i have a nepenthes alata, all the pinchers are slowly drying off, and the new young ones dry off ... A: If you could send me a followup with more specific information I may be able to help determine what ... | |
| Identity and it's about to be winter | 11/18/2010 |
| Q: I've had various plants over the years but I wanted to get into carnivorous plants for a while. My ... A: First things first, best not to repot them yet, wait until next Spring when they are ready to warm ... | |
| right pot | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: Hi Chris could i repot my purple pitcher plant in a 4 inch clay pot with a big hole in the bottom ... A: Now would be the time for the plant to prepare for dormancy. Repotting would best be done in the ... | |
| flytraps leave edges turning black | 11/8/2010 |
| Q: I have two venus flytraps which grow outside for two years in pots. They did fine until about two ... A: Cold weather is not the only factor in dormancy with temperate plants. It is the shortening of days ... | |
| temperature to take inside | 11/7/2010 |
| Q: I have a sundew, a purple pitcher, and Venus flytrap.I live in eastern NC what temperature should i ... A: First off, what kind of sundew do you have? If the Sundew is temperate like the Venus Flytrap and ... | |
| flytraps leave edges turning black | 11/6/2010 |
| Q: I have two venus flytraps which grow outside for two years in pots. They did fine until about two ... A: There are many factors which might be the cause. In short, I do not know. I will need to know what ... | |
| no pitcher on my nepenthes | 11/5/2010 |
| Q: I am sorry for not giving info on my question about my pitcher plants not producing pitchers, they ... A: You might try with less fertilizing and with repotting them in a mix with sphagnum peat moss, orchid ... | |
| N. Raffelsiana | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I ordered the plant and it came to me in about a week. It looked healthy and came with a pitcher. It ... A: Since I cannot see the plant, I do not know exactly what the red "stuff" is. There are a couple of ... | |
| N.bicalcarata | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: I have a bicalcarata and it hasn't been growing much. I heard that it was a really fast grower. The ... A: Well, the first consideration is always light, followed by temperature and humidity in the case of ... | |
| Telling the difference | 10/22/2010 |
| Q: I purchased two VFTs but I don't know how to tell which one is a low giant and which one is the Big ... A: That is the trouble with Venus Flytraps. They are all from the same species, just slight variations. ... | |
| nepenthes | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: i have a nepenthes maxima X that i got from cobraplant.com several months ago and it is now ... A: Both sexes of Nepenthes will have a similar flower structure, however; the male will have yellow ... | |
| are these healthy | 10/5/2010 |
| Q: of 37. degrees F. and i put Venus flytrap seeds in the soil and now it has been 6-7 weeks and ... A: Congratulations, you are about the second or third person I know of to actually get fledgling plants ... | |
| Nepenthes vs sarracenia | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: Can you tell me the difference between these two carnivorous plants, please? A: Actually, there are five different genera of what are known as Pitcher Plants. Nepenthes are ... | |
| food | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: A: There is no reason to feed your Sundews. If they are not catching anything for weeks at a time, drop ... | |
| how to grow | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: i hope you can answer unlike sarracenia north west. :( A: You can grow and propagate Fork-Leaved sundews identically to the way you grow your Cape Sundews. ... | |
| No flower stalk? | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: in the house during summer is at 69-70. degrees F. and during winter 77-78. degrees Fahrenheit. do ... A: Try adding some florescent lights from 100 to 150 watt compact bulbs or 40 watt shop lights over the ... | |
| growing sundews from seed | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: ANSWER: Hello Ian, There are many different species of Sundews. You would have to know which of the ... A: There are two methods you can use for thse different Sundews. 1. The Drosera capensis and Drosera ... | |
| nepenthes | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: I have several of these wonderful plants they are growing well no problems however they are not ... A: Since this is a systematic problem with all of the plants, it looks like you need either more light, ... | |
| Nepenthes hamata | 9/7/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased a nepenthes hamata from exoticplantsplus.com it came looking healthy but ... A: You might need to increase the amount of light the plant gets. A small Nepenthes up to about a foot ... | |
| what kind of plant is this? | 9/6/2010 |
| Q: A: At first glance, the plant is a Sarracenia purpurea that needs a bit more light. It may be a hybrid, ... | |
| Nepenthes hamata | 9/6/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased a nepenthes hamata from exoticplantsplus.com it came looking healthy but ... A: If you can send a follow-up with more information about the amount of light and humidity the plant ... | |
| growing sundews from seed | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: Hi like my subject you tell me how to grow sundews from seeds? A: There are many different species of Sundews. You would have to know which of the hundred and more of ... | |
| how to grow venus fly trap seed | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: A: Growing Venus Flytraps from seed is quite simple. You fill a pot with 1:1 ratio of unfertilized ... | |
| lance leaf sundew | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: A: 1. The Lance Leaf Sundew can be cut back to the ground at any time basically. It is considered a ... | |
| pitcher plant | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a pitcher plant that is growing nicely, the baby pitchers grow at the root line but I never ... A: There could be any number of factors involved with your plant. From your description, you have a ... | |
| cape sundew care | 9/2/2010 |
| Q: ANSWER: Hello Ian, Well, I can give you the basics, but everything would take a book and more of ... A: Cape Sundews bloom whenever they reach adult stature. Many tropical plants seem to bloom continually ... | |
| cape sundew care | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: A: Well, I can give you the basics, but everything would take a book and more of material. 1. Partial ... | |
| Drosera madagascariensis not sticky any more | 8/25/2010 |
| Q: I bought a drosera madagascariensis about two weeks ago. At the beginning the leaves were all ... A: Drosera madagascariensis likes very bright, though not full, sunlight. Direct, full sunlight would ... | |
| cape sundew | 8/23/2010 |
| Q: So are these growing conditions good or bad can you please correct me on everything i have done ... A: Contrary to popular belief, most carnivorous plants do not require terrariums and high humidity. ... | |
| Summer heat and highland Nepenthes | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: I have a question about growing my Nepenthes (a highland hybrid called N. Kohala) outdoors during ... A: Many species of Nepenthes can tolerate and adapt to low humidity. I am unfamiliar with N. kohala, so ... | |
| Malformed Pitchers? | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I have a question regarding my Purpurea. I have been growing it for about 8 weeks and I have noticed ... A: Good job! I can see by the coloration on some of the pitchers that you probably did save it from ... | |
| Malformed Pitchers? | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I have a question regarding my Purpurea. I have been growing it for about 8 weeks and I have noticed ... A: Please send me a follow-up with some questions answered so that I can determine what is occuring ... | |
| Dividing Nepenthes? | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: Is it possible to divide the basal shoots and grow them as new plants? Thanks in ... A: What you are seeing are new vines growing at the base of your plant. They are not really separate ... | |
| Nepenthes Soil Problem | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: all my nepenthes are doing great. I grow them under two 40 watt cool white fluorescent tubes, have ... A: I grow my Nepenthes in a pre-mixed soil that I obtain from cobraplant.com. It is composed of long ... | |
| Nepenthes Rajah Roots Disturbed | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: I just got a Nepenthes Rajah, and decided to repot it. I gently squeezed around the pot, and all ... A: While N. rajah does not like root disturbance, if you were cautious, it should be fine. The roots ... | |
| Drosera Capensis (Cape Sundew) | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I have been growing a cape sundew in my room for a few months, and a few days ago I noticed some ... A: Anything with Neem oil or pyrethrines would be good. Ortho systematic pesticides are also safe to ... | |
| Pinguicula Moranensis propagation. | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: Its currently winter here in New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere. I had just recently bought a ... A: Yes, you are correct, the plant is going dormant and has its carnivorous growing season leaves that ... | |
| Smaller leaves of Nepenthes | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I live in Asia and I've been growing some Nepenthes for about 2 years now and it's starting to have ... A: It could be a combination of problems, but mainly, repot the plant into sphagnum peat moss and ... | |
| Drosera Spatulata seeds | 7/7/2010 |
| Q: my Drosera Spatulata (mound) has thrown up 4-5 flower stalks. The tallest flower stalk's buds are ... A: Basically, most carnivorous plant seed collection is similar. Wait for the flowers to open, then ... | |
| whitney farms bark mulch | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: On the website it says its douglas fir bark. Before I remember I bought perlite from whitney farms ... A: The short answer is, I don't know. I have never used their products before. The best answer I can ... | |
| weak growth of sarracenia | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: I have a slight problem with 2 of my sarracenias... First Im gonna describe growing conditions... ... A: All of your descriptions indicate a problem with adequate lighting. When plants loose coloration and ... | |
| Cephalotus | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: truncata. It feels well and is a healthy and beautiful plant. I have another question - is it normal ... A: Plants usually produce yellowed leaves for any number of reasons. The plant is usually getting too ... | |
| Mexican Pinguicula seed planting medium | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: I was able to acquire seeds of Pinguicula Moranensis and Cyclosecta. Regarding the planting medium ... A: I have not germinated Pinguicula seed yet, however; from what I understand, you can use a variety of ... | |
| venus fly trap | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: I have 2 venus fly trap plants. I got them about 3 months ago. I use distilled water and they are ... A: Older leaves will brown and die off every few weeks. So long as new leaves are growing in to take ... | |
| Bog Garden Liner Question | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: It says to install the pond liner with the rought side up and the smooth side down because it says ... A: The pond liner instructions are for using the liner for a pond, not a bog. As a bog, bacterial ... | |
| venus fly trap | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: I have 2 venus fly trap plants. I got them about 3 months ago. I use distilled water and they are ... A: You could repot the plants now if you feel the soil is going bad or if the pot the plants are in ... | |
| Center of closed trap light brown and shriveled | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: I have been growing venus flytraps outside under 6+ hours of sun in Massachusetts. I have all of my ... A: What probably occurred is that the trap caught something that bit back. Some critters are capable of ... | |
| sphagnum moss | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: I am planning to use live sphagnum moss as a medium for my carnivours plants. I was just wondering ... A: I do not use live moss with my plants. I grow too many different species that would have trouble ... | |
| Venus Fly Traps | 6/21/2010 |
| Q: Can I find Venus Fly Traps in Alaska? I would like to buy/find some. I love them! ^ ^ So can you ... A: Actually, feeding the plant flies is not necessary. Insects are just fertilizer to Venus Flytraps. ... | |
| Venus Fly Traps | 6/20/2010 |
| Q: Can I find Venus Fly Traps in Alaska? I would like to buy/find some. I love them! ^ ^ So can you ... A: I do not know if there are any places specifically that grow or supply Venus Flytraps in your area, ... | |
| Can I grow N. Rajah? | 6/19/2010 |
| Q: Just want to ask if I can grow N.Rajah without low night time temperatures? The night time ... A: N. rajah is one of the few Nepenthes that is difficult to grow outside of its natural area because ... | |
| sarracenia oreophila | 6/14/2010 |
| Q: HEY i managed to save a sarracenia orephila from a florist that did not even know what it had he was ... A: The soil mix you have the plant in sounds mostly normal for that species. You really do not need the ... | |
| Thin S. flava v. cuprea pitchers | 6/1/2010 |
| Q: Greetings. I have two large clusters of S. flava "coppertop", each 12-14 crowns in 14" plastic pots ... A: It may be, since the weather has been cloudy in your region for extended periods, that the plants ... | |
| Thin S. flava v. cuprea pitchers | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: Greetings. I have two large clusters of S. flava "coppertop", each 12-14 crowns in 14" plastic pots ... A: There are a few things that come to mind, but with limited information, I am just taking a stab in ... | |
| Miracle grow soil for pitcher plants | 5/30/2010 |
| Q: Is miracle gro sphagnum peat moss and perlite safe soil for me to grow my Sarracenia pitcher plants. ... A: Yes, any kind of fertilizers will harm carnivorous plants and will kill them eventually according to ... | |
| Sphagnum Moss | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: I just ordered some Sarracenia seeds, and I have never grown carnivorous plant seeds before. I have ... A: Sarracenia stratification should be done for about 8 or more weeks and in moist sphagnum peat and ... | |
| Venus Flytrap Seeds | 5/26/2010 |
| Q: About 3 weeks ago I planted about 40 venus fly trap seeds in Massachusetts. I have been growing them ... A: There are many possible reasons why the seeds may not germinate. 1. If the seeds are planted under ... | |
| little N. Truncata | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I see from the topics that you have a lot of experience with Nepenthes species. Unfortunately I ... A: The main thing is that you have it potted in a better mix. Just water it enough to keep the mix ... | |
| little N. Truncata | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: I see from the topics that you have a lot of experience with Nepenthes species. Unfortunately I ... A: Actually, coconut fiber is not what I have used in the past. It is coconut husk. The fake moss made ... | |
| nepenthes flower | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: I got a nepenthes the other day and it has 2 flower stems and it looks as thay are seed pods not ... A: The flower scape will die back, but the vines will continue to grow and produce leaves and pitchers. ... | |
| nepenthes flower | 5/18/2010 |
| Q: I got a nepenthes the other day and it has 2 flower stems and it looks as thay are seed pods not ... A: Nepenthes produce a number of small flowers with four petals each on each flower scape. They do ... | |
| peat moss | 5/8/2010 |
| Q: I have two Venus flytraps and one is potted with sphagnum moss. (The one used for orchids.) The ... A: When peat moss is not potted in a well drained environment it will build up stagnant water and begin ... | |
| Nepenthes lighting | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: awhile back you told me something about why my ventrata's pitchers where shrinking and gave me ... A: The main problem you are running into is coverage for larger plants. It often is not enough to have ... | |
| nepenthes ventricosa & dionaea muscipula | 5/4/2010 |
| Q: Recently i transferred my venus flytraps into a terrarium to maintain higher humidity and synthesize ... A: Contrary to popular belief, high humidity and terrariums are not a substitute microclimate for most ... | |
| sarracenia purpurea | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: I live in Victoria,Australia. I have the plants in a little hot house to shelter them from the ... A: They sound like they might be scale insects. Some species do look like tiny, armored, crab-like ... | |
| Nepenthes yellow | 5/1/2010 |
| Q: Some of my nepenthes leaves are going yellow, one of them is going reddish. As these leaves are ... A: Nice looking Nepenthes. From your phot, I am not certain of the species, but from the looks the ... | |
| Flowering D. regia | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: My D.regia is sending up an flower stalk. I read in Peter D'Amato's book "The Savage Garden" that ... A: I think what the author intended was merely to caution first time growers about plants that may be ... | |
| Chemical burn | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: So i was spraying some aphid spray that i have been told works by many CP growers the first week i ... A: I am unsure of the pesitcide you used, however; the kinds used most frequently tend to be pyrethrin ... | |
| is my plant okay | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: is some thing wrong with my carnivorous plant i have the octopus plant [sundew] it does not have any ... A: There are a few questions that need answering before any kind of diagnosis can be made about what is ... | |
| VFT Dormancy | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: My VFTs are currently entering dormancy. It is the second Autumn month here in Sydney. Just ... A: It will be fine to have a dormancy of around 4 months or so for a Venus Flytrap. In dormancy, the ... | |
| Correct sunlight for pitcher plants and fly traps. | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: Last year I bought three pots of pitcher plants and fly traps at whole foods. I live in Durham ... A: What kind of Pitcher Plants do you have? There are five genera of them across the planet and some ... | |
| CP lighting | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I was currently growing 8 cp's under 3, 15watt bulbs. I am new at this, but I now understand that ... A: First off, what kind of plants are you attempting to grow under artificial lighting? The species ... | |
| Nepenthes cuttings | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: I've had a nepenthes for three or four years that I keep in my office near an east window. It's ... A: Taking cuttings off a Nepenthes is basically just pruning the parent plant back and trying to root ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 4/8/2010 |
| Q: I am a 4th grade student doing an independent study on carnivorous plants. I need to interview an ... A: I would be happy to help you out. 1. I can give you a generic answer here as I do not know the ... | |
| Nepenthes lighting | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: awhile back you told me something about why my ventrata's pitchers where shrinking and gave me ... A: I understand your concern with compact florescent lights. Nepenthes are one genera that usually get ... | |
| Sarracenia help | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: I have enjoyed my first Sarracenia (leucophylla x rosea) for almost a year now. I was perplexed ... A: It looks like you might have caught the dry pot fast enough to save the plant. Just keep watering ... | |
| sarracenias pot size | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: I bought 2 purpurea,they came from Fly Trap Farm in 3"pots their @ 4" high now,Should I replant now ... A: You could go ahead and repot them now if you like. Pot them into a 4 or 5 inch pot each and repot as ... | |
| cutting | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: On the Nepenthes Pitcher Plant when the pitcher dies and you want to cut it off. Were do you cut it ... A: It really does not matter. In nature, there is nobody to cut them off at all. It is mostly a matter ... | |
| Cross teeth Flytrap | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I purchased a cross teeth flytrap 3 months ago with other cultivars. All the other cultivars have ... A: The only thing I can think of is that the plant is either suffering some form of root damage, ... | |
| Young Nepenthes With A Problem | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a young nepenthes plant that I received about a week ago at a Lowe's. I'm not sure what ... A: The only thing you can do now is wait for the plant to recover. Nepenthes are partial sun plants ... | |
| Cross teeth Flytrap | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I purchased a cross teeth flytrap 3 months ago with other cultivars. All the other cultivars have ... A: It sounds like the plant may have been exposed to something in the soil or on the leaves, like ... | |
| Dormancy | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: When is the best time to put my Tropical pitcher plants and sundew outside. I live in the Hudson ... A: Your tropical plants will not go dormant. I think the main thing your asking is when it is safe to ... | |
| saracennia | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: I have had several very tall Sarracenia for a few years now, but I recently moved to an apartment ... A: I know that living in an apartment can cramp the style of someone growing full sun carnivorous ... | |
| Venus Flytrap Lighting | 3/7/2010 |
| Q: I just recently bought a Venus fly trap from cobraplant.com. I am wanting to go with artfical ... A: While outside growing is the optimal way to grow Venus Flytraps, they can be grown indoors if you ... | |
| Cape sundew seed germination | 3/7/2010 |
| Q: When a cape sundew germintes what shows up first the root or leaf? A: In virtually all plants, the first part to appear in the emerging seedling would be the root. The ... | |
| Nepenthes copelandii, Intermediate | 3/5/2010 |
| Q: I live in zone 7 of the US. I a Nepenthes copelandii, Intermediate and it won't grow any cups. What ... A: By the picture, it looks like the plant is simply not receiving enough light. Even though they are ... | |
| Nepenthes | 3/2/2010 |
| Q: I live in the UK, and for severeal years I have grown a specimen of Nepenthes alata in my study. A ... A: What kind of soil is the plant potted in? What kind of water and how much water is it getting? How ... | |
| Plant leaves are turning brown | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: I was in Florida in Dec. and went to a Garden and purchased a Asian Pitcher I live in KY. and I have ... A: Most Nepenthes tend to be better propagated by taking cuttings and placing them in water like one ... | |
| Nepenthes after repotting | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: I have repotted my 2nd half of neps 2 weeks ago and some of the plants had the pitchers dry out; ... A: I just repotted one of my Nepenthes last night and I understand your concern about the orchid bark ... | |
| Sarracenias in Miracle Grow medium, Oh NO! | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: Could you please help. Situation: I have just recently discovered that I have been using the ... A: Yes, Sarracenias are somewhat more tolerant of fertilizers from what I have read. They tend to ... | |
| Can i grow Cape Sundew in Coconut Fiber from Eco Earth? | 2/25/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to grow Cape Sundews in Coconut Fibers that i got for my hermit crabs at Petco. A: I would avoid the simulated peat products as those may contain substances the plant cannot tolerate, ... | |
| sundews | 2/25/2010 |
| Q: I have several sundews which I think are D. Adelae. The original plant had pointed leaves and it ... A: My D. adelae are in 49% humidity and have been in about that level of humidity for over four years. ... | |
| Forked leaf sundew | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: I've had it for a week now, and it hasn't produced dew. It has a little bit in some places, but not ... A: What you are experiencing is normal for plants grown in terrariums. In most cases, carnivorous ... | |
| Nepenthes | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: I am from Yakima, Washington and I just purchased a Nepenthes from a local grocery store and any ... A: What species of Nepenthes do you have? Sometimes the store has a name tag on the plant that might ... | |
| nepenthes alata | 2/19/2010 |
| Q: I have two pitcher plants for nearly three years, all the pitchers died off about two months ago and ... A: Nepenthes can suffer from loss of pitchers for several reasons. You indicated that both plants are ... | |
| venus fly trap | 2/18/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased a small Venus Fly Trap. It has only three leaves. I tried putting a fly in its ... A: There are a few questions to answer before we can diagnose the problem. Venus Flytraps should be ... | |
| my sundew | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: i live in southern Louisiana i have a drosera capensis it is February which means it going into ... A: There are several environmental problems contributing to the Sundew's inability to grow properly and ... | |
| nepenthes from lowes won't open leaves | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: I have a nepenthe from Lowes that's of an unknown species. When I bought the plant, it came in ... A: Unfortunately, those instructions could also be used for an Ivy. A Nepenthes is a plant quite unlike ... | |
| octopus plant | 2/12/2010 |
| Q: I have an Octopus plant that is 2yrs old. It has been really thriving and doing very well, however, ... A: You can clip off the entire growth crown of the plant, basically, just cut it off at the ground, at ... | |
| octopus plant | 2/9/2010 |
| Q: I have an Octopus plant that is 2yrs old. It has been really thriving and doing very well, however, ... A: When you say octopus plant, that could be any number of Sundews referred to as Drosera. You may need ... | |
| Which flytrap to buy? | 2/9/2010 |
| Q: I am planning to buy a Venus flytrap. I've seen them,and could not choose which to buy. There is one ... A: There are several varities, subspecies, of Venus Flytraps. Most do produce red inside their traps, ... | |
| lighting during winter. | 2/8/2010 |
| Q: i have the forked sundew and the cape sundews on a table with a limited amount of direct sunlight. ... A: Both of those species tend to enjoy strong, if not full sunlight outside. Placing them in a window ... | |
| Which flytrap to buy? | 2/8/2010 |
| Q: I am planning to buy a Venus flytrap. I've seen them,and could not choose which to buy. There is one ... A: I would not buy from a store unless you plan on trying to save the plants from certain death. ... | |
| What to do with lowland Nepenthes during the winter? | 2/7/2010 |
| Q: I live near Houston, TX and have the perfect temeratures and humidity for growing lowland Nepenthes ... A: I have never had an opportunity to grow Nepenthes outdoors as of yet. I tend to live in areas in ... | |
| sundew crazy growth | 2/6/2010 |
| Q: I have a sundew that its got a long stem with forked branches with sticky tentacles.The long stems ... A: It sounds like you have Drosera binata of the sometimes called dichotoma form. It is a sundew that ... | |
| trimming | 2/6/2010 |
| Q: This is my first winter with my CP's..i watched the podcast from sarracenia northwest and they said ... A: Sarracenias often let most of their leaves die back and start growing winter leaves that look like ... | |
| venus flytrap dormant | 2/5/2010 |
| Q: my venus flytrap is dormant (im not 100 percent sure though) anyways is it okay if the flytraps trap ... A: Accidental closing of the traps does occur in nature as animals touch the leaves even in winter. It ... | |
| venus flytrap dormant | 2/4/2010 |
| Q: my venus flytrap is dormant (im not 100 percent sure though) anyways is it okay if the flytraps trap ... A: If the Flytrap is not growing much, if any at all, has been slowly acclimated to short daylengths of ... | |
| sundews | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: I have several sundews which I think are D. Adelae. The original plant had pointed leaves and it ... A: You may want to lessen the amount of water the plants receive for one. Sundews tend to require less ... | |
| Sundew tenticles not sticky anymore | 2/2/2010 |
| Q: I have had my sundew on the windowsill in my kitchen since i planted it from seeds. When i thought ... A: Drosera capensis is a sub or semi-tropical. It can grow quite well in year-round room temperatures ... | |
| Spring leaves | 2/2/2010 |
| Q: My Venus flytrap has skipped dormancy(It didn't show any signs of it)But how do i make it grow ... A: I am not sure of the yearly cycle there in Taiwan. If there are clearly demarked seasons, then you ... | |
| Sundew tenticles not sticky anymore | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: I have had my sundew on the windowsill in my kitchen since i planted it from seeds. When i thought ... A: What kind of Sundew do you have? Some Sundews cannot stand full sun and some can. The reason why I ... | |
| dyiny nempethes | 1/31/2010 |
| Q: I have two nempethes, one is having its leaves curled up. it changed from its shiny state to a dull ... A: Nepenthes need water constantly. Keep them watered at least once every three days so that their soil ... | |
| propagating a sarracenia-readii-medium | 1/31/2010 |
| Q: how do i propagate a sarracenia-readii-medium.would i be able to use one flower to get seeds? A: All Sarracenias require two separate flowers to obtain seeds. They do not self-pollinate and require ... | |
| When to cut flowers off | 1/30/2010 |
| Q: I recently bought some Sarracenia rhizomes (I don't know what species yet) and a couple of them have ... A: It is not uncommon for Sarracenias to form a flower bud early and wait for the weather to warm up to ... | |
| nepenthes scale | 1/27/2010 |
| Q: Do most nepenthes( 'miranda', and ventricosa ) secrete sap naturally or is it deposited from scale? ... A: Red spots on Nepenthes leaves are pigments, not scale. Scale are tiny insects that suck sap from the ... | |
| vft dormency | 1/27/2010 |
| Q: My VFT and North American Pitcher plants went into dormancy after a good frost on 11/04/09. I ... A: North American carnivorous plants really should remain in dormancy for about 3-4 months a year. ... | |
| N x Menarik | 1/13/2010 |
| Q: I am happy to say that my Northinia order was successfully canceled and am now considering n x ... A: I am unfamiliar with N x menarik directly, however; from what I can find on the plant, it is said to ... | |
| Cooling a Nepenthes | 1/5/2010 |
| Q: I've been growing carnivores outdoors and in a sunny windowsill for around 18 months with largely ... A: There are a couple of methods you could try. One is the expensive route and would require a small ... | |
| venus flytrap leaf cutting | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: well I've only heard that you have to take out the plant and separate the leaf. i wanted to know if ... A: I typically do not use leaf-cutting, or in Venus Flytrap cases, called leaf-pulling, as I generally ... | |
| Venus Flytrap | 12/16/2009 |
| Q: I was thinking about getting some Venus Flytraps but I had some questions I need answered. I've ... A: You can certainly keep Venus Flytraps in colder regions than they normally grow in. Place them in ... | |
| venus flytrap | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: well something really strange happened.I walked outside to check on my vft(i grow it outdoors)and i ... A: This occurs if the trap captures something that is able to chew its way out of the trap or if a bird ... | |
| care for a highland nepenthes truncata in sauth florida | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: I recently ordered a Nepenthes truncata 'Queen of Hearts' x 'King of Spades'. I odered it from ... A: N. truncata is a very easy species to grow if you merely keep it in good light (partial sun or south ... | |
| winter care | 12/4/2009 |
| Q: can you please let me know if my drasera capensis needs any special care during winter like cutting ... A: Yes, your Drosera capensis does need special care in places that have cold weather winters. Cape ... | |
| venus flytrap | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: i was wondering if you can send me a menu of all the food a vft can eat so i can print it and also ... A: Venus Flytraps lure prey by the reddish coloration they develop inside the trap and by the scent and ... | |
| venus flytrap | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: i was wondering if you can send me a menu of all the food a vft can eat so i can print it and also ... A: I do not have a comprehensive "menu" as none has yet been made. It would simply take too much time ... | |
| venus flytrap | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: i was wondering if you can send me a menu of all the food a vft can eat so i can print it and also ... A: There really is no reason to "feed" a Venus Flytrap. They attract and capture whatever insects and ... | |
| Tendril of Rosette clipped! | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: i have recently purchased an infant Nepenthes ramispina. It was doing well and opened a new pitcher. ... A: If I correctly understand what occurred, your cats chewed the growth point off the top of the ... | |
| venus flytrap (vft) | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: i have a vft and i was reading up on it and i found out my vft needed moss. its been a few months ... A: If the Venus Flytrap is growing in Sphagnum Peat Moss, and not potting soil or fertilized moss, then ... | |
| venus flytrap (vft) | 11/7/2009 |
| Q: i have a vft and i was reading up on it and i found out my vft needed moss. its been a few months ... A: Repotting Venus Flytraps is generally best done in spring just as the plants are coming out of ... | |
| venus flytrap (vft) | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: i have a vft and i was reading up on it and i found out my vft needed moss. its been a few months ... A: The important question is, what is the Venus Flytrap growing in now? Basically, when you repot your ... | |
| v.flytrap (typical kind) | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: when it goes into dormancy and the leaves and traps die and turn black should i start picking the ... A: It is generally best to clip off any dead leaves and sections of dead leaves as they die off. You ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: i would like to know if there are other types of carnivorous plants that exist other than the venus ... A: There are a great many species of carnivorous plants in existance. Not only are there Venus Flytraps ... | |
| Growing CP at work | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: I have a desk lamp at work which I have retrofitted the shade to accept a 42W. compact fluorescent ... A: For a small plant, a single fluorescent compact bulb may be fine for a short time. But it would be a ... | |
| Growing CP at work | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: I have a desk lamp at work which I have retrofitted the shade to accept a 42W. compact fluorescent ... A: A 42 watt compact fluorescent would be fine for most of lower intensity light requiring carnivorous ... | |
| sarracenea? | 10/4/2009 |
| Q: i have just bought a sarracenea minor (by looking) i have also picked up sunshine canadian spagnum ... A: From what I can see of the product, the Sphagnum Moss you plan to use looks like it would do the ... | |
| How does my Venus Flytrap get sun in the winter? | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: I live in Finland and there is not much sun here in the winter! And I'm afraid Bob (my Venus ... A: Bob, your Venus Flytrap, is a North American plant that will go dormant in winter and will really ... | |
| drosera capensis cape sundew | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: I have a cape sundew that is growing fast, and now I have two more in the small pot. The main ... A: If the sphagnum peat moss you are using is in a large bale, a cube about 1 or 2 feet to a side, and ... | |
| Soil for CP.. is it going to live? | 10/1/2009 |
| Q: I have been using Miracle Gro Sphagnum peat moss from OSH for about 2 weeks for venus flytraps. I ... A: If the plant is repotted in acidic, non-fertilized sphagnum moss before irreperable damage has ... | |
| Soil for CP.. is it going to live? | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: I have been using Miracle Gro Sphagnum peat moss from OSH for about 2 weeks for venus flytraps. I ... A: While aphids can cause abnormalities in growth in plants that are actually attacked by aphids, to ... | |
| nepenthes and humidifiers? | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: .. I live in a very dry environment so I have a humidifier by my windowsill. I have a couple of ... A: While Nepenthes can survive more mineral exposure than other carnivorous plants, it would be best to ... | |
| tropical sundews | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: I have a sundew plant I got at a hardware store, species not know. Large for a sundew, pointed ... A: Hardware stores usually sell Drosera adelae or Drosera capensis. Neither are recommended as ... | |
| Algae / Fungal | 9/28/2009 |
| Q: I'm trying to grow Drosera and Dionaea. I'm a beginner and threw myself in deep end. I'm trying to ... A: Terrariums do tend to provide an excellent home for fungus more so than carnivorous plants. You can ... | |
| nepenthes | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: i was wondering if I should fertilize my nepenthe miranda I have had the plants for about 2 months ... A: Some Nepenthes species pitcher less readily than others. It could still be getting used to your ... | |
| Recommend Plants | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: I have looked online at carnivorous plants suggested for region 7 (Oklahoma). I would like one that ... A: The White Top Pitchers are of the trumpet group of pitcher plants, similar in looks to Sarracenia ... | |
| Pitcher Plants - Dormancy | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: I reside in NYS (Long Island) which during the winter stays well below freezing and I was ... A: Virtually anytime around October to November would be fine. 3-4 months of winter dormancy is usually ... | |
| Pitcher Plants - Dormancy | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: I reside in NYS (Long Island) which during the winter stays well below freezing and I was ... A: By pitcher plants that need dormancy, I am assuming you mean Sarracenias or Darlingtonias, not ... | |
| Recommend Plants | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: I have looked online at carnivorous plants suggested for region 7 (Oklahoma). I would like one that ... A: There are many North American carnivorous plants that would do well in your zone, from Venus ... | |
| cuttings | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: how do you clone nepenthes plant A: Cloning would be a bit more involved than simple cuttings. I think you are seeking information about ... | |
| nepenthes | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a nepenthes plant online. When i received it, it had 4 pitchers and none of them had ... A: Well, it is according to what you mean by big. Some Nepenthes, like N. rafflesiana can grow up to 45 ... | |
| purple pitchers | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: I just brought some p.p.p that were in a closed container with a lid on it. i just wanted know how ... A: Purple Pitcher Plants can grow up to about a foot or more in diameter and up to about 6 inches or so ... | |
| nepenthes | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a nepenthes plant online. When i received it, it had 4 pitchers and none of them had ... A: It is a complete myth that Nepenthes need water poured in their pitchers. The reason why Nepenthes ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap Seeds | 9/9/2009 |
| Q: I recently got some various VFT seeds, I was wondering that since they take several months for them ... A: Venus Flytraps will remain rather tiny for the first year or two so space will not be a problem even ... | |
| Yellow leaves on Nepenthes | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: My asian pitcher plant, which was purchased from Saracenia Northwest,is growing in a rock garden. I ... A: I do not see any reason why a hermit crab in an aquarium near the plant would contribute to ... | |
| Yellow leaves on Nepenthes | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: My asian pitcher plant, which was purchased from Saracenia Northwest,is growing in a rock garden. I ... A: Yellow leaves do occur naturally on Nepenthes from the bottom up as the plant grows. The older ... | |
| suitable companion plants for sarracenia | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: My name is Daniel and I live in zone 7 of Walnut Cove, NC. Earlier this year I constructed a bog ... A: Most carnivorous plants really do not grow as extensive root systems as say grasses regardless of ... | |
| nepenthes | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: I just got a pitcher plant I put some h20 in the pitchers hung it under a tree, and now there are so ... A: There really is no reason to pour water in pitchers that have hoods or lids over their openings. It ... | |
| nepenthes pitcher plant | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: My plant is potted and is putting on new leaves but the pitchers are hard and dry A: When pitchers fail to form and take on a dry hard appearance, they have either been given too little ... | |
| care for n. lowii | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: How would you grow n. lowii near Augusta, Georgia. Thanks for any answer, loreen A: You could keep this plant as a houseplant where you live. It is a tropical, so winter would be too ... | |
| Pitcher plant: dead or alive? | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: I have had this pitcher plant for over 4 years and this year it has not come back yet. Did the moss ... A: Without knowing the conditions the plant lives in I really cant diagnose the problem, but if winter ... | |
| I would like to buy a Sarracenia | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I would like to buy a Sarracenia for my nyc apartment. I have cockroaches and would like to have a ... A: Buying carnivorous plants is typically done by people admiring the different as well as the ... | |
| no green thumb | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: This is my first purple pitcher and I need some information on EVERYTHING. I would like to know what ... A: Purple Pitcher Plants, or Sarracenia purpurea, do not really need to be fed. They will attract ... | |
| Drosera Adelae | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: Also I just got a Drosera Adelae from Lowes.it was in a terrarium. I opened it a little and put it ... A: Drosera adelae can be adapted to lower humidity and should be grown open pot like a typical house ... | |
| Drosera Spathulata flower | 8/11/2009 |
| Q: My Drosera Spathulata is flowering.It is outside with 10 hr of sunlight a day. I got it 3 months ago ... A: D. spatulata is a tropical to semi-tropical plant that will continuously produce flowers in the ... | |
| i | 8/11/2009 |
| Q: I wondering how do i pollinate a venus fly trap properly and grow the seeds. Thank you, Cristian ... A: First off, you can just let the plant pollinate itself. This will occur naturally as the flower ... | |
| king sundew | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: just purchased a small king sundew and the branches are turning black. sits in water and full sun, ... A: Drosera regia, or the King sundew as it it called, is a rather notorious plant to keep alive even ... | |
| butterworth | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: i just rescue a ping. or butterworth last night from lowes i repoted in 40-60 peat and perlite and i ... A: Pinguiculas, or Butterworts, prefer more drainage in their soil and prefer more mineral content. You ... | |
| purple pitcher plant and venus fly trap | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: i bought 1 each of the above plants in 4" pots from a vendor online about 1 month ago. i transfered ... A: I am going to need some additional information about the environment your plants are in before I can ... | |
| Cool white for carnivore plant | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: Is it ok to use cool white light bulb for carnivore plant only? A: Cool white tubes and bulbs of the florescent variety are the general types of artificial lighting to ... | |
| what happen to my venus fly trap | 8/3/2009 |
| Q: i have three venus fly trap and then suddenly all my vft trap now have like little small teeth. half ... A: Carnivorous plant leaves often deform in various situations. I can't open your picture, however; ... | |
| Venus Flytrap has bugs in soil | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: My venus flytrap has bugs in the soil. How can get rid of the bugs in the sphagnum moss? A: You can use water based insecitcides, like pyrethrines, to kill off insects. You can also place the ... | |
| pitchers not opening | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a new N. Ventricosa which dropped its old pitchers as soon as I got it and produced new ones. ... A: Nepenthes pitchers typically do not close again once they begin opening. My thinking is a ... | |
| Hardy Neps | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: Is there somewhere a list with all the hardy and easy to grow neps that can tolerate lot of heat ... A: N. sanguinea and N. truncata might be good candidates for your climate, however; you will want to ... | |
| Carnivorous plants | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: I have an 8 month old baby who is now crawling. I have a collection of carnivorous plants in a ... A: I do know that birds, rodents, insects, and a wide variety of pets have chewed on and eaten parts of ... | |
| Nepenthes shock | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: how long will my nepenthes sanguinea recover from change of huminity and evoroment shock A: If you do not slowly adapt your plant to low humidity or rapid temperature changes then it will go ... | |
| Nepenthes sanguinea huminity | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: Can the nepenthes sanguinea adapt to low huminity if not how high does the huminity should be? A: Nepenthes of most species can adapt to low humidity as long as the humidity is not much below 30%. ... | |
| when will new pitcher forms | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: when will a new pitcher will form on a nepenthes ventrata A: Nepenthes produce new pitchers from the leaves. When a new leaf opens at the top of a vine it will ... | |
| Young Nepenthes Plant | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: appreciate your input on the N. miranda leaf discoloration. Totally thought it was a pest and not ... A: Nepenthes typically obtain partial sun where they grow naturally. Full sun can cause leaf burn in ... | |
| nepenthes ventrata care and light | 7/23/2009 |
| Q: do you know how to care a nepenthes ventrata and is it ok to put it in a west window 3-4 hours of ... A: Light: Partial sun outside under a tree or bright window light in a morning or south facing window ... | |
| Nepenthes question | 7/23/2009 |
| Q: I aquired 2 Nepenthes mirandas over the course of the past 2 months both of which have leaves that ... A: Under intense enough light, Nepenthes leaves will turn reddish and show deep reddish purple spots ... | |
| nepenthes pitcher in winter | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: i know this seem a little to far but is it ok for a nepenthes to form a pitcher during the winter A: Nepenthes are tropical plants, so they must be kept out of freezing conditions anyways. Nepenthes ... | |
| Pitcher plant | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: My name is Gina and I am grateful to have stumbled upon this site. My question concerns a pitcher ... A: For starters, there are several differnt geni and species of pitcher plants. It sounds like you have ... | |
| nepethes | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: will my nepenthes do well outside in a green house the plant is very small I live in NY A: Most Nepenthes would do well in a greenhouse so long as the temperatures remain above 50-60 degrees ... | |
| bugs on sundews | 6/12/2009 |
| Q: Do white flies, mealy bugs and aphids eat the sundew, or vice versa? I came back from vacation, and ... A: Tiny sap drinking insects can and will eat on carnivorous plant just like any other plant. You can ... | |
| Nepenthes Miranda and Drosera Falconeri help | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: 1.)I heard the Falconeri is prone to rot, should it be set up like Nepenthes Bicalcarata or kept in ... A: I would ask you to refer the first part of your question to Sarracenia Northwest as I have no ... | |
| Light for nepenthes | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: I have three neps, ventrata,ventricosa and ramispina, and I am wondering how much direct sun they ... A: You can place the Nepenthes in any window you have so long as they get several hours (3-4) of direct ... | |
| purple pitcher plant | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: I have these grass like spikes growing out of the middle of my (purpurea) purple pitcher plant. i ... A: If it is actually part of your plant's rhizome I would have to say that I have never seen anything ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea | 6/6/2009 |
| Q: I purchased this nep few months ago, and this is what it looked like before. About 2 weeks ago the ... A: Good, just keep the soil moist and make sure the roots receive plenty of oxygen. The plant does seem ... | |
| Thrips on VFT flowers stealing the pollen | 6/5/2009 |
| Q: Last year I had thrips on my VFT flowers that stole all the pollen, thus no germination & no seeds. ... A: The following article gives several good pointers for controlling thrips: ... | |
| Red spots on flytraps | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: I asked this question and they told me to send pictures, you have been very helpful in the past, ... A: From the photo it seems that the plant has been in low light and was then suddenly placed in full ... | |
| Lighting for Venus Flytraps. | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: I purchased two Venus Flytraps with approximately 35 heads and I was wondering what kind of lighting ... A: What you are seeing is a pot with several Venus Flytraps growing together from a parent plant in all ... | |
| Nepenthes under CFL light | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: If a 42 watt CFL has been established as a prime choice for growing neps under, is it possible ... A: Spectrum is important, just not as important as intensity. Plants tend to grow best under ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: I purchased this nep few months ago, and this is what it looked like before. About 2 weeks ago the ... A: If I see the environment you have the N. sanguinea in clearly, it is in a large communal tray ... | |
| opening of pitcher leaves | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a Tropical pitcher plant and the leaves on the pitche wont open and i cant seem to ... A: Tropical Pitcher Plants, or Nepenthes, do not require full sun and do not like as much water as ... | |
| vft | 5/30/2009 |
| Q: i just got 3 new vft 3 to 5 years old. i got them bar root so i have to plant them. i was wondering ... A: You can just repot the Butterwort. I would suggest just scooping up the soil around the butterwort's ... | |
| vft | 5/30/2009 |
| Q: i just got 3 new vft 3 to 5 years old. i got them bar root so i have to plant them. i was wondering ... A: The winter months of dormancy, from about November to February are the months that you will need to ... | |
| vft | 5/29/2009 |
| Q: i just got 3 new vft 3 to 5 years old. i got them bar root so i have to plant them. i was wondering ... A: You can place your Venus Flytraps outside in your area for most of the year if not all year long. ... | |
| venus flytrap seedlings | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a large container that has several hundred baby flytraps that have just sprouted. If I put ... A: There are several things to consider about your Flytrap seedlings. Since they are tiny and young, ... | |
| Venus Flytraps | 5/27/2009 |
| Q: Good Day Christopher, I have several different species of VFT. Can they be grown all together in a ... A: Carnivorous plants are not adversarial nor do most of the North American species require such ... | |
| wat is this | 5/27/2009 |
| Q: I know buying from death cubes is taboo but they were right in front of me and i couldnt resist. The ... A: No, your Sarracenia is not a Purple Pitcher Plant or a Cobra Plant. The store you bought it from has ... | |
| nepenthes aristolochioides | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: i have it under strong flourecsent lighting and i gets a little filtered sun light i use only ... A: The lumens is the intensity of light at a distance. Kelvin measures the coloration of the light in ... | |
| humidity for butterworts | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: I have 4 butterworts that I have had for a short time, I keep them inside and they get about 4 ... A: Actually, I germinate my carnivorous plant seeds in open pots with no covers in 50% humidity. I mist ... | |
| Sarracenia follow-up | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: About a month ago I had asked you about moving my pitcher plants outdoors and seed germination. ... A: Sarracenia seedlings follow the same cycle of growth as any other plant. The first leaves to be ... | |
| nepenthes aristolochioides | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: i have it under strong flourecsent lighting and i gets a little filtered sun light i use only ... A: There are a couple things that could be happening to your plant. Nepenthes tendrils and pitchers do ... | |
| Bogs | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: I am considering doing bogs like the ones this person does ... A: All Sarracenias like to have their roots close to the water level. In pots they will all prefer up ... | |
| Considering Moving Nepenthes Outdoors for the Summer | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: I have two Nepenthes plants that I have been growing indoors (near a south-facing window, and with ... A: Nepenthes require much less intense light than Venus Flytraps and Sarracenias. You can keep them in ... | |
| humidity for butterworts | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: I have 4 butterworts that I have had for a short time, I keep them inside and they get about 4 ... A: Thee really is too much hype about humidity for carnivorous plants. My humidity level is between ... | |
| Flower Blooming VFT | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: Hey, I just wanted to know if, when, and where I should cut the flower that is about to bloom on ... A: It is a myth that Venus Flytraps need to have the flower scape cut off. These plants grow and flower ... | |
| from full sun to grow lights | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: I am moving for the summer to my house in the city..so i wont be able to have my plants out in full ... A: When companies sell a plant and aquarium light they are just looking to make a few extra bucks. The ... | |
| Carnivorous plants | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: purpurea and I was wondering if I could use that dirt on my Nepenthes x 'judith finn' "just bought" ... A: That mix would be O. K. in the short run, but you really need more drainage for long term potting of ... | |
| venus fly traps | 5/15/2009 |
| Q: I have been growing my traps for about 5 or 6 years now completely outside. My plants are ... A: Two things could be affecting your plants. The first that comes to mind would be pests. Aphids and ... | |
| dormancy for sarracenias | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: I live in an apt, and I had bought 6 sarracenias last march, by summer, they were full and healthy, ... A: That is a good question. I myself have to keep my Sarracenias indoors as well and I place them in ... | |
| Carnivorous plants | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: purpurea and I was wondering if I could use that dirt on my Nepenthes x 'judith finn' "just bought" ... A: When you say you have "dirt" what kind of soil is it? Most carnivorous plants require acidic ... | |
| from full sun to grow lights | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: I am moving for the summer to my house in the city..so i wont be able to have my plants out in full ... A: You would need to have the lights on for about 16 hours a day and incorporate at least a second 40 ... | |
| Water Distiller | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: I have tons and tons of carnivorous plants outside, and they are costing me an arm and leg to ... A: After a good look at that system I am actually thinking about getting one myself. Steam distillation ... | |
| Drosera capillaris | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: We have a Drosera capillaris (green flower shaped sundew)that was doing great indoors in a kitchen ... A: You might have a multifaceted problem here as you moved the plant several times from one environment ... | |
| im an idiot | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: So this morning i was kinda hazy and i went to check on my drosera capensis..and the flower that ... A: Well, I would not worry much about it. Even though you might not get any seeds this time around or ... | |
| Nepenthes, Serracenia, and Pinguicula | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonbebout/sets/72157617933504160/ Hiya, I had a few questions. ... A: I am not as conversant with Butterworts as some of the other plants yet, however; yours looks to be ... | |
| flowering drosera capensis | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: I went to check on my CPs..and i noticed on my Drosera Capensis flower stalk the top flower is ... A: Drosera capensis, and many other plants, will open the flowers that mature first on the stalk. As ... | |
| nepenthes sanguinea | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: I have question about my nepenthes sanguinea. I have that plant for year and half and now when it's ... A: Nepenthes can fail to pitcher for a variety of reasons. Even though they are not full sun plants, ... | |
| my terrarium full of carnivorus plants | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: my qeustion is can i place the pots directly into the hydrton pellets and put a layer of live ... A: While hydroton clay pellets look to be neutral and not much of a problem for carnivorous plants, ... | |
| nepenthis | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: "I was at lowes and i couldnt help but notice the death cubes of CPS..i got a butterwort..that ... A: Nepenthes are partial light plants that usually do not tolerate direct sun as well as Venus Flytraps ... | |
| butterwort | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: Hey i recently bought (in a death cube unfortunately :( :() two CPs..the one i have a question ... A: Butterworts have very weak, small root systems that die back when they go dormant and rot easily if ... | |
| how they grow | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 serrecenia purpereas now and i work in a store that sells them in death cubes lol. And i ... A: Those death cubes are aptly named for the simple reason that such stores tend to make more money off ... | |
| new soil | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: This is not the mix that i am currently using, BUT i was wondering if nutrapeat would be ok to use ... A: You actually answered your own question when the description indicated that the mix has fertilizer ... | |
| water | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: You mentioned reverse osmosis is a good way to go. I have my house on a water conditioner, which ... A: Water that has been softened by salt is harmful to carnivorous plants. If the water softener uses ... | |
| Reducing PPM | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: Hey Chris it is me again. I am having a hard time reducing the PPM in the soil. I took fresh long ... A: 15 parts per million is not going to harm carnivorous plants. What occurred is the small amount of ... | |
| Tropical Pitcher Plant HELP!! | 5/2/2009 |
| Q: Last week I put my tropical pitcher plants outside since the temps went up and the sun is shining. ... A: The plant still looks fine for now. If the browning progresses all over the plant I would be ... | |
| hybridizing venus flytraps | 5/2/2009 |
| Q: So if i wanted to make a "cross" with a cup flytrap and a red dragon, would I just rub the flowers ... A: Probably not. Since you would be mixing up the genes of two very specialized "breeds" of Flytraps it ... | |
| 3 plants | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: How long (under optimal conditions and health) would it take for a leaf, from then the leaf first ... A: Since each plant species will have its own growth rate and each plant will be placed in different ... | |
| sundew | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 questions for you today sir. My sundew (drosera capensis) was purchased in a death cube ... A: Removing old growth will not harm the plant, however; wait until the leaves dry out and brown back ... | |
| hybridizing venus flytraps | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: my venus flytraps are about to flower. I was just wondering how you create hybrids with venus ... A: All Venus Flytraps are the same species, so there is no such thing as hybridizing Venus Flytraps ... | |
| nepenthes gracilis | 4/26/2009 |
| Q: I bought a nepenthes gracilis last week, and it had 2 pitchers. Some websites say that nepenthes ... A: N. gracilis is a relatively easy species to grow. It should be able to adapt to lower humidity with ... | |
| Malformed Droseras | 4/25/2009 |
| Q: I am having a terrible time with the Drosera family. Currently I own Capensis, Prolifera and Binata ... A: Considering the leaf deformities, it would be better to be safe than sorry when dealing with ... | |
| Malformed Droseras | 4/25/2009 |
| Q: I am having a terrible time with the Drosera family. Currently I own Capensis, Prolifera and Binata ... A: We may have found the culprit then. Most carnivorous plants cannot handle hardness of over 50 ppm of ... | |
| Malformed Droseras | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: I am having a terrible time with the Drosera family. Currently I own Capensis, Prolifera and Binata ... A: Some other things to look for would be minerals in your water supply and chemicals that might affect ... | |
| Sarracenia follow-up | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: a few weeks ago you advised that I wait until the outside temperature was about 60 degrees before I ... A: So long as the nightime temperatures do not drop to below 40 the plants will be fine outside. A few ... | |
| S.Purpurea | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: I have a Pitcher plant that I'm not sure of what SP/SSP it is it looks like it could be ether a ssp. ... A: We might need to do a bit more work with this one. How do you know the plant does not tolerate ... | |
| Part of my flytrap is ok and part is not. Should I be worried? | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I've had my VFT for just over a year now. From the size that it was when I got it I'm guesssing that ... A: It is normal for a Venus Flytrap to slow in growth after a repotting as it reestablishes roots that ... | |
| drosera capensis | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I was reading about my drosera capensis on the cobraplant.com site, and it ways it is a tropical ... A: A Drosera capensis will be just fine in full sun during the growing season. In winter, if it gets ... | |
| baby pitchers bad or good | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a pitcher plant and it has like 4 big pitchers with openings big enough for bugs, and then ... A: What you are seeing is a young Sarracenia purpurea or hybrid theroff putting up rhizome divisions. ... | |
| seeds | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: I purchased a packet of sundews, venus fly traps, and pitcher plants online. I have heard most seed ... A: When seeds are commercially refrigerated they are kept dry. What stratification entails for the ... | |
| drosera slackii | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: Can you give some info on drosera slackii? I've ordered one (finally after waiting 4-5 yrs. for one ... A: I have never cultivated that particular species nor do I know much about it other than it grows in ... | |
| carnivore | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: how does a Cephalotus Follicularis repoduce and their lifetime A: Cephalotus follicularis can reproduce with seeds, by being divided from rhizome offshoots like Venus ... | |
| Sarracenia Purpurea | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I have brand new pitcher leaves opening up (for right now the opening is very small because i ... A: Sarracenia purpurea does require rain water in nature. The way to tell if a pitcher plant species ... | |
| Drosera filkformis.ssp tracyi & California sunset. | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: I'm wondering after my Drosera x.California Sunset & Drosera filiformis.ssp tracyi have been dormant ... A: Your dormant sundews should be reviving at the first warm weather. Basically anything over 60 ... | |
| move | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: When would be the best time to move my Asian picture plants and my sundews outside.I live in the ... A: I would wait until all fear of frost is past and the weather warms up to over 60 degrees primarily. ... | |
| vft flower bud | 4/12/2009 |
| Q: i have a few "red dragon" venus fly traps growing indoors under 1000 watt light system. i have one ... A: Wait for the flowers to die back, then wait for the scape to begin blackening. Once the scapes have ... | |
| Venus flytrap seeds | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: Last year I collected about 400 venus flytrap seeds. I usually wait until the flower and most of ... A: You should be getting closer to 50-70 percent germination rates. Waiting until most of the flower ... | |
| soil | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a sundew, pitcher, and venus fly trap and i re- potted them using the methods illustrated in ... A: I think you have me mixed up with someone else as I do not have a podcast. In any event, never use ... | |
| using ground up wood in place of peat | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: Due to a hurricane, I have the ground up stumps of several oaks that I would like to use in place of ... A: The problem with using bark and topsoil would be the potential fertilizers already present in such a ... | |
| Nepenthes | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: I have two nepenthes, 5- and 4-year-old plants. Both have healthy new leaves and pitchers at the ... A: You can clip the brown leaves off and look for new vines to grow from the bases of each plant. You ... | |
| Sarracenia | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a few questions about my Sarracenia plants (a purpurea, and a 'Judith Hindle'). For the ... A: Since the plants have been inside, they might not be ready for freezing weather. I would keep them ... | |
| Serracenia leucophylla and MiracleGro products | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: 14, 2008. The plant is still doing well. I have purchased MiracleGro sphagnum peat moss and perlite ... A: You can purchass plastic wrapped baled of sphagnum moss that say premium Canadian sphagnum peat. It ... | |
| Sarracenia alata pitchers | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: I have a question about my Sarracenia alata. The pitcher are about 30cm high but the stems are very ... A: Fisrt off, make sure your plant has plenty of light. Direct full sunlight will help the plant ... | |
| soil mix | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: will North American carnivorous plants grow in a mixture of Perlite and Sphagnum Moss? It is real ... A: Yes, that will still work. If it is long fiber spagnum, live sphagnum, or sphagnum peat, it will ... | |
| soil mix | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: will North American carnivorous plants grow in a mixture of Perlite and Sphagnum Moss? It is real ... A: That is the preferred potting mix for many Carnivorous plants both temperate and tropical. There are ... | |
| sphagnum | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: I have question about growing sphagnum moss; Yesterday I was transplanting my sarracenia flava and I ... A: Yes, sometimes the moss in your soil mix will revive if part of it is dormant or if it has spores in ... | |
| Indoor light help | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: Ok before you say to yourself "I have answered this" let me first tell you. My terrarium is not your ... A: All of the plants you obtained require relatively different culture to grow properly. For instance, ... | |
| drosera adalae | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: I am going on a very long trip soon and i was just wondering if there is any way to preserve my ... A: How long of a trip are you planning? If the trip is only a week or two you might get away with just ... | |
| Beginner In Growing As a Hobby, Pt. 2 | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: I asked a question earlier (http://www.allexperts.com/user.cgi? m=6&catID=711&qID=4767246) and made ... A: Since I do not know what corrections were made to the growing setup (I do not see any previous ... | |
| Indoor light help | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Ok before you say to yourself "I have answered this" let me first tell you. My terrarium is not your ... A: First off you will need to provide more information about the plants you are currently growing in ... | |
| dionaea x drosera hybrid | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: I have heard about this quite a bit lately, however have never seen a picture. However my question ... A: Sorry, I dont have any photos of such a plant. It is possible to cross Dionaea with Drosera of some ... | |
| Sundew Growth | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: Okay, well my latest sundew has lasted now 3 weeks, I tried to poke 1/4 inch holes and found it to ... A: Keep the plant in an east facing window for now and keep an eye on how hot and intense the light is. ... | |
| WINTER DORMACY | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: Hey guys > > im interested how you think i should grow my plants over winter > (outdoor growing ... A: The main things to consider so far as winter dormancy would be to ensure that your dormant plants do ... | |
| Perlite | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: I am having an issue finding just regular old perlite to use to make a potting mixture for some ... A: Anything made by Miracle Grow has fertilizers that would be harmful to carnivorous plants in ... | |
| dionaea muscipula | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: I wanna ask something about venus flytrap...how long do I have to wait to grow venus flytrap from ... A: Growing Venus Flytraps from seeds takes a long time. It might be a couple years before you actually ... | |
| Algae On Seedlings | 2/21/2009 |
| Q: I am growing cape sundew seedlings. They had algae growing in their soil. I pulled it out when I ... A: You can use the 50/50 peat/perlite for them. I have never had that kind of algae problem, so i am ... | |
| Sarracenia problems | 2/21/2009 |
| Q: I have two pots of Sarracenia on my windowsill. Both plants are in plastic 4-inch pots, and have ... A: Helo Patrick, At this time of the year Sarracenias should be coming out of dormancy if they are in ... | |
| new plant | 2/20/2009 |
| Q: Well my last plant is completely dead. So i purchased a new one today, 2/19/08 It has white spots on ... A: The plastic lid should be rather thin. A sharp knife or ice pick might help.. but be careful and ... | |
| Nepenthes in hanging basket | 2/20/2009 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes ventricosa and an alata that I would like to move out of a terrarium and into ... A: In any change of light and humidity you will want to alter the environment gradually over time Open ... | |
| new plant | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: Well my last plant is completely dead. So i purchased a new one today, 2/19/08 It has white spots on ... A: You really will not need to do anything drastic like chop off the leaves. The plant sounds fine for ... | |
| venus fly trap digestion | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: i have read that it is common for a trap to turn black and fall off after a feeding, but why is ... A: Contrary to popular belief, Venus Flytrap traps do not ordinarily turn black after they capture ... | |
| Drosera Filiformis | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I am interested in purchasing a Drosera Filiformis and was wondering if it is capable of being in a ... A: Drosera filiformis is a full sun plant. It needs about 1/4 the pot bottom in a tray of water. Just ... | |
| My plant | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: This is my first Drosera adelae.... I started great, the weather wasn't to the liking of the plant, ... A: It sounds like, with all the plant has been though, that it is probably thoroughly dead by now. The ... | |
| Fly Trap | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: I have had my venus fly trap for about 6 months now and during the summer, there seemed to be enough ... A: Venus Flytraps are garden plants that grow in temperate areas of North Carolina. They should be ... | |
| Venus Flytrap's traps wont open | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: I bought a small flytrap at the New York botanical garden in January. I fed it when I got home ... A: My apologies to you as it seems you were duped into buying a temperate plant that should have been ... | |
| pinguicula grandiflora | 2/8/2009 |
| Q: I recently bought some ping. grandiflora seeds and wish to grow them. I live in Manchester, UK, and ... A: The Pinguicula mix you will want would be one part sphagnum peat to as much as one or two parts ... | |
| My D. Adelea from Lowes | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a D. Adelea from Lowes, When i purchased it, the poor thing seemed healthy, but i ... A: Plants like to be placed in one spot and kept there. Moving the plant around stresses it by quickly ... | |
| My D. Adelea from Lowes | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a D. Adelea from Lowes, When i purchased it, the poor thing seemed healthy, but i ... A: Those questions are exactly why we are here. Everyone was a novice at one point in time and ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: how do you care fore butterwarts? A: Basically, most butterworts will prefer filtered or partial sun, a morning sun window being just ... | |
| Which carnivorous plant? | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: I dropped by the garden centre today and found that they have a few different species of carnivorous ... A: Of those plants, none are really suited to the kind of heat you have in your conservatory. The ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata. Help!! | 2/3/2009 |
| Q: A few days ago, I purchased a Nepenthes Alata plant and placed it in my conservatory thinking that ... A: Misting can increase humidity slightly for a few minutes in a localized area, but it would require ... | |
| Orange Nepenthes Truncata Leaf | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: I read in the Book the Savage Garden about the fungus Rust Spot. What do you think it is? I have it ... A: Without seeing the plant it is a bit difficult to offer as much help, however; it sounds like light ... | |
| nepenthes | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: 1. why do the leaves of nep.turn curly and folds in longitudinally? 2. is there a way to preserve ... A: 1. Evolution. The leaves adapted to evolutionary pressures so that their form follows their ... | |
| nepenthes ventricosa flower | 2/1/2009 |
| Q: I have a N. ventricosa growing in a southeast window and yesterday it surprised me by popping out a ... A: Congratulations with getting a flowering Nepenthes, it means you are caring for the plant very well. ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata. Help!! | 2/1/2009 |
| Q: A few days ago, I purchased a Nepenthes Alata plant and placed it in my conservatory thinking that ... A: Your temperatures outside your conservatory in both the summer and winter sound just right for most ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata. Help!! | 1/31/2009 |
| Q: A few days ago, I purchased a Nepenthes Alata plant and placed it in my conservatory thinking that ... A: 115 Fahrenheit is too high for most plants actually. Venus Flytraps and Sarracenias prefer ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: I recently got myself a Nepenthes Alata and would like to know if they are meant to be sitting in a ... A: Nepenthes can suffer from root rot when placed in standing water. You could use a shallow water dish ... | |
| Cephalotus powdery mildew | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: i recently received a cephalotus which i intend to cultivate on a southwest windosill in my home. I ... A: I am not sure about the product you are using. I tend to use Neem oil with pyrethrines or sulfur ... | |
| S. purpurea purpurea stratification | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: I have s. purpurea ssp. purpurea and s. luco seeds that I'm putting outside here in Wisconsin. Is it ... A: Ideally, you will want cold weather down to just above freezing. Pots do not insulate as well as the ... | |
| Venus Flytrap | 1/28/2009 |
| Q: About five days ago I bought a Venus flytrap from Lowes and now it is wilting. I have kept the ... A: Venus Flytraps should be dormant at this time of year. Venus Flytraps are temperate plants native to ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: I have a problem with my venus fly traps, there in dormancy and are being devoured by aphids. Most ... A: It sounds like you have your plants in relative warmth as aphids tend to hate cold weather. Aphids ... | |
| My Pitcher Plant is very long | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: im 19 and not very expirienced with these plants. Since i got my N. Deroose Alata as a baby, i kept ... A: First off.. throw away the instructions. The instructions that they give you in garden centers is ... | |
| My Pitcher Plant is very long | 1/26/2009 |
| Q: im 19 and not very expirienced with these plants. Since i got my N. Deroose Alata as a baby, i kept ... A: In the wild, Nepenthes grow up trees and across the ground, so it really does not matter if the ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap - Is it dying?? | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: I bought a Venus Fly Trap a few months ago from a gardening place & pretty much since I've had it, ... A: In most cases, tap water contains too high a level of mineral salts, shown as hardness, which kills ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: is it dificult to grow a nepenthes? A: That is a difficult question to answer fully as their are many species of Nepenthes with different ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea | 1/20/2009 |
| Q: Sometime ago, I mentioned a fluorescent light that releases 20,000 lumens. I finally have the ... A: That will be fine. Many companies and growers do regularly fertilize their carnivorous plants (using ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: Sometime ago, I mentioned a fluorescent light that releases 20,000 lumens. I finally have the ... A: So long as the mixture you used is less than 1/4 normal solution you would use on a typical garden ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: Sometime ago, I mentioned a fluorescent light that releases 20,000 lumens. I finally have the ... A: If damage or disruption occurred to the plant's root system when it was repotted it could take a ... | |
| Drosera Adelae | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a question. My Drosera Adelae doesn't produce any dew anymore. It has about 5 hrs. of light ... A: By 5 hours of light, I take it you have it in a window where it gets 5 hours of sun each day and ... | |
| venus fly trap | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: my venus fly trap has stopped growing and has started to flower. should i keep the flowers or cut ... A: First off, your Venus Flytrap is a temperate plant that should have gone dormant in winter. Since it ... | |
| temp. | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a Asian plant Nepenthes ventricosa , highland. I can give it everything it needs > but i dont ... A: Even though your N. ventricosa is a highland it is adaptable. It will be fine in either room at ... | |
| My X-Judith hindle | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: I recently aquired a X-Judith Hindle plant, it has been growing fine but this afternoon i noticed ... A: Mushrooms are typically not the fungus you need to worry about so far as damaging your plants. You ... | |
| potting media | 12/15/2008 |
| Q: i've got approx 20 north american pitcher plants and VFT's, all in pots ranging from 8 inches to 16 ... A: Eventually your old potting medium will go sour. Old sphagnum peat moss and perlite break down ... | |
| A post-repotting question re: nepenthes sanguinea | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I have two questions for you: 1) I recieved a combo-pot (in a ~6" strawberry pot) from Sarracenia ... A: It sounds like your Nepenthes is suffering from low light. Nepenthes need far more light than an ivy ... | |
| Carnivorous Plants Not Growing Properly | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I have three venus fly traps, a doodlebug, a purple pitcher (It looks like a Burke purple pitcher) ... A: If you increase the light period to 12 hours again you will only stress the temperate plants and ... | |
| Nepenthes Ventricosa | 12/11/2008 |
| Q: I've had my nepenthes for a couple of days and I have noticed that my plant's pitchers are getting ... A: Your Nepenthes was probably bought from a place that grew them in higher humidity than you have in ... | |
| Carnivorous Plants Not Growing Properly | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: I have three venus fly traps, a doodlebug, a purple pitcher (It looks like a Burke purple pitcher) ... A: What happened is that the plants went into a dormant state in the cold patio then they were moved ... | |
| nepenthes Ventrata | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: I wrote before and did every thing I was told to do. 1. Increase the light Intensity and duration 2. ... A: You might have asked another expert your question as I do not see your previous questions on my list ... | |
| Venus flytrap winter dormancy in Ohio | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: My venus fly trap recently suffered a 3 week spell of dryness due to my being ill and forgetting to ... A: I think you intended to ask Sarracenia Northwest about this, however; I will help as much as I can. ... | |
| Dormancy in South Florida | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: I have a couple of VFTs, cape sundews, and White top pitcher plants. I wanted to know if I should ... A: Plants commonly feel such weather changes in the wild. A few days of cold, a few days of warmer ... | |
| serracenia leucophylla | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: I Have a serracenia leucophylla in a four=inch plastic pot. It looks very healthy. I live in ... A: Sarracenias are bog plants that survive by absorbing full sun, acquiring clean, mineral free bog ... | |
| Mold/ Fungus | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: I have recently received a Red leaf dew thread sundew but I have been experiencing some problems ... A: I know the culprit well as your description matches the yellow fungus that grew around my seedling ... | |
| Dormancy in South Florida | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: I have a couple of VFTs, cape sundews, and White top pitcher plants. I wanted to know if I should ... A: While Florida might not get truly cold winters like most of the other Northern states it gets cool ... | |
| growing together | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: In case I want to make composition from the carnivorous plants (e.g., Pitcher Plants, Venus Flytrap) ... A: Many carnivorous plants can be grown together quite easily. If you are going to do so, use a large ... | |
| Nepenthes Pruning | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: My Nepenthes (I think that is what it is) is quite leggy and viney. Can I safely prune some of the ... A: A Nepenthes is a vining plant that grows pitcher or cup shaped projections on the ends of tendrils ... | |
| cape sundew | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: frist i know every thing to do but i still not getting it u can but them in styrofoam bowl, 2 and ... A: 1. I suppose you could use styrofoam bowls but the best and most lasting containers would be pots ... | |
| Plant Lighting | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: I mentioned sometime ago, my plans for putting up a shop light that would release at least 20,000 ... A: Florescent lights can be hung or mounted in many different configurations. The direction will not ... | |
| sarracenia seeds | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: I want to sow sarracenia seeds in the fridge, but do they need any light in the fridge? and how long ... A: It sounds like you are describing stratification, however; that is not the method used to grow ... | |
| my nepenthes won't grow pitchers | 11/1/2008 |
| Q: I am not sure what nepenthes I have, but I only got it to grow 1 pitcher. And that was in the summer ... A: There are many potential circumstances that could make your Nepenthes fail to pitcher. Since it is ... | |
| Sun Requirements for Carnivorous Plants in Autumn | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: I had my plants in my screened in porch (south sun) all summer and fall until a few days ago. I ... A: You can keep them in the foyer in that window for the rest of Autumn and Winter. If you feel they ... | |
| Carnivorous Plant Roots | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: You had said since my plants were in small pots (venus fly traps are in 4 inch by 3/12 inch pots, ... A: This is normal. Sarracenias and Venus Flytraps do not produce many roots, but might produce one or ... | |
| my venis | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: i bought my trap about a year ago and it was tiny i have never had plants before and it turns out i ... A: Good job with your Venus Flytrap. It is possible to remove leaves from a Flytrap, called leaf ... | |
| Wintering Carnivorous Plants | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: You had said since my plants were in small pots (venus fly traps are in 4 inch by 3/12 inch pots, ... A: The Doodle Bug is in a good sized pot but I would repot the Venus Flytrap and Purple Pitcher Plannt ... | |
| sarracenias | 10/20/2008 |
| Q: We have a peat bog garden that we grow a collection of Sarracenias as well as the usaul suspects for ... A: Most Sarracenias can be cut back about half way down their pitchers in late fall just before your ... | |
| Alice Sundew Drosera Aliciae | 10/19/2008 |
| Q: I recently found sundew that was washed down Table mountain in Cape Town RSA. I have identified it ... A: I have no experience with Drosera ramantacea or Drosera trinervia. I do know that D. trinervia looks ... | |
| Sanguinea Height | 10/19/2008 |
| Q: Ballpark figure, how high from the soil surface does a Sanguinea grow? I asked you the question ... A: I have been trying to find that information myself for a while. I have not found any sources that ... | |
| Pot/Light Weight | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: I plan to hang a 4 foot grow light from my ceiling. According to the seller, this lamp is ... A: A shelf set is actually what I use. I set up shelves in front of my windows and mounted lights on ... | |
| Pot/Light Weight | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: I plan to hang a 4 foot grow light from my ceiling. According to the seller, this lamp is ... A: It is according to how sturdy the ceiling is and how strong the chains and hooks are that you will ... | |
| Wintering Carnivorous Plants, Diseases, and Info on Doodle Bug | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: I have several questions to ask you. I thought it would be best to type them all in here, rather ... A: The lowest leaves of butterworts will turn brown normally as the plant grows. Their leaves can rot ... | |
| drosera | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: My drosera capensis has a kind of green insect on her(aphids I think),she also is flowering and I do ... A: I have not used zipermetrin either. I use pyrethrines and Neem oil based chemicals on my plants. You ... | |
| Wintering Carnivorous Plants, Diseases, and Info on Doodle Bug | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: I have several questions to ask you. I thought it would be best to type them all in here, rather ... A: If I understand you correctly, you have the Mexican Butterwort and the Cape Sundew in the same pot ... | |
| Miranda Pitcher Plant (NO Pitchers!!) | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: I am very into gardening and Bonsai.But I dont have any experience with carnivorous plants.My ... A: When Nepenthes lose their pitchers it is usually due to a drastic drop in humidity, killing all ... | |
| fungicides, insecticieds, fertilizers | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: What natural fungicides and insecticides do you recommend for carnivorous plants? And what kind of ... A: I typically use Neem oil as an insecticide and fungicide and pyrethrines as an insecticide. You can ... | |
| DESK PLANTS | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: I work at UIC Hospital in a small cubicle, I would love to spice up my work station with a plant. ... A: Carnivorous plants are more high maintenance than a typical Ivy. If you are ready to add lights and ... | |
| dormancy | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: Can you show me a picture of a Venus flytrap that is in dormancy/entering dormancy because mine, I ... A: I actually do not have a compilation of photos to supply anyone with. You might visit Sarracenia ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea Lighting | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: As of now, a Sanguinea Blood Red is on its way to my house from Sarracenia Northwest. I plan to put ... A: No, 20,000 lumens is great. With that you will not need window light at all for your Nepenthes until ... | |
| Nepenthes Sanguinea Lighting | 10/9/2008 |
| Q: As of now, a Sanguinea Blood Red is on its way to my house from Sarracenia Northwest. I plan to put ... A: N. sanguinea require more light than that. If possible, place the plant in an east or south facing ... | |
| Drosera Kenneallyi | 10/9/2008 |
| Q: I've had a Kenneallyi for a year or two, and decided to get another. Shortly after this second one ... A: The only things that come to mind would be tiny sap sucking insects or fungus. If the spots move, I ... | |
| fungus or plant | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: I was just wondering is a Venus fly trap a fungus or a plant? A: I must say that this is the easiest question I have ever had. Plants are noted as utilizing ... | |
| Asian Pitcher Plant | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: I just got an Asian Pitcher Plant earlier this summer. It has been doing great in an east window. ... A: While Nepenthes (Asian Pitcher Plants) can tolerate more minerals in their water then other species ... | |
| Nepenthes | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: They are both healthy plants with 8-10 Green Leaves on each, But each plant only has 2-3 Pitchers. ... A: Cutting a leaf off will not harm the plant overall. Usually it is the lower leaves that begin ... | |
| Drosera care | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: I recently found sundew that was washed down Table mountain in Cape Town RSA. I have identified it ... A: I do not know anything about Bonsai trees. I specialize specifically in carnivorous plants. There ... | |
| Alice Sundew Drosera Aliciae | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: I recently found sundew that was washed down Table mountain in Cape Town RSA. I have identified it ... A: No, never fertilize carnivorous plants. Fertilizers generally kill carnivorous plants unless you ... | |
| Repotting Nepenthes | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: I need to repot a nepenthes from a 3" to a 4-6" pot. It is currently planted in live sphagnum moss ... A: Nepenthes are tolerant of repotting. The easiest way to repot a Nepenthes would be to clip the old ... | |
| Nepenthes | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: They are both healthy plants with 8-10 Green Leaves on each, But each plant only has 2-3 Pitchers. ... A: Nepenthes always grow only one pitcher per leaf. Each pitcher will last several months with the ... | |
| Alice Sundew Drosera Aliciae | 10/2/2008 |
| Q: I recently found sundew that was washed down Table mountain in Cape Town RSA. I have identified it ... A: That does look like D. alicia. Good going, they look like healthy plants. Most sundews do like a ... | |
| venus flytraps | 10/2/2008 |
| Q: I have lots of quarter inch size or smaller traps on most of the 10 flytraps. I see much larger ... A: It sounds like a combination of factors might be at work here. Since you have had the plants for a ... | |
| Nepenthes dormancy | 10/2/2008 |
| Q: This is my first year with carnivorous plants and I have had great success and would like to keep it ... A: Nepenthes are tropical plants that will not need a dormant period. Best bet is to keep them iside in ... | |
| nepenthes disease? | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: Ive been having a problem with my Nepenthes plants, and its been going for more than a month. The ... A: The brown patches should be on only the lower few inches of vine. It looks like the Nepenthes in the ... | |
| n. ventrata and its artificial light | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I've just rescued a sad looking n. ventrata from a grocery store. Unfortunately, I have no ... A: If you are looking to use artificial light I would suggest placing it in whatever window you have ... | |
| P.macroceras hibernacula question | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: my macroceras have started developing their hibernacula and I was wondering how should I over winter ... A: I am a bit new to Pinguicula as well, however; the general idea is to keep the soil barely moist by ... | |
| nepenthes disease? | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: Ive been having a problem with my Nepenthes plants, and its been going for more than a month. The ... A: I am happy to announce that your Nepenthes is not sick or dying. That brown woody layer developing ... | |
| Mosquitos | 9/26/2008 |
| Q: How do you recommend keeping mosquitos out of water trays? I have a Venus Flytrap and a Purple ... A: You can use mosquito dunks sold as small cakes in plastic wrapped packages. Do a search online for ... | |
| asian pitcher nepenthes | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: in one of my pitchers the cricket grew mold. is that normal? will it make the plant sick? A: This can occur if the prey item is large enough to protrude above the preservative/digestive fluid ... | |
| Nepanthes | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: is there a reason why the lower and upper pitchers have tendrils from different positions ie back ... A: You can look in commercial websites like Sarracenia Northwest and California Carnivores for pictures ... | |
| VFT care in Arizona | 9/18/2008 |
| Q: I live in Tucson, Arizona, and I recently purchased a Venus Fly Trap at a Frys Grocery Store. Now I ... A: Compact florescent bulbs often burn rather hot as compared to florescent tubes, so if the plant is ... | |
| Nepanthes | 9/18/2008 |
| Q: is there a reason why the lower and upper pitchers have tendrils from different positions ie back ... A: As Nepenthes grow upper pitchers the tendrils tend to gravitate towards the back of the pitcher ... | |
| Light for Pings | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: How much light does it take, in watts, to bring out color in Pings? I have some of the colorful ... A: Those compact florescent lights do put out a lot more heat then the shop lights. The only way you ... | |
| Light for Pings | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: How much light does it take, in watts, to bring out color in Pings? I have some of the colorful ... A: You can use stronger lights than that. You can place a set of 40 watt shop light tubes over them. I ... | |
| Cutting/Trimming Flytraps | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: When the leaves turn black, do I cut only the leaf or at the base? Sometimes the base is black, ... A: I just cut off whatever is dead. One trick is to wait until the trap is almost completely blackened ... | |
| Aquatic worms? | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: I recently acquired a flytrap and a cape sundew from an online retailer, both in pre-mixed pots. ... A: Since they are so small I would bet that they are difficult to identify. The worm like motion seems ... | |
| Despite sulfur, cotton-like fungus killing seeds | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: Greetings! Several weeks ago, I planted four small planters with about 15-20 (total) Dionaea ... A: Fungus is an ever present problem when trying to grow plants from seeds. The fungus can and will ... | |
| flytraps that close | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: Does anyone know any other flytraps that close except the venus trap A: There are many different kinds of carnivorous plants. Some catch flies, some catch wasps and bees, ... | |
| White Stuff | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: My Venus Fly Trap was doing pretty good for the last few weeks, until i noticed that there was some ... A: What does this "white stuff" look like? Since it reappears quickly, it sounds like it might be ... | |
| I have a question | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: Ok,i just bought a venus flytrap at a Lowes store.When i bought it,it had five VERY small mouths, ... A: You can slowly remove the cover on the pot like I described earlier. Venus Flytraps do best when ... | |
| I have a question | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: Ok,i just bought a venus flytrap at a Lowes store.When i bought it,it had five VERY small mouths, ... A: The plant might be young or sick. Venus Flytraps bought in stores like that are often starved for ... | |
| madagascare pitcher plant | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: my question is the baby that i recieved in the mail there were 2 tiny pitchers on it but they have ... A: You can and should remove the old leaves and pitchers after they turn brown and die off. I usually ... | |
| I have a question | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: Ok,i just bought a venus flytrap at a Lowes store.When i bought it,it had five VERY small mouths, ... A: I am not sure what your question is. The only advice I can give you is to remove the dome that ... | |
| madagascare pitcher plant | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: my question is the baby that i recieved in the mail there were 2 tiny pitchers on it but they have ... A: When pitchers fail to form on Asian Pitcher Plants it is often a sign of humidity changes or not ... | |
| Nepenthe | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: Our nepenthe is about 3 years old. It is beautiful and dark green but we have not had any pitchers ... A: After three years your Nepenthes should have adapted to your area. What species is it? If you bought ... | |
| Lighting for Asian Pitcher and Adalae | 8/3/2008 |
| Q: i have a few asian pitchers and adalaes and got a simple question about lighting. Is a flourescent ... A: If you are relying primarily on artificial lighting for your plants you will need florescent lights ... | |
| hardiest fly catcher | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: best coolish kitchen fly catching plant please A: If I understand your question, you want to know what carnivorous plant would be the best as an ... | |
| feeding asian pitcher plant | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: If i feed an asian pitcher plant crickets. they just drown and die. does the pitcher absorb the ... A: Nepenthes secrete a preservative called benzoic acid along with a viscous sugary substance that work ... | |
| Nepenthe | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: I just recently brought another nepenthe, which I dont know wut type it is. I think it is another ... A: After your Nepenthes has adapted to your home it will grow normally and keep its pitchers for ... | |
| my poor nepenthes has small pitchers | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: I have had my nepenthes for about 6 months and it has been growing like crazy, each of the leaves ... A: I misunderstood your first query about smaller pitchers then. If the newest pitchers are getting ... | |
| Nepenthe | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: I just recently brought another nepenthe, which I dont know wut type it is. I think it is another ... A: I would wait until the new Nepenthes is adapted to your home before repotting it. Since the pitcher ... | |
| my poor nepenthes has small pitchers | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I have had my nepenthes for about 6 months and it has been growing like crazy, each of the leaves ... A: Nepenthes pitchers are affected by a number of things. From my understanding of your situation, you ... | |
| Nepenthes | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I am from Puerto Rico and is two weeks that I buy a Nepethes Ventrata and a Ventricosa, my question ... A: If I understand your questions correctly, you are asking if Nepenthes only produce pitchers at one ... | |
| carnivorous rainforest plants | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: Mike A: Is this a homework question? If so, I cannot answer it specifically. In any event, I do not know ... | |
| dionaea - soil overheating | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: I grow my venus flytrap outside in full sun. Gets about 8 hours of direct sunlight and i notice the ... A: That kind of heat can harm and kill Dionaea. You could place the plant near objects that provide ... | |
| Judith Hindle | 7/22/2008 |
| Q: I was given 2 (6") plants approx. 2 months ago. I have placed them in a window where the ... A: Most Nepenthes prefer partial to slightly shaded sunlight. Only a few have been found that can grow ... | |
| nepenthes and light | 7/21/2008 |
| Q: I asked a question about lights for a nepenthes sanguinea and nepenthes miranda to sarracenia ... A: I have had plants grow right up against florescent light tubes and they have never experienced leaf ... | |
| How long in the sun till traps turn red? | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: I have bought a Dionaea and a Sarracenia purpurea not long ago. They are my first carnivorous ... A: It is a good thing you got those plants quickly. I was unaware you could get them by request at ... | |
| How long in the sun till traps turn red? | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: I have bought a Dionaea and a Sarracenia purpurea not long ago. They are my first carnivorous ... A: The older leaves might not change color at all, however; the new leaves will develop red coloration ... | |
| on Nepenthes... | 7/19/2008 |
| Q: I am wanting to get a nice Nepenthes for my home, and I wanted to ask a few questions, specifically ... A: Nepenthes ventricosa is a relatively compact plant that you might consider. There are some small ... | |
| N. Glabrata | 7/19/2008 |
| Q: Glabrata and I am growing it on an East-Facing Windowsill. The conditions are 85 degree temps in ... A: There is a high tech expensive way and a low tech work intensive way to lower the tmeperature near ... | |
| on Nepenthes... | 7/18/2008 |
| Q: I am wanting to get a nice Nepenthes for my home, and I wanted to ask a few questions, specifically ... A: I have not specifically grown the N. miranda species nor its hybids, however; I do have a N. ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: The one I just recently purchased is in a very small hanging planter. I want to transplant it to a ... A: Nepenthes are not delicate, so a little repotting is not going to harm it. Just loosen the Nepenthes ... | |
| D. Filliformis Tracia leaf burn | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: I was curious about .I'm growing Drosera Filliformis Traci .I receive my from a canadian grower on ... A: I am not Weiss, but I will try to help out if I can. It sounds like your conditions are greatly ... | |
| Growing Drosera Outdoors | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: I live in Zone 7 Tulsa, Ok. With high temps typically in the mid 80's to mid 90's lately...give or ... A: The optimum temperature would be about 75 to 80 degrees for many sundews, though a few, like Drosera ... | |
| fly traps closed and won't open | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: I bought a venus fly trap yesterday and en route, all the traps closed. I thought it was because ... A: The "octopus plant" you described as being Drosera capensis or Drosera adelae will need a bit of ... | |
| fly traps closed and won't open | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: I bought a venus fly trap yesterday and en route, all the traps closed. I thought it was because ... A: Only one trap will close when it is triggered by an insect or by movement inside the leaf wedges. If ... | |
| fly traps closed and won't open | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: I bought a venus fly trap yesterday and en route, all the traps closed. I thought it was because ... A: Venus Flytraps close their traps for a variety of reasons. If the plant trapped several insects then ... | |
| 2 questions | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering if I can grow Sarracenia Purpurea, Dionaea Muscipula, and Sarracenia Leuophylla ... A: Any of the Sarracenias, Venus Flytraps, and North American Sundews, like Drosera filiformis and ... | |
| Growing Drosera Outdoors | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in Zone 7 Tulsa, Ok. With high temps typically in the mid 80's to mid 90's lately...give or ... A: I agree with you that window light may not be altogether enough for many carnivorous plants. Too ... | |
| Nepenthes Coccinea | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: Our plants are doing great. My question is how do these plants propagate. All I could read is you ... A: There are several ways to propagate Nepenthes. Seeds would be the hardest as you would have to have ... | |
| nepenthes sexing | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I have limited growing room and would like to get male/female pairs of several species for breeding, ... A: The main problem is that nobody really knows the sex of a Nepenthes until it is adult and flowers ... | |
| a school's veus flytraps | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: I work with a science school, and our 3 year old flytraps aren't doing as well as expected. I've ... A: The best peat is the sphagnum peat moss in large 2 foot dry bales that usually state Canadian and ... | |
| CocoEarth? for Venus Flytrap? | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: This afternoon, i went to a garden land and was about to buy peat moss for my venus flytrap. But ... A: Sphagnum peat moss is exactly the type you need, so long as it is unfertilized it is fine. There are ... | |
| a school's veus flytraps | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: I work with a science school, and our 3 year old flytraps aren't doing as well as expected. I've ... A: Trap size is more relative to age and health. Mature traps will generally be an inch to an inch and ... | |
| CocoEarth? for Venus Flytrap? | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: This afternoon, i went to a garden land and was about to buy peat moss for my venus flytrap. But ... A: That coco coir is basically just the fibers from a coconut. It holds water well and drains some yet ... | |
| CocoEarth? for Venus Flytrap? | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: This afternoon, i went to a garden land and was about to buy peat moss for my venus flytrap. But ... A: You could use coconut fiber, like what you have, with your Nepenthes, but I would not advise using ... | |
| nepanthes has no pitchers left | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: I purchased this plant at a flower show and it had lots of pitchers. They all eventually dried up ... A: Nepenthes, like any plant, need to kept in one place for an extended time or they will suffer shock ... | |
| Cephalotus Questions | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: That window get 4-5 hours of bright morning sun then get shady light up until 7pm. Also how many ... A: An east facing window would be great for a Cephalotus. You can add florescent lights from 40 watt ... | |
| HELP!!!! VENUS FLYTRAP! | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: My venus flytrap isn't doing so well these days. I don't know why but the two sides (just below the ... A: If pests are harming your plant you can buy some Neem oil with pyrethrines to kill them... it is ... | |
| Distilled hard water? | 6/9/2008 |
| Q: I'm using bottled sodium-free distilled water on my Nepenthes. I ran a water test on the distilled ... A: Actually both your tap and the bottles water your using are suitable for carnivorous plants of most ... | |
| Prune or not? | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: My Venus Flytrap is doing fine these days. But,like you said, my nepenthe alata's lower leaves ... A: Your plant is not really suffering from yellowing and dying leaves. This is a natural process like ... | |
| D.Regia | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: i have susessfully got a seed of drosera regia to grow in tc as well as a drospyllum lusitanicum ... A: Good going on growing your D. regia and D. lusitanicum. The main pointer for D. regia is about ... | |
| Vft feeding | 6/2/2008 |
| Q: I am curious about if i feed my Vft fishing maggotts that have been dyed red if the dyes in the ... A: I have never used dyed maggots, even for fishing, so I am only able to provide a limited answer to ... | |
| growing Nepenthes | 5/31/2008 |
| Q: I am an experienced grower of orchids and now want to join the wonderful world of carnivorous ... A: Welcome. Just about anything that would contain the potting mix would work. I would worry that the ... | |
| Why do varieties of VFT have traps which turn red when they are in 6+ hours of full sun each day? | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Christopher: This is more of a botany question that I'm curious about: Why do most ... A: The red pigment is just that, a pigmentation that is already found in Venus Flytraps that is ... | |
| water | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: I keep my Cephalotus in a African Voilet pot on my windowsill under light at 77 degress.I know that ... A: The main thing is, does the temperature drop at night appreciably? Cephalotus do like slightly lower ... | |
| REPOTING! | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: I am trying now to repot it, I think I know what soil to use for my two plants, Nepenthe(alata) and ... A: The best way to repot plants is to gently press the sides of their pots until the soil is loose, ... | |
| Flytrap+Nepenthe (alata) | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: I have recently bought a nepenthe (Alata) and a flytrap from France and I brought them back to ... A: Actually Nepenthes grow rather slowly compared to other non-carnivorous plants. I have a N. ... | |
| Flytrap+Nepenthe (alata) | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: I have recently bought a nepenthe (Alata) and a flytrap from France and I brought them back to ... A: No... you should actually avoid fertilizing carnivorous plants of all types. It is too easy to ... | |
| Flytrap+Nepenthe (alata) | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I have recently bought a nepenthe (Alata) and a flytrap from France and I brought them back to ... A: Nepenthes like water, however; make sure you do not overdo it with watering. If the Nepenthes soil ... | |
| my drosera adelae | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I asked a question before if I should keep the lid to my terrarium open or closed, and I was told to ... A: I do not remember your question from before. It was likely another person that answered it as I tend ... | |
| vft | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: how many vft can grow at once do they live long where can i get seeds where do the seeds come out ... A: I am not sure I understand your first question. The number of plants that can grow in one place is ... | |
| Peat Moss | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: I have heard that bulk of the peat moss sold in the US is primarily imported from Canada? Why is ... A: Since I do not deal with Peat moss myself I am not sure. I just buy the moss to grow my plants in. I ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: I have a few questions, the first one is when i bought my Asian pitcher it had a few pitcher cut ... A: I am not sure what happened to your Cape Sundew. It could have been shocked by a drastic change in ... | |
| Asian Pitcher Plant | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: I was just wandering what is happening with my Asian pitcher plant (Ventricosa), because the lid is ... A: When a pitcher gets old it will turn brown and shrivel up just like any other leaf. They will only ... | |
| dormancy | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: Last year I put my Venus Flytraps and my Pitcher Plant in a stand and covered it with a plastic ... A: You can use regular tree bark mulch, hay, or pine needles... anything that provides insulation, yet ... | |
| water hardness | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: i have just found out that our water hardness level is 100mg per L and i was wondering if it is to ... A: Hard water of over 50 ppm is to hard for carnivorous plants in general. I would invest in a reverse ... | |
| bog plants | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: I have a bog for my plants. I also have 3 plants floating in a goldfish pond. The plants floating ... A: If your bog plants are carnivorous I would avoid placing them in a fish pond as fish require very ... | |
| carnivorous plants | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a few questions, the first one is when i bought my Asian pitcher it had a few pitcher cut ... A: If your plants are just bought they will take some time adjusting to your home. This could take a ... | |
| dormancy | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: Last year I put my Venus Flytraps and my Pitcher Plant in a stand and covered it with a plastic ... A: Sorry to hear about your plants that did not seem to survive dormancy. The main things to remember ... | |
| Sarracenia Purpurea help | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: I bought my sarracenia purpurea around the beginning of March. I did research and I learned that it ... A: First off, throw the instructions away as you probably bought it at a general store or at a ... | |
| Venus Flytrap | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: I am Sam. My question is how long does it take for a Venus Flytrap to digest a fly? A: The time it takes a Venus Flytrap to digest an insect would vary according to the size of the ... | |
| Carnivorous Plants regrowing? | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to grow a new plant from the originals plant? example of what i mean, you can take a ... A: Nepenthes of many species can be easily propagated through vine divisions, particularly the easy to ... | |
| Carnivorous Plants regrowing? | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to grow a new plant from the originals plant? example of what i mean, you can take a ... A: What species of carnivorous plant were you thinking of trying this with? Many carnivorous plants do ... | |
| Dionaea (Venus Flytrap) | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: I have several Dionaea and in the morning they receive sunlight via an eastern facing window. Around ... A: If the humidity and temperature the plants experience from room to room is different, it can weaken ... | |
| Venus flytraps | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I just received a Venus fly trap, but when I feed it ants and little bugs, it won't eat them, and I ... A: Cohen, You do not need to feed the plant to keep it alive. It mainly just needs sunlight and ... | |
| Nepethes Miranda | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased this plant and cannnot find anything on how to care for it, e.g., ... A: Nepenthes miranda is an easy enough Nepenthes to care for. You can find care sheets on a variety of ... | |
| sarracenia dormancy | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: 3 of my sarracenias are in a bit of trouble i think. after dormancy, my alta, judith hindle and ... A: I think you intended to ask this question of Sarracenia Northwest. In any event, keep using sulfur ... | |
| A yard pest. | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: Hey, My name's Setu and I have a question about carnivorous plants. Basically my mom loves ... A: Sorry to hear about your families problems, There are no carnivorous plants capable of catching, ... | |
| growing plants outside in california | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: Hi I live in thousand oaks which is a suburb of LA. It is very hot here in the summer with very low ... A: Sarracenias and Venus Flytraps commonly survive humidity down to 15% and temperatures up to 100 ... | |
| getting started | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: I have been interested about these plants for a long time, and have been doing a lot of research on ... A: Most of the indoor plants would be tropical species like Drosera capensis, Drosera spatulata, ... | |
| nepenthes coccinea | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: i have owned numerous kinds and species of carnivorous plants. today i bought 3 nepenthes coccinea ... A: In general, N. coccinea is a popular plant that is easy to grow. It prefers warm temperatures around ... | |
| HARVESTING SEEDS | 4/12/2008 |
| Q: I AM A RETIRED AUCTIONEER AND HAVE BECOME INTERESTED IN CARNIVOROUS PLANTS.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW ... A: Glad to hear that you are having success with caring for your plants. Venus Flytraps will begin to ... | |
| VTF Feeding | 4/12/2008 |
| Q: Hey i know it's not "necessary" to feed your VTFs, but would it hurt to feed it a triop? I was ... A: The problem with trying different kinds of prey is that you might run across something that is ... | |
| HELP! | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: My venus flytrap is dying! I don't know what is wrong! It has moist soil, which is properly mixed in ... A: You can lower the water level a bit unless the plant is in an 8 inch pot. Most of the time a 4-5 ... | |
| Cephalotus Care | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I recently bought two Cephalotus, but as of this moment, I only have one. I found a bit of ... A: The windows really do not have to be full sun windows, but any extra light they get is icing on the ... | |
| dying plant | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I totally new at this I just purchased 2 little plants(sundews) one of them is a plant with long ... A: The only thing you can do for the damaged plant is to wait and see if it recovers. As long as it ... | |
| Cephalotus Care | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: I recently bought two Cephalotus, but as of this moment, I only have one. I found a bit of ... A: It sounds like you are doing a good job so far. Keep up the good care. Fungus can be a recurring ... | |
| Humidity adaptation | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: The plants now have 2- 40W cool white 48 inches and 2- 24W T5's for a combined lumen around 10,000. ... A: One of the main concerns about growing carnivorous plants is about humidity. When you buy these ... | |
| my flytrap | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: my name is Corbin,I water my flytraps,sundews,and cobra lily rain water.They are on my window ... A: The only ways to learn more about carnivorous plants are to read books and websites devoted to ... | |
| can i keep my plant on its original box | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: can i keep my plant on its original box? ANSWER: Hello Eddie, Considering that I know nothing ... A: If you can provide the symptoms that make you believe your plant is not doing well and what happened ... | |
| Cephalotus Lightin | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a Cephalotus from you guys. As of this moment, I haven't gotten it yet, but it's ... A: I think you intended to send this question to Sarracenia Northwest. I do not sell plants. In any ... | |
| can i keep my plant on its original box | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: can i keep my plant on its original box? ANSWER: Hello Eddie, Considering that I know nothing ... A: Yes, you can keep both plants in their original containers for now, however; you can take the covers ... | |
| can i keep my plant on its original box | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: can i keep my plant on its original box? A: Considering that I know nothing about your plant or how it has been potted or cared for before you ... | |
| flytrap's coming out of dormancy and humidity | 3/31/2008 |
| Q: My venus flytraps started coming out of dormancy from late February to early March. The leaves are ... A: Small traps are often a sign of low light levels. Can you place them on the South side of the ... | |
| Nep. Ampullarie | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: The N.Ampullaria(cantley's red). Can you tell me the growing conditions that this plant requires. ... A: I think you intended to ask this question of Sarracenia Northwest as I do not have a website nor do ... | |
| sundew | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: i ordered a multifork leaf sundew from Sarracenia Northwest. it seemed okay when i recieved it, and ... A: Sundews in general tend to go through leaves rather quickly. So long as you see new growth and their ... | |
| A CO2 generator | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: I've built a simple generator to produce CO2 for my aldrovanda environment. Ii seems to not produce ... A: I have never grown Adrovanda as I indicated in my profile. You might want to ask Sarracenia ... | |
| Neem Oil | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a bottle of neem oil insecticide/fungicide. The directions say to use two teaspoons ... A: Usually I use the ready to use spray bottles of Neem oil with pyrethrines. In your case, a pint is ... | |
| Distilled water | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: Is there any way I can make distilled water for my vfts because buying the gallons can go by fast. I ... A: The only way to distill water would be to boil it off and catch the condensation, allowing it to ... | |
| vft caring | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I have just transplanted my two vft's into a tall plastic pot. They have absolutely no leaves but ... A: Venus Flytraps are full sun plants that can handle up to 100 degree temperatures in Summer. It ... | |
| Overheating | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: I have a greenhouse that overheated for three consecutive days. It got up to 125 F! All of my ... A: You might have lost your plants after three days of such hot temperatures in your greenhouse. If ... | |
| too soon to repot/dormancy | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a venus flytrap from Sarracenia Northwest. It arrived in great condition. In the ... A: Venus Flytraps can really be repotted at almost any time with no problem. It is just easier to repot ... | |
| Cobra Plants in a pond | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: Here in Kentucky springtime is slowly creeping upon us, and the time for me to consider some more ... A: The main consideration with Darlingtonia root systems would be moving, cool water trickling down ... | |
| multi-use potting soil? | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: I have two questions for you: 1) I recieved a combo-pot (in a ~6" strawberry pot) from Sarracenia ... A: I believe you intended to ask Sarracenia Northwest this question, however; I will help out however I ... | |
| help | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: how do i take care of a butterwort. and the venus fly trap . i just got them in small containers ... A: First off, read up online and in books, like D'Amato's "Savage Garden" and Sarracenia Northwest's ... | |
| A little help. | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: My name is Breanna. I am doing a project on Endangered Species of South America. Is the Heliamphora ... A: I cannot really directly help with projects and homework related questions. I can direct you to some ... | |
| Vft's outside | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: Should I bring my vft's outside this month. I live in Orange County. They are sprouting and have ... A: Ways to keep water from drying out would be to keep the wind off the plants, like on the leeward ... | |
| Vft's outside | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: Should I bring my vft's outside this month. I live in Orange County. They are sprouting and have ... A: I too experience such high wind here and to find alternate ways to protect my bog plants. High wind ... | |
| Vft's outside | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: Should I bring my vft's outside this month. I live in Orange County. They are sprouting and have ... A: Whenever possible, Venus Flytraps should be grown outside. Since I do not have much information to ... | |
| Cape Sundew | 3/8/2008 |
| Q: I am growing a cape sundew that is having problems. It's newly grown leaves are disfigured and do ... A: The first thing that comes to mind would be pests like aphids, mealy bugs, and such. If you detect ... | |
| Pitcher Plant Bogs | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: Two questions: 1. I thought about creating a bog out of my terrarium. Basically, I would fill the ... A: In general, it is best to grow carnivorous plants of most any species as open pot plants. Only a few ... | |
| pitcher plants | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: we are performing an experiment on the pitcher plant for our science fair project, but we are having ... A: Mossogbe, and Kelly, Glad to see you are interested in carnivorous plants. I can provide you with ... | |
| Dewless Adelae | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: Sometime ago, my adelae stopped producing dew. For a while, I thought it was going through a phase. ... A: Drosera adelae certainly do go through phases in which they occasionally grow more slowly, produce ... | |
| Brown Drosera Capensis | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: When I first got my Capensis, I gave it 300 watts of grow lights. Once the branches grew and ... A: Drosera capensis is a full sun plant. So long as the grow lights were about 8 inches from the plant, ... | |
| wierd root from Drosera Adalae | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: I've seen 2 types of adalae's, 1 where the leaves grow like a fern, and the other where the leaves ... A: If there is one thing to know about Drosera adelaes is that they can always surprise you. It sounds ... | |
| Butterworts | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: What months are the general months for the butterworts growing season? A: There are many varieties of Butterworts, some tropical, and some temperate, throughout the world. In ... | |
| Butterwort | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: My butterwort is looking pretty sickly. I sprayed it with a pesticide / fungicide but it still looks ... A: When Butterworts are given too much water, as in a water tray or soil that does not drain quickly, ... | |
| Cephalotus issues.. | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I recently bought a cephalotus from a seller in Oregon who was probably growing it outside. I'm in ... A: Cool white or True Daylight types of florescent lights should both work fine, I have tried both with ... | |
| Nepenthes 'splint' & flower | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: I have a very large (and I do mean 'very') Nepenthes x velvet which, long story short, fell. I ... A: You could always try to make cuttings out of the broken vine. Just cut it into several 8-12 inch ... | |
| Could I grow these plants together? | 2/16/2008 |
| Q: I have recently purchased a pot that is kind of like three smallish pots joined together on the ... A: All of the plants you mentioned have different needs that might not be provided by planting them ... | |
| Growing Venus Flytraps in a Dry Climate | 2/16/2008 |
| Q: I live in the mountains (6,000 feet above sea level) in Prescott, Arizona in a semi dry climate. ... A: I do not think the altitude would cause much of a problem for the Flytraps, however; if your ... | |
| Nepenthes "Juice" Production | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: How is the digestive "juice" found in nepenthes pitchers formed? I noticed today that one of the ... A: Nepenthes have glands along the insides of their pitchers that run up to 1/2 to 2/3 the way up the ... | |
| nepenthes with no pots | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: One is very small but continually producing pots. The other two are very large, one has no pots at ... A: I have never heard of Nepenthes sarencia before. The pots you described are also called pitchers. ... | |
| carnivorous plant | 1/25/2008 |
| Q: Do you know what the best carnivorous plant would be to grow in Southern California(Orange County)? A: You can grow virtually any carnivorous plant there. Your humidity level would be great even for some ... | |
| LIGHTING | 1/25/2008 |
| Q: WE HAVE A HPS 400 WATT HOW FAR UP DO YOU KEEP THEM FROM THE PLANTS A: Due to the heat output of those lights you will have to place them at least 2 feet above your plants ... | |
| Update on last question | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I have just been told that it will not be as wet as I thought. It will be wet, but only rain from ... A: S. catesbaei is a Sarracenia hybrid that requires similar accommodations as any other Sarracenia. ... | |
| Help with dormancy... | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I am planning to put my carnivorous plants outside in hanging baskets this year, so they will have ... A: The D. capensis is a sub-tropical that can be left inside in a window... it will not like the cloudy ... | |
| Nepenthes-Help!!!! | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: I am growing a Nepenthes that is either a highland N.Alata or a highland N.Ventrata. It is a baby ... A: A month per pitcher is good. Highland Nepenthes typically prefer lower temperatures at night, down ... | |
| Tap Water for CP's | 1/17/2008 |
| Q: I have been considering buying a Cephalotus, but have seen info saying they are fincky with water, ... A: When dealing with carnivorous plants you mainly want to worry about calcium and magnesium and total ... | |
| venus fly trap | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: I am doing an extra credit report for science and Venus fly traps and i was wonder if you could give ... A: Your right that I should not give too much information to you since it is your report, however; I ... | |
| vft's | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: I have my four vfts sitting by my window sill but are in a half kind of dormancy thing. Two of them ... A: Your Venus Flytraps should be more than ready for cold weather by now. If the window they are in ... | |
| terrarium | 12/19/2007 |
| Q: I BOUGHT THIS terrarium ON THE INTERNET AND IT CAME WITH PEET ROCKS, AND SOIL AND OF COURSE SEEDS. ... A: Those terrariums only produce plants a fraction of the time. From what I have read of the reviews of ... | |
| biology | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: where is the spoonleaf sundew found?Climate,locations,soil type.And how does it reproduce? A: The problem with trying to give specific environmental and species information is that the spoonleaf ... | |
| my sundew | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: ok now i want a sundew but i don't know what kind, can you help me? I think I want the one with the ... A: The sundew your describing sounds like Drosera capensis or Drosera adelae. Both are easy to grow ... | |
| Drosera Aliciae | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: My rosetted sundew plant is kind of in an awkward situation. I bought it back in August, bare root ... A: An exposed root is generally not going to be a big problem. Just do the best you can with covering ... | |
| IF i feed my plant... | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: IF i feed my plant what do i feed him? he (my plant) is very small only about an inch and a half and ... A: I enjoy helping people out, that's why I volunteer here, so don't worry about asking questions. In ... | |
| IF i feed my plant... | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: IF i feed my plant what do i feed him? he (my plant) is very small only about an inch and a half and ... A: A Venus Flytrap is actually a temperate plant that should be dormant right now, so it will not need ... | |
| trumpet plant | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: I live in Massachusetts. I had a trumpet plant growing in it's pot in my back yard all summer. It ... A: Trumpet Pitcher Plants, Sarracenias, are several species of North American temperate plants that go ... | |
| IF i feed my plant... | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: IF i feed my plant what do i feed him? he (my plant) is very small only about an inch and a half and ... A: Well, first off, what species of carnivorous plant do you have? There are over 500 species in the ... | |
| i want to make my terrarium more attractive... | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a 18 18 18 exoterra terrarium with three nepenthes plants in a pot and on saucers. The ... A: You could just use potted ivy and other plants of that sort to fill in the open spaces around the ... | |
| Some of my highland Nepenthes aren't growing... | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes Sibuyensis and it is starting to turn black. I also have a N. Sp1 from ... A: The deeper the better as it will keep the Nepenthes roots away from the drainage layer. I would ... | |
| Some of my highland Nepenthes aren't growing... | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes Sibuyensis and it is starting to turn black. I also have a N. Sp1 from ... A: O.K. that sounds good. Then the main thing would be to ensure that the Nepenthes are not succumbing ... | |
| Some of my highland Nepenthes aren't growing... | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes Sibuyensis and it is starting to turn black. I also have a N. Sp1 from ... A: Are the Nepenthes blackening from the top down? Blackening leaves from top to bottom indicates root ... | |
| Winterizing help | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: I live in South Jersey just over the bridge from Philadelphia PA. That's zone 6 right? ok... here's ... A: I believe you were intending on asking Sarracenia Northwest this question, so you might want to ... | |
| nepenthes alata-brown spots | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: I have had the nep on my porch hanging all summer and it did wonderfully. however I didn't take it ... A: You can trim off any dead leaves and pitchers. Other than that, leave any green foliage and just ... | |
| tap water + sundew adalea | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a lot of sundews growing and multiplying nicely in a large flat pot. I usually water it with ... A: One watering of tap water will not unduly harm your plants if you continue watering them with ... | |
| Drosera Cross Breeding | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: Christopher, I have in current collection multiple Drosera Capensis, a pot full of Drosera ... A: From what I have read colchicine can be used to force fertility in some sterile hybrids, however; I ... | |
| New Nepenthes | 12/7/2007 |
| Q: The sundew is doing fine, but being a-mad-about-carnivorous plants person, I would like some help ... A: Sorry, I do not have a public E-mail here, but you could talk to Sarracenia Northwest, a carnivorous ... | |
| New Nepenthes | 12/7/2007 |
| Q: The sundew is doing fine, but being a-mad-about-carnivorous plants person, I would like some help ... A: Great description of your Nepenthes. The main problem with identifying a Nepenthes would be age as ... | |
| My thermometer | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: I just got an exo terra thermometer. Where should i put the sensor in my terrarium for the best ... A: Virtually anywhere inside the terrarium where it can be placed on one of the sides to read the inner ... | |
| Dormancy | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: Remember how I got my plants in the fall well I havent put them into dormancy yet. They were growing ... A: If all of the leaves are shriveling, including the new ones, something is definitely wrong. If the ... | |
| Dormancy | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: Remember how I got my plants in the fall well I havent put them into dormancy yet. They were growing ... A: That is normal to see some blackening leaves as the plant gets ready for dormancy. They will ... | |
| Dormancy | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: Remember how I got my plants in the fall well I havent put them into dormancy yet. They were growing ... A: Your North American plants will be ready for dormancy if you have kept them on the window sill all ... | |
| VFT | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: i live in canada and it is freezing here. i tried putting my venus fly trap by a window and it ... A: Venus Flytraps survive freezing weather in zone 7 North Carolina every winter, so don't worry too ... | |
| Water Deprivation in Sundew | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: I have a small (below 30 cm) Drosera Capensis Sundew, that has recently been subject to a lot of ... A: Aside from keeping the plant watered and in good light there really is not anything more than what ... | |
| Largest N. rajah | 11/30/2007 |
| Q: Do you know where the largest N. rajah in cultivation is located or who grows it? <Jay> ANSWER: ... A: I personally do not know of anyone that has a N. rajah, they are fairly rare to find in cultivation, ... | |
| serracennia | 11/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a serracenia purpurea that has 5 traps on it. 2 are dead and no more are growing. How do ... A: Both types of fungicide are available at plant nurseries and hardware store plant sections. A lot of ... | |
| serracennia | 11/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a serracenia purpurea that has 5 traps on it. 2 are dead and no more are growing. How do ... A: First off, can you grow them outside in your region? Sarracenias are North American plants that can ... | |
| venus flytraps, are they doomed? | 11/28/2007 |
| Q: Its late November and I don't know if my vf's are dormant or not. Over here in north central ... A: It is a bit early to give up on your Venus Flytrap. The main concerns about dormancy are that the ... | |
| Largest N. rajah | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: Do you know where the largest N. rajah in cultivation is located or who grows it? <Jay> A: I personally do not know who owns the largest recorded N. rajah in cultivation, however; most often ... | |
| Does this measure for my small aquarium fit my N. Hamata's size? | 11/23/2007 |
| Q: The measures are Height=7.5" Length=12 inches width=6 inches Will ... A: Nepenthes rajah grow larger pitchers, some of the largest of all the Nepenthes, that will be about ... | |
| Does this measure for my small aquarium fit my N. Hamata's size? | 11/23/2007 |
| Q: The measures are Height=7.5" Length=12 inches width=6 inches Will ... A: That size terrarium would be fine for a small Nepenthes hamata for a couple of years at most, ... | |
| nepenthes root rot | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: i have had my nepenthes for a couple months now, and it was thriving. but now its leaved started to ... A: I am sorry to hear about your Nepenthes. Root rot is hard to treat, however; you can unpot the ... | |
| I have been wondering about the soil mix I am going to use | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: Does this soil mix sound good for my nepenthes rajah? A bottom inch of perlite, a thin layer of ... A: You could just pot the Nepenthes in a regular pot of Nepenthes mix, place it in the terrarium, and ... | |
| New Venus Flytraps | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: Ok, I know this is probably the wrong time to be getting four venus flytraps in November. Well, I ... A: Happy Birthday. You are right in that this would be a bad time of year to obtain Venus Flytraps, ... | |
| Drosera Adaela | 11/7/2007 |
| Q: When an insect lands on the leaves of my sundews, the dew gets removed in that area and the ... A: Your Drosera adelae sounds healthy. An unhealthy sundew will not produce dew and will have a hard ... | |
| "feather" at top of pitcher palnt | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: My pitcher plant has lots of pitchers and seems to grow quickly. Some of the pitchers dry up and I ... A: So far as I know their are very few if any carnivorous plants that are harmful to anything larger ... | |
| "feather" at top of pitcher palnt | 11/2/2007 |
| Q: My pitcher plant has lots of pitchers and seems to grow quickly. Some of the pitchers dry up and I ... A: It sounds like you have a healthy plant since it produces a lot of pitchers. I am not sure what you ... | |
| DIONAEA MUSCIPULA | 11/2/2007 |
| Q: I have aquired a Venus Fly trap plant,it's been on my window sill & is not ding very well. I think ... A: If you got the plant at a garden center at a typical store or hardware place it has been sitting in ... | |
| water logged Drosera Adelae | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: At first i read a few sites about Drosera Adelaes and it was written that they can live in water ... A: When a plant is said to live in a waterlogged environment it generally means that the plants live in ... | |
| nepenthes 'alata' | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: I have had the above plant outside all summer. Very hot and humid in Windsor Ontario. I have just ... A: Good going with your Nepenthes alata. If the plant is getting too out of control you can prune it ... | |
| questions | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: Where has your area of study brought you Would you recommend your job to college students How has ... A: My area of study, educational psychology, has terminated in a Master's degree. My interest in ... | |
| Next tropical plant to get | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: Do you have any suggestions on which tropical plant I should get? It needs to be able to grow well ... A: I also cannot find a single place online that sells a Cephalotus of any cultivar right now. You ... | |
| Next tropical plant to get | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: Do you have any suggestions on which tropical plant I should get? It needs to be able to grow well ... A: A Cephalotus would like those conditions, however; also requires some rather special care. They are ... | |
| Venus fly traps | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: I have about 100 VFTs all growing 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. All are sitting in rain ... A: First off, great going with all those flytraps. From what I understand, you moved the plants in and ... | |
| Next tropical plant to get | 10/21/2007 |
| Q: Do you have any suggestions on which tropical plant I should get? It needs to be able to grow well ... A: Just about any tropical carnivorous plant would do well in that window and at room temperature with ... | |
| My Pitcher Plant | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: Ok, so I have my 3 1/2 inch wide pot that I am currently growing my hooded pitcher plant in. Most of ... A: In most cases, the day length will tell the plants that fall has arrived and that winter is coming. ... | |
| Nepenthes Growth | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: Im wondering if my nepenthes are just slow at growing. How fast should it take for these plants to ... A: With winter coming you will see a slowing in your plants' growth, even for the tropicals. This is ... | |
| Reproducing | 10/13/2007 |
| Q: i was just wondering how to reproduce them by taking cutting? where do i make the cuttings? also, ... A: The easiest way to reproduce a Nepenthes would be simply by waiting long enough for the plant to ... | |
| My Pitcher Plant | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: Ok, so I have my 3 1/2 inch wide pot that I am currently growing my hooded pitcher plant in. Most of ... A: Sounds like you have the same window problems I have. Some houses simply are situated in such a way ... | |
| My Pitcher Plant | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: Ok, so I have my 3 1/2 inch wide pot that I am currently growing my hooded pitcher plant in. Most of ... A: Just cut back all the brown sections of leaf and let the new leaves grow in. Keep giving the plant ... | |
| Reproducing | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: i was just wondering how to reproduce them by taking cutting? where do i make the cuttings? also, ... A: What kind of plant are you trying to reproduce? There are well over 500 species of carnivorous ... | |
| Venus Fly trap | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: I've have my Venus fly trap for about 2-3 months now and it's doing wonderful, but there's mold ... A: You can kill off mold with sulfur based or neem oil based fungicides. Do not use soap based ... | |
| sprouting venus fly traps | 10/9/2007 |
| Q: I planted my venus fly traps about 2 months ago and the instructions that came with the seeds said ... A: Sprouting Venus Flytraps is much like sprouting other plants from seds, however; takes a lot of ... | |
| Nepenthes | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes x efflugent koto. It continues to grow straight and tall. I have it in a ... A: Some Nepenthes species do tend to grow stout vines that can grow upright on their own for a while. I ... | |
| vft | 9/30/2007 |
| Q: I live in Canada and the winters are very cold. I want to put my Venus fly trap into dormancy and i ... A: Yes, it is possible to place a Venus Flytrap in the refrigerator, not the freezer though, during its ... | |
| Tarnoks | 9/30/2007 |
| Q: I was considering buying a Tarnok pitcher plant, but was wondering about the effect moving it at ... A: Tarnok varieties of Sarracenia leucophylla live in zone 8 naturally, so growers in the U. S. will ... | |
| Dormancy for venus flytrap and butterwort. | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: I have two venus flytraps and a primrose butterwort. It's nearing the time for them to go into ... A: Both of those plants are close enough in zone to give them the same dormancy conditions. If the ... | |
| butterwort | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: I just bought a butterwort. i think it's a primrose butterwort. It says that insects are supposed ... A: Feeding carnivorous plants really is the least concerning problem, particularly if they are grown ... | |
| pitchers are dry | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: i have a white top pitcher, scarlet belle hybrid, and yellow trumpet. their pitchers are dry with ... A: It is kind of difficult to diagnose a problem since so many conditions can cause browning and ... | |
| feeding my venus fly trap the first day | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: I just bought a Venus Fly Trap today and I was wondering when should I feed it? Do I do it today or ... A: The biggest problem is not feeding the plant, but making sure it has enough sunlight, mineral free ... | |
| sarracenia | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: I am from iran, I recently got a sarracenia purpura from canada, because here the whether is not ... A: Yes, you would have to keep your Sarracenia purpurea indoors there as they do not like temperatures ... | |
| General Dormancy | 9/17/2007 |
| Q: Hey, I know this seems like a silly question, but, with Sarracenia and Drosera that require that ... A: That is actually not a silly question at all. During dormancy, light is simply more of a timing ... | |
| D. Falconeri | 9/9/2007 |
| Q: I just bought a D.Falconeri at one of the Reptile shows.Can you give me any information about it. ... A: Drosera falconeri is a sundew I have not had experience with, however; I do know that it is ... | |
| Will mild winters be okay for carnivorous my plants? | 9/9/2007 |
| Q: I have four pitcher plants, some of which are hybrids. They are the Sarracenia x 'Doodle Bug' ... A: The main aspect of winter will be photoperiod in which the hours of sun per day will shorten during ... | |
| my pitcher plant | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: I have read a lot of info online about caring for my plant, but although the foliage is really ... A: There are many different genera of pitcher plants, however; by your description, I am assuming yours ... | |
| Need help please with my pitcher plant | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: Mr Littrell, I am new at growing carnivorous plants. Two days ago I went to my local nursery and saw ... A: By your description, it is inside the glass pot? Purple Pitcher Plants, and many other species of ... | |
| Need help please with my pitcher plant | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: Mr Littrell, I am new at growing carnivorous plants. Two days ago I went to my local nursery and saw ... A: From your description of the plant, it sounds like it is fine, just in need of direct sun and ... | |
| Venus Flytrap Progeny | 8/29/2007 |
| Q: I've noticed that after my venus flytrap bloomed it has produced a tiny vegetative apomixis. Any ... A: Apoximis occasionally does occur with Venus Flytraps when there is a hormone instability in the ... | |
| Watering | 8/24/2007 |
| Q: Can I use soft water to water my hooded pitcher plants? A: It is according to how the water was softened. If the water is just soft tap water, with less than ... | |
| replanting | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: After dormancy if I replant my hooded pitcher plant in perlite/sphagum soil will it be stressed at ... A: No, the soil change will not cause any stress for the plant. The only thing the plant will be ... | |
| blood meal | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: i have a pack of blood meal, and it doesn't say it was water soluble. How am i supposed to fertilize ... A: Sorry I misunderstood your request since it is normally people looking to fertilize their Nepenthes ... | |
| blood meal | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: i have a pack of blood meal, and it doesn't say it was water soluble. How am i supposed to fertilize ... A: It sounds like a brand made for mixing in soil like for Orchids. That would be completely ... | |
| blood meal | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: i have a pack of blood meal, and it doesn't say it was water soluble. How am i supposed to fertilize ... A: No, don't spray it in the pitcher or use that brand on your Nepenthes at all. Try a different brand ... | |
| blood meal | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: i have a pack of blood meal, and it doesn't say it was water soluble. How am i supposed to fertilize ... A: Just follow the directions on the pack. It should have a recommended dosage per gallon of water. Use ... | |
| Red Dragon Dionaea Question | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: Mr. Littrell, I bought a Red Dragon type of Venus Flytrap from Sarracenia Northwest, and when i ... A: Sorry to hear about your Red Dragon. I am glad to hear that it is recovering. Either method would ... | |
| Brown Spots | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: I have been growing pitcher plants/venus flytraps in Seattle for about a year now. Until very ... A: From your description, it is older and younger leaves on the older plants that are suffering while ... | |
| Drosera Rotundiflora | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: Hey, I have this Drosera Rotundiflora growing in a live spagnum medium, outside in full sun (in ... A: From your description, your Sundew should be fine since it is growing back. Since you recently ... | |
| VFT soil mix | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: I brought my brother a VFT and he repotted it in Mosser Lee Desert Sand w/ Peat Moss. Is the Desert ... A: So long as the sand does not contain any mineral elements like lime, calcium, or magnesium, it will ... | |
| VFT expert | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: In the next few years, I will be attending school. I would like to specialize in VFTs. I was ... A: So far as I know, there are no actual Venus Flytrap experts as that would be a very limited field of ... | |
| Terrarium temp | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: I'm thinking about growing some of the more difficult neoenthes that require a terrarium, but was ... A: There are terrarium temperature control devices for sale. You can type in the search term "terrarium ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: When you have new questions of a different subject, you can just make a new category instead of ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: 1. I just buy distilled water at the store from dispensing machines that I am sure do not have ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: That brand of fungicide is only supposed to be applied every 7-14 days and only by spraying lightly ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: The peat moss does that. When the water drains through the moss, it takes some of the tannins from ... | |
| Help | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I need to know why all of a sudden when my hooded pitcher plants were doing so well that now there ... A: There are several reasons why a Sarracenia might begin browning on all of it's pitchers. 1. Leaf ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: I do not have a website, you might be talking about Sarracenia Northwest. In any case, sulfur based ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap Vegetative Progation | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I have several VFT. (Typical,Red and Green Dragon,Pink VFT,Royal Red and Dutch VFT) I'm getting ... A: Yes, a leaf pulling is one way to propagate many plants including Venus Flytraps. As you read up, ... | |
| Dana's Delight Pitcher Plant | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I have just purchased a Dana's Delight Pitcher Plant for my pond. I live in Zone 5. I would like ... A: That Sarracenia hybrid is a North American plant that does overwinter outside in cold weather, ... | |
| Nepenthese with brown spots, wilting and deformed leaves | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: Can I use homemade organic pesticides with detergent? I think my plant has scale pest because it has ... A: Here is a site that specializes in home made organic pest remedies for using on plants: ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: 1. The top layers of live sphagnum would be fine to reuse, but it would always be advisable to ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: Personally I use Green Light neem oil with pyrethrines as an all around treatment against fungus and ... | |
| yellow spots on perlite | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: after i replanted my venus flytrap and woke up the next morning to check on it the perlite is ... A: The yellow growths on your perlite are indeed a form of fungus. In most cases of healthy adult ... | |
| Sarracenia's | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: On some of my Sarracenia's the pitchers seem flat why don't they open so bugs can get in? Thanks ... A: This is a difficult problem to diagnose without further information. Deformed pitchers might be from ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I have several VFT. (Typical,Red and Green Dragon,Pink VFT,Royal Red and Dutch VFT) I'm getting ... A: Congratulations on you marriage! Venus Flytraps often live in clumps in the wild and grow multiple ... | |
| A cut Nepenthes flower | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: About 3 weeks ago my Nepenthes ventricosa flowered. I asked some people if the wanted pollen and no ... A: Since it has only been three weeks, it is probably as you surmised that the plant is still ... | |
| aphids :( | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if it is okay to use systemic rose spray (to control aphids) on my carnivorous ... A: The acephate itself should not be the problem then, I haven't used the acephate based products, ... | |
| aphids :( | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if it is okay to use systemic rose spray (to control aphids) on my carnivorous ... A: I have never used, nor heard of anyone using systematic rose spray with triflorine and acephate on ... | |
| venus fly trap... | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: within the last week my fly trap has started to go black on some of its leaves and heads, i was just ... A: Without knowing the conditions you are currently growing the plant in, I will be unable to specific ... | |
| light | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: I moved to a new place and don't get as much sun as i use to. I get about a hour or two in the ... A: From what I understand of your question, you are asking if their are any carnivorous plants that you ... | |
| Insect control | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: We are just now beginning to plan for a whole new landscape. We are in a neighborhood, and have a ... A: Growing carnivorous plants is more a hobby of enjoyment of the plants themselves rather than as a ... | |
| Sundew | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: i have a capensis sundew, and its flowing with beautiful pink flowers, but then the thing is, the ... A: Drosera capensis tends to flower in early morning and then close it's flowers by about noon or ... | |
| Pygmy Sundew | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: Just wondering if it is normal for a pygmy sundew to be developing a green moss looking thing around ... A: As my profile indicates, I have not grown pygmy sundews so my advice would likely not be as on ... | |
| I live in Oregon? I need help with VFT health. | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: Would be ok if the plant is left to live outside. Oregon is mostly rainy and not very humid and is ... A: Venus Flytraps are North American plants from the East Coast in the North Carolina bog. They can ... | |
| Unknown Sarracenia Hybrid - Care, repotting etc | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: About a year ago my partner bought me a pitcher plant from the local supermarket (of all places), of ... A: Your gift does not sound odd to me at all, I wish all my friends and family gave carnivorous plants ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: I have the above plant and need information as to its care. It came in a very small pot . . . . . . ... A: Nepenthes are quite tolerant of repotting as long as their roots are not too extensively damaged. In ... | |
| sundew planting medium | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: Can I replant my sundew in sphagnum moss or should I use peat moss with perlite? A: Either works fine. Sphagnum moss is the living moss in peat bogs and tends to be used as top ... | |
| Multifork Leaf Sundew (Drosera binata ssp. multifida) | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: I just bought a multifork leaf sundew and I just got it yesterday in the mail. Lots of forks that ... A: From your description, it is only fully grown, older leaves that are dying back. If the plant is ... | |
| I think I killed it | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: I was given a Venus Fly trap as a gift. my daughter got the thing from wall-mart 2 days a go. I have ... A: The first thing to do is to dispel the myths about carnivorous plant care that even I heard when I ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap! | 7/1/2007 |
| Q: I've got one question only, it's winter and my Venus Fly Trap looks like it's dead! Is it really ... A: If it is winter and the plant slowly felt the change of light photoperiod in fall where you are, and ... | |
| dionaea muscipula (in spain) | 6/30/2007 |
| Q: i am 15 and i live in Spain and I'm thinking of buying a typical Dionaea muscipula. The temperature ... A: The summer temperatures sound perfect. In winter, you will want to try to keep the plant close to ... | |
| venus | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: My venus flytrap has lost its leaves after turning black and falling off.It is in a terrarium, can I ... A: What happened to your Flytrap is the reason why terrariums are the worst place to keep them. Don't ... | |
| tropical pitcher | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: With my pitcher plant Asia I think it the pitchers turn this hot pink color is that nomal A: Nepenthes develop a range of colors on their pitchers according to species and age. It yours is a ... | |
| Venus Leaves | 6/25/2007 |
| Q: THe leaves are growing good and all but every time a trap tries to grow it dies or it just stays ... A: The problem is that I have little information to go by other than the leaves are turning black. Such ... | |
| Drosera Capensis ends turning black | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a Drosera Capensis plant that has been doing really well on my window sill. I keep it in ... A: You can cut off anything that is blackened or dried out on your sundew. Leave any parts that are ... | |
| Drosera Capensis ends turning black | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a Drosera Capensis plant that has been doing really well on my window sill. I keep it in ... A: We will need to do a bit of detective work to find out what is occurring with your sundew. Whenever ... | |
| Pitcher plant | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: Can my hooded pitcher plant live in just sphagnum moss because when I bought it that's how it was ... A: The sphagnum moss you see it in is long fiber sphagnum which is it's naturally occurring media. This ... | |
| Venus fly traps | 6/21/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 venus flytraps that I am growing outside. On one of the plants, it appears as if something ... A: Tiny gray flies would be fungus gnats that lay their eggs in the soil. The larvae typically eat ... | |
| vft | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: I think my vfts didnt make it. I am discouraged now. Im really bummed out. I thought I could do it. ... A: Everyone has been through the same predicament and have lost plants before. You sound like you did ... | |
| Pitcher Plant | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: It is in a 3 to 4 inch pot, should I transplant it? Where should I keep the plant? How should I feed ... A: From your description, it sounds like a hooded pitcher plant alright since that is the closest ... | |
| Pitcher Plant | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: It is in a 3 to 4 inch pot, should I transplant it? Where should I keep the plant? How should I feed ... A: Send me a follow up after finding out what kind of Pitcher Plant you have as there are five known ... | |
| highland nepenthes | 6/18/2007 |
| Q: i have been thinking about buying a nepenthes inermis off of a web site and it will be sent bare ... A: It is fine to deal with bare root plants, usually the person that sells the plant will wrap it's ... | |
| N. ventricosa or N. sanguina | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: I have a Nepenthes which I am fairly certain is either N. ventricosa or sanguina, but I am leaning ... A: Both of those species of Nepenthes are very adaptive and tolerant of regular household humidity and ... | |
| Sundew pots | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: I recently purchased two types of sundews, the Lanced-Leafed Sundew (Drosera adelae) and the Cape ... A: By self-watering pots, I believe you are referring to the African Violet pots. Those pots should be ... | |
| Cloning Asian Pitchers | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: Whats the best way to clone an asian pitcher plant??? A: One of the easiest methods of "cloning" a Nepenthes for a garden variety grower like me would be ... | |
| venus fly traps | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: How long will it take for the traps to open if you take a tooth pick to trigger it to close. Also, ... A: A triggered trap with no live insect inside will reopen in about a day. Doing this once or twice ... | |
| Deformed Sarracenia | 6/10/2007 |
| Q: I've had an Alabama Sweet Pitcher Sarracenia for nearly two years now, but this year it's done ... A: The bug bites you mentioned would likely be part of the problem. As a matter of fact, Sarracenia ... | |
| watering in dormancy | 6/10/2007 |
| Q: How do I go upon watering my plants while they are in dormancy? The same way I do now? (tray method) ... A: Your Venus Flytrap and Sarracenia need water all the time, however; during dormancy, you should keep ... | |
| pitcher plant | 6/8/2007 |
| Q: I received my first pitcher plant for mothers day this year and I absolutely love it! There are a ... A: Congratulations with your pitcher plant gift. From your description, it sounds like a Nepenthes (or ... | |
| Fly trap flowers | 6/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a Venus fly trap in a terrarium and it ha just finished flowering. Should I cut off the stalk ... A: You can just cut back the blackening parts of the flower scape each day or wait for it to die all ... | |
| Nepenthes inermis | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: I was curious if you knew anything about Nepenthes inermis. I know it is an Ultra-Highland plant but ... A: The Ultra-Highland Nepenthes do tend to be the most finicky of the Nepenthes about temperature drops ... | |
| i dont know anything HELP!!! | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: i cant really put it out side so... what can i do to keep it inside and alive. can i keep take the ... A: First things first, don't panic. Plants are patient. A Venus Flytrap is just like any other plant ... | |
| vft sunlight | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: How many hours of sunlight should my venus flytrap(s) get? I dont know if my vft that "disappeared" ... A: It sounds like you have been trying to find out as much about your plants as possible so you can ... | |
| Food for Venus Fly Traps | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: i'm hoping you can help me, i would just like to know can you feed venus fly traps (dionea) maggots? ... A: Venus Flytraps really do not need feeding, particularly since they will catch their own insects ... | |
| Venus Fly Trap | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: My VFTs were doing well, then suddenly they turned black and moldy. Too much water? Water from the ... A: Without more in-depth information about their growing conditions (where they are grown, soil, type ... | |
| vft sunlight | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: How many hours of sunlight should my venus flytrap(s) get? I dont know if my vft that "disappeared" ... A: Sorry to hear about the Flytrap. As far as specific hours a day of full sun, each source will say ... | |
| Sarracenia - watering | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: I live in Florida and our outdoor sprinkler system is supplied by water from a man-made lake. Do you ... A: The main concerns would be the hardness of the water and any potential contaminants that might be ... | |
| Venus fly trap | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: i'm 11 and I just bought a Venus fly trap. I keep it in a sunny room aprx 75F, I worry that it ... A: The last thing you should worry about is feeding the plant insects. They do catch insects and digest ... | |
| vfts | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: With my situation as you saw before, about how much sunlight should I be giving my vfts right now ... A: Venus Flytraps need the same amount of sun that a typical rose or vegetable garden gets. All day out ... | |
| My Judith Hindle (Again) | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: Hey Chris, it's Corey again! My hybrid is still doing exellent, but there's been a mishap. Last ... A: Some carnivorous plants actually become flooded for brief periods in the bogs, so your Sarracenia ... | |
| vft | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: When I bought my vfts they were the color of a typical vft. Now they are all red. What happened? ... A: Looking back on the previous history of answers from Sarracenia Northwest and myself, the plants ... | |
| vft | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: When I bought my vfts they were the color of a typical vft. Now they are all red. What happened? ... A: With bright light, Venus Flytraps will develop different color schemes. Some cultivars, like the ... | |
| Why are the heads of my venus fly traps dying? | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: We own two venus flytraps that we believe are two different types of the plant. Our plants live in ... A: 1. Both of your Venus Flytraps are the same species, they grow low to the ground when the light ... | |
| Plant seeds | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: what websites do u recomend to find cheap plants and seeds? my mom says i hav to use my own money A: Some people trade seeds and plants on gardenweb.com in the carnivorous plant forum. There is a ... | |
| dry plants | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: !!!! A: I would need more information about your growing conditions, like the zone you live in, to answer ... | |
| vft doing good | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: HI sorry for last time but i replanted my vft in organic soil mix four days ago against my will and ... A: Organic soil is packed with nitrogen and potassium, the very things that will rot Venus Flytrap ... | |
| 4 beginers | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: what types of plants do you suggest for beginers? (I all ready have a cape sundew) A: A Cape sundew is a good beginning. Once you can keep that plant happy, you will have the basics of ... | |
| care of the cape sundew | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: I hav got 2 Qs, 1)i have my plant in a styrofoam bowl with 1 in. of water and a large plastic cup ... A: 1. As long as the container gives the roots plenty of room, about 4-6 inches deep, and the water is ... | |
| Venus flytraps and Pitcher plants | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 questions for you. First how many traps can 1 venus flytrap produce at once? (The most one ... A: You might see as many as 3-5 traps being produced at one time from one growth point, but each leaf ... | |
| PLEASE ANSWER THIS INMIDEATLY | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: Hi i want to repot my vft into a bigger pot but i was wondering i i could use natural soil mix to ... A: When repotting a Venus Flytrap, always use sphagnum peat moss of the dry bale variety from hardware ... | |
| Cape Sundew Flowers | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: is it normal for a cape sundew to start sending up another flower stalk while the first flower stalk ... A: Cape sundews are very prolific plants. It sounds like you have a healthy plant. Cape sundews can ... | |
| flytrap division | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: We normally get our plants from the carnivorous but we saw one on clearance in the garden shop at ... A: Venus Flytraps do divide their rhizome or bulb as it is called. When this happens, you will see ... | |
| Nepenthes | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: My Nepenthes Khasiana is flowering! It is sitting in a North-facing window (southern hemisphere), it ... A: Good job with your Nepenthes. Yes, Nepenthes are male and female, like figs, so cannot ... | |
| VFT | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: I used hydrogen peroxide on my carnivorous plant seeds to kill some mold will it stop my seeds from ... A: Some people do use hydrogen peroxide as a natural fungicide and bactericide, as well as a method of ... | |
| vft | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: About how long does it take for new leaves to grow on a venus flytrap? A: Venus Flytrap leaves will take a couple of weeks to completely mature after you first see them ... | |
| Carnivorous Island | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: I am a student from the Nelson Mandela International School in Berlin. I have to research a topic ... A: Your topic is interesting, however; the book you indicated would be a fiction, so I am not sure that ... | |
| VFT leaves | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: Ok well I got my VFT from Walgreens... anyhow I placed it outsice noticing that some of the leaves ... A: 1. It will take the plant time to get used to full sunlight outside as it might have been in low ... | |
| Intelligent Plant Light | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: It says that it has a 9 watt full spectrum fluorescent bulb and is great for venus fly traps. I was ... A: When I see something that is too good to be true, it usually is. Personally, I just bought two 40 ... | |
| vft | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: Can I water my vft from the top of the pot? A: Yes, you can top water Venus Flytraps. The water draining through the soil will aid in drawing air ... | |
| Venus Flytrap | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a flytrap purchased last year that I placed into a garage over the winter to allow for ... A: Good going with the dormancy and growing of your Venus Flytrap. Venus Flytraps do indeed like their ... | |
| Judith Hindle Hybrids | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: I recently recieved a Judith Hindle hybrid plant as a gift from a local nursery. It's a very ... A: That is a very good question since the Judith Hindle is a hybrid of the Purple Pitcher, one that ... | |
| Lighting | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: I actually have two questions for you and I appreciate your help. I've been growing flytrap for some ... A: You can place the Nepenthes about 5-6 inches from the florescent lights you have. Those lights ... | |
| vft | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: Ok, today I planted my two venus flytraps in a bigger pot. As I replanted each one, one would become ... A: Rhizome division is one way that Venus Flytraps produce more plants. After a couple of years of ... | |
| Nepenthes | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: I have a nepenthes that is around 2 years old and about 1 meter tall that is forming gold spots on ... A: If you have the plant in a window or outside, it might simply be experiencing the short photoperiod ... | |
| carnivorous p climate | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: I live in cleveland ohio, I have grown CPs from seedlings in terrariums for 3 yrs can I grow them ... A: Ohio is in zone 4-5, so is actually the natural growing condition of the Purple Pitcher Plant. There ... | |
| vft | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: I have ordered some peat/perlite soil to come soon. Im planning on planting the two venus flytraps ... A: Orange County looks like it is Zone 9, so should be fine for most North American carnivorous plants. ... | |
| Plants for outside | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: I was looking for a plant I could plant outside next to a streem we have a natural streem that runs ... A: Are you going to create a mini-bog near the stream? If so, make sure the stream does not collect any ... | |
| vft | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: Is my venus flytrap dead? Almost all the stems have turned brown just a week after purchasing it. It ... A: If the petioles (stems) are dying from the bottom up, then the roots might be infected with rot from ... | |
| nepenthes truncata | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: my N. Truncata has experienced a low temperature of around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At the most a ... A: Nepenthes truncata is a tropical that does like lower temperatures at night, but it's tolerance is ... | |
| nepenthes | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: A: Drying and browning at the tips of Nepenthes leaves can occur for a number of reasons. 1. If you ... | |
| venus flytrap | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: When I plant my two venus flytraps, what size pot(height & width) is to big and what is just right? ... A: 1. Even though Venus Flytraps look like rather small plants, they can grow a long taproot ... | |
| D, filiforms | 5/15/2007 |
| Q: I have had the same plant for 3 years now and there are two smaller plants growing out of the base ... A: One of the main factors contributing to flower and seed production is light. I would say that you ... | |
| purple pitcher | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: Oh, and speaking of purple pitchers, where can I get them? I can't seem to find one anywhere! ... A: Some places might still be waiting for their Purple Pitchers to come out of dormancy. I see that ... | |
| bog garden | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: Im making a bog garden, but I live in zone 5. I know I should mulch it, but will the spahgnum moss ... A: Placing the plants in a mini-bog is a good way to help protect them as they would get the similar ... | |
| N. × ventrata | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: I saw some pictures on the web while I was searching for carnivorous plants. and I was wondering, ... A: N x Ventrata is a cross between Nepenthes alata and Nepenthes ventricosa. It is a fairly hardy plant ... | |
| Birds | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I am having trouble with birds (Robins) eating my venus flytraps. Is there anything that I can do ... A: I know the feeling. I had some sundews disappear after some meddlesome goats decided to try them as ... | |
| trumpet plant | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: I'm just wondering, about how big do trumpet plants get? How big is a really big, extra-large one? ... A: Trumpet pitchers come in a variety of sizes and types. Sarracenia rubra, the Sweet Pitcher can grow ... | |
| Darlingtonia | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: i know it may be a little early to be asking this, but i was wondering how you deal with winter ... A: Darlingtonia can be wintered in the same fashion as Sarracenias so long as their watering ... | |
| trouble with venus fly trap | 5/1/2007 |
| Q: Why is my trap not growing more traps? Is has nice long leaves and sits on a bed of rocks with ... A: Sorry to hear about your Flytrap. I am going to need a bit more information about the growing ... | |
| taking cuttings | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: Ive been wondering if pitcher's, Nepenthes in particular can be propagated from cuttings? I have ... A: Nepenthes can be propagated from cuttings, however; each species is different and some take better ... | |
| digestion of the saracenia | 4/25/2007 |
| Q: why do carnivorous plants like the sarracenia take so long do digest quite small insects? A: Actually, digestion in many creatures, plant and animal, takes quite a while. Since animals are ... | |
| green pitcher nepenthes | 4/22/2007 |
| Q: I have to try and save my friend nepenthes(green). some of the tips of the leaves are brown, the ... A: In addition, I just wanted to ask if the plant has been exposed to any fertilizer or chemical ... | |
| Nepenthes Alata | 4/21/2007 |
| Q: I just got my first pitcher plant (Nepenthes Alata)and I just wanted to check on some things. ... A: If you will notice, Nepenthes alata has a lid over the top of the pitcher. That lid is to keep water ... | |
Carnivorous Plants
Answers by Expert:
Christopher Littrell
Top Expert on this page
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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