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mushibu10

Pitcher plant care (fiona)

9 years ago

Hello, can you confirm this plants care, I have a fly problem at home so I got this.

So full sun?
Bog plant so sits in water? (I have it in rain water collected less than hour ago (it's raining now)
These also go dormant right? If so how to care?
Feeding - non-it feeds on the insects? - Not to feed it at all let it be?

Any thing else?

Thank you n

Comments (9)

  • 9 years ago

    Yes, set in about an inch of distilled or rainwater ONLY, OUTSIDE in FULL Sun. This will not solve your bug problem. These plants need winter dormancy of 3-4 months.

  • 9 years ago

    Thank you. What is distilled water? (filtered and/or boiled)

    Really outside? It's becoming too cold to harden it off. It was bought from a place in a shaded spot inside in a garden centre. At this momwnt it sits behind a taller plant and will slowly be moved into full sun in a south facing window.
    The only outside place I have is my mums garden a mile away in full shade!
    I have a grow light for winter months for my other tropical plants. And it rains like nobodys buissness here in UK in winter and spring!

    And I was aware it wouldn't solve it but it can kill the odd one. It's also my first carnivorous plant. But other than the amount of sun and water is what I needed to confirm. It being a bog plant just don't let the crown sit in water. And never ever fertilise.
    And with it not having any obvious shaped leaves I had to ask as it doesn't rely on photosynthesis.

  • 9 years ago

    Distilled water can be bought at just about any grocery store. It's water that has had ALL of it's mineral removed. Tap water will kill carnivorous plants unless it has a TDS of under 50. A TDS meter can tell you what your tap water is.

    It DOES rely on photosynthesis. Like all plants.

    It HAS to have dormancy or it won't live long. An unheated garage or basement would work. Mine go in the fridge after I cut all the pitchers off.

  • 9 years ago

    Well. I'll use rain water it's free and much better I think. Works well with me bromiliads.
    You really cut them? And fridge? Like an amaryllis bulb and apples, is there anything that may harm the the plant?

  • 9 years ago

    Rainwater would be best. Natural nitrogen! Yes, since they are dormant no leaves needed. And since they are in zip lock bags fruit isn't an issue. I've been doing it with Sarracenia and Flytraps for about 7-8 years now. I do NOT cut off any flytrap leaves however. No reason, they grow low during dormancy.

  • 9 years ago

    Hmm..

    Okay am watching a gardening show that's set in Scotland. And they have just planted the same one and a few others (one is purple) and he was saying it's fully hardy! And the area of Scotland is rather cold too.
    But I live in the south west of uk! (Wiltshire) and here is no way near as cold! But it's more exposed abd wet it being in West and we get our weather from the Atlantic!
    So if I was to plant it out in a pot. (buried) shall i use plastic? I have a few other bog plants in/near mum's pond I want to remove.

  • 9 years ago

    If you don't experience many freezes then it may do o.k. outdoors. I'm in the U.S. so someone from the U.K. would be better to answer your questions I imagine.

    Yes, I would use a plastic pot. Sarracenias have long roots so try using an 8" deep pot.

  • 9 years ago

    They're hardy if you give them their requirements. I live in the desert of Arizona, often hitting 113 Fahrenheit or 45 Celsius. Mostly in spring & early summer they grow beautifully, until the dry above temperatures burns the leaves, then growing back at fall. But I have successfully growing them nevertheless.

    Stores often put these plants in dark parts of the store fro some inexplicable reason, resulting in stunted growth which often is spindly long leaves. What's worse, often these store clerk often give the wrong advice for the 1st time growers of carnivorous plants, like they don't need light, feed it burger, give it plant food, treat it like any other plant, etc. Which result the novice grower killing the plant.

    Follow tommyr's advice, & if you want to know if yours Sarracenia have leaves, it's the urns itself. These are modified leaves & do require a lot of sun light for pitcher leaf to grow.

    By the way, your Sarracenia is a complex hybrid called Sarracenia 'Judith Hindle'. An easy to grow hardy plant.

  • 9 years ago

    Oh thank you. Stores always try and miss lead you with incorrect names.

    I'll keep it inside this winter.
    So shall I put it on a cold lower light window cil or a cold high light window cil?