# Carnivorous Plants



## parvi_17 (Jun 14, 2007)

Here we have Dionaea musciplula and Sarracenia 'Dana's Delight', growing in a terrarium.


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## smartie2000 (Jun 14, 2007)

Cool there!

I just had Drosera venusta (sundew), Venus Fly trap 'Green Dragon' and Sarracenia purpurea arrive today.
I potted the sundew in sphag moss like the orchids, and the venus fly trap and Sarracenia purpurea in the same non draining ceramic pot with peat and perlite. I am now thinking that the sarracenia and the venus fly trap should be separated since the sarracenia will need more moisture, is that correct?


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## likespaphs (Jun 14, 2007)

i have all my c.p.'s sitting in water (sarracenia, droseras, utricularias, and flytraps. i think they'll be fine as long as they're getting a lot of light


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## parvi_17 (Jun 14, 2007)

Sarracenia do like more moisture than fly traps; fly traps will rot if they are kept wet for extended periods of time (depending on the mix). In my terrarium, the soil forms a slope, and the fly trap is closer to the top while the pitcher plant is at the bottom.

Joe


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## likespaphs (Jun 14, 2007)

i've been growing all my cp's in the same flats for a couple years in peat moss. just gave the venus flytraps their first dormancy last year but they all seem pretty good. when they're dormant they wanna be nearly dry. i have great air movement where i grow them, though, so that may change conditions...


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## eOrchids (Jun 14, 2007)

I have my Sarracenia wet all the time sometimes flooded. While the VFT are on the drier side.


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## paphioboy (Jun 20, 2007)

my VFT has shrunk in size since i bought it... think it doesn't like heavy tropical rains...  i'm gonna find another one and this time i will shelter it from rain...


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## lindafrog (Jun 20, 2007)

Great photos, Does anyone have suggestion for cool to cold growing CP? My greenhouse is set for 65 max and dips into the 40's for the winter. Love using CP for gnats and other nasty pest. All suggestions welcome!
Happy growing 
Lindafrog


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## parvi_17 (Jun 21, 2007)

You could probably grow Dionaea (VFT) in those conditions; the 40s in winter are awesome for dormancy. Most Sarracenia species and hybrids would probably do fine. I think the best choice, though, would be a highland Nepenthes species. These are gorgeous plants that are great in the cool greenhouse and make awesome orchid companions!

Joe


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## paphioboy (Jun 21, 2007)

suggestion for linda...the cobra lily (darlingtonia californica) might like your conditions...but i heard that it is tricky to manage...


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## MissMorbus (Jun 21, 2007)

I agree with parvi_17. I think a highland Nepenthes would be your best bet.


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## Heather (Jun 21, 2007)

I'm going to get out and get some photos in the garden this afternoon. We have some incredible pitchers flowering!


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## TheLorax (Aug 15, 2007)

I didn't realize there were so many people interested in carnivorous plants. I grow about 25 species of Highland Nepenthes and hybrids, a few lowland neps, and a few intermediates. There are quite a few highlands that would do fine in the greenhouse but quite a few highlands that would probably not do well if the temps would be dipping into the 40's for extended periods of time. It's going to depend on which highland I think. Most of mine aren't allowed to be exposed to temps that dip below 60 in the winter. The greenhouse should be perfect for all Sarracenia and Dionaea. 

Here's a really great site for information on nepenthes-
http://www.cpjungle.com/nepenthesuniversity.htm

He's not currently growing Nepenthes because he got married and they now have children living with them who needed to take over the bedrooms he was using as custom grow chambers but when the kids go back to college, he'll probably catch the bug again. His information is some of the best on the web. He has helped me pick plants although he doesn't sell them... you'd be on your own finding where to purchase your plants. If you contacted him by e-mail and asked which plants to buy for your growing conditions, he would take the time to tell you. 

The Darlingtonia probably won't like the greenhouse and they were very tricky for me to manage. They seem to prefer cool roots and an eastern exposure. I figured out how not to kill them and promptly sent them to a friend who gardens in the coastal area of Washington. She now grows them planted in her garden with no fuss or muss much to my chagrin. She sends me photos to poke sport at me on a regular basis. They're tough to grow unless you like to pamper plants several times daily or live in their natural range.


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## rdlsreno (Aug 16, 2007)

Cool plants!

Ramon


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## Grandma M (Aug 16, 2007)

Thanks for the site. I really want to get a couple to put in with my slippers. I know nothing about them, so guess where I will have my nose tonight. Someone had posted a site where they sell them. Will you please post it again?


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## TheLorax (Aug 16, 2007)

Hi Grandma M, I’m going to point you to this site for some information because this man sums up how I feel about highland Neps when he added this to his site-
http://www.nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/


> Highlanders appreciate lower temperatures and fluctuation. In other words, they need a night time temperature drop. Daytime highs in the 70's to nighttime lows in the 50's are perfect. Extremes of 10 degrees or more in either direction for limited times seems to be acceptable. My acclimated plants can easily withstand night temperatures into the 40's without damage.


Note the word extremes of 10 degrees or more in either direction. Temps in the 40’s may generally be ok for some acclimated highlands but not for all. You will have to experiment growing different highlands to determine which will work best for you because too many variables will exist for anyone to definitely state that any specific Nep would be ok with repeated temperature drops into the 40’s nightly for the winter months. I find a year round drop into the 60’s at night to be optimal. 

Similar information can be found at Nepenthes University. Sure do wish he was selling Neps again. 

I was poking around on the Internet and I found something that might be of interest to someone who might want to try a Nep in a window-
http://mysite.verizon.net/elgecko1989/Nepenthes.html 
These are plants that I have known others to grow successfully in south facing windows so I thought it might be noteworthy.

Post a nursery from which to purchase a Nep…
This young man, Thomas, has become a friend over the years so I’ll give him the plug first-
http://www.dangerousplants.com
He is a distributor for Borneo Exotics.
On his website I found this that might be of interest-
http://www.dangerousplants.com/grow_neps.asp 

Below are nurseries that I have ordered Neps from in the past and would not hesitate ordering from again-
http://www.exoticplantsplus.com/catcarnframe.htm
http://www.cascadecarnivores.com/index.php?cPath=23 
http://www.lbg-cp.com/prices.cfm?device=Nepenthes
http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BJTS&Category_Code=NEP 
http://www.equilibriocarnivorousplants.com/
http://www.cobraplant.com/1-inventory.html#Anchor-3800
http://www.sunbelleexotics.com/
http://www.californiacarnivores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=18 

I have ordered a few Neps from Australia however there are so many readily available here in the US that it's not worth bothering with CITES although I wouldn't hesitate ordering from them again if they had something I wanted that I couldn't pick up from a nursery in the US. 

If you are interested in carnivorous plants, at some point in time you are going to come across this site-
http://www.flytraps.com/scripts/default.asp
He is an absolutely wonderful person and he certainly knows a lot more about carnivorous plants than I do. It has been my experience that if one wants to buy something from him, it would be my suggestion to consider doing so from eBay where there is a feedback system that sellers should worry about. I forget what his eBay name is but it might be Flytrap or Flytraps. Order from his site and you might risk getting stuck in the position of trying to track down your purchase for weeks or months (as has been the situation with me as well as others and it happened more than once with me). I also don’t like being e-mailed and told that there is going to be a substitution so that my order can be shipped out the next day. I generally know exactly what I want when I am ordering based on plants I already grow. It is my understanding he has a full time job these days. Add that to family and many greenhouses and I could see a person getting back logged with orders as well as other routine maintenance of greenhouses. The owner of this nursery is very popular in carnivorous plant circles and you would probably have to dig a lot online to read information similar to what I shared because he seems to have plants that some collectors want really bad and he trades. I generally don’t make it a practice to trade plants. I’ve probably traded a few times over the years but as a rule of thumb I buy my plants so I do not need to worry about losing a trade. 

Heads up-
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6010b.html


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## Grandma M (Aug 16, 2007)

TheLorax

Thanks for all the info and sites. I bookmarked some of them so I can spend more time reading them. 

I'm not sure just what I want. I wanted to find some plants to trap tiny flying insects. I will need to study up on this more.

Do any of them catch spider mites?


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## TheLorax (Aug 16, 2007)

You might not want to pay for the cost of anything to catch tiny flying insects. It had been my intent to give you a Pinguicula when we met at Ackers. I may or may not have extra D. binata but I have to wait to see if somebody needs what I have here for sure or not before I offer it to somebody else. Have your kids been in a position to let you know when they will be able to drive there yet? 

Hmm, what catches spider mites... a good drench of Orthene followed up with another in 10 days


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## goldenrose (Aug 16, 2007)

*while we're on the subject.....*

meet the new resident guardian of my Oncda.Charlesworthii, don't know how effective he'll be, but can't hurt anything!


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

Looks like you've got yourself some sort of a Harvestman there. These insects do eat tiny insects! Probably wouldn't be effective with an insect as large as a fruit fly or a fungus gnat but I bet they'd devour little mites and insects in that size range or smaller. I like them. Occasionally they end up in my Sarracenia pitchers. I guess they get their last meal down there before they become a meal themselves. 

Really great photos!


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## Grandma M (Aug 17, 2007)

TheLorax
My kids said it will be between the first and the middle of Sept. My Grandson just got is Dr. degree in biotechnology (in Calif) and accepted a position at the University in Madison. We are going to wait until he gets settled there in his apartment. You can be sure I will pick his brain when I'm there. 

Matthew grew up in a greenhouse. He and his brother like to tell people that their Grandpa had them crawling under the benches weeding, before they learned to walk. He must have not minded it too much because he still works there and expects to be buying into the business. He is the 4th generation, his Great-grand father originally started the business.

Hope to see you in September.


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## goldenrose (Aug 17, 2007)

That range will work for me! (Fri. the 14th doesn't).Chuck is on vacation Aug.17-27, so we should pick a couple of dates & I can contact him when he gets back.
Anyone else want to join us?


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

Congratulations to your son Grandma M! Getting one's PhD is a major accomplishment! 

I'm out the first weekend of September but other than that we should be ok.

Thanks for giving me a time frame. I'm going to finish up my holes, leave some honey-do lists for my husband, and take off early with the kids for what's left of the summer. I'll be back after the Labor Day Weekend. 

God I hope this Ackers doesn't have jewel orchids or mottled leaf paphs! If it does and I end up dropping a ton of money right at the start of the school year, you two women will forever be labeled in my book- Enabler One and Enabler Two. Psst, I promise to ditch the duct tape from my heels and I promise not to go out pulling any weeds or digging any holes before we leave to drive up to Madison so that you two aren't embarrased to be seen within ten feet of me.


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## goldenrose (Aug 17, 2007)

Then we should be considering Sept. 6/7/8?
I don't remember seeing jewel orchids but that doesn't mean they don't have them. Mottled leaf paphs - OH YES!
P.S. I don't think you could embarass me or Marilyn, nor Chuck, he's pretty down to earth!


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

Great, mottled leaf paphs! Just what I need after spending money on back to school supplies and clothes. 

Good to know that if I get a little slopped up that it's ok. Slopping up happens.

Who is Chuck? I don't know everyone's first names here.


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## likespaphs (Aug 17, 2007)

this is Chuck Acker


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

I dub thee Enabler three! 

One good thing (phew, wiping beads of sweat from brow), I'm not good enough to try anything from a flask. Too new to orchids. Saved by a flask! Who would have thunk! Ha ha ha, I have to buy my plants in pots for the next few years until I have some experience under my belt.


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## goldenrose (Aug 17, 2007)

Chuck's sister & brother in law actually own Orchids by Ackers. Chuck has space there & helps manage & run daily operations. He does ship his own stuff, which is listed on his website. There will be PLENTY of potted plants there! I think Chuck has probably done more for phrag breeding in this country than anyone else, he's very highly respected.


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

What's Enabler four's user name here so I know who to look out for? (Chuck)

Plenty of potted plants??? I'm running out of pots. Oh wait, I suppose there will be after season sales around the corner. Bad timing that we're going up there at the tail end of the gardening season. 

I did just receive an order of Hoya from Australia of 15 cuttings. This is not good at all, not good at all that this place Ackers sells PLENTY of potted plants. Here's hoping I get all my credit card bills in from back to school shopping so my wings are somewhat clipped. Idealistically, I'd like to only spend $150 at this time of year.


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## goldenrose (Aug 17, 2007)

Chuck doesn't belong to the forum, as far as I know.
If it's too close to the kids going back to school we can always put it off til Oct.


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

By October I'll be getting charges for their sports activities and music lessons and all those after school clubs. It's never ending once school starts and then you roll into the ski season and the holidays and right after that looms (music to Jaws playing) tax season so no sense waiting until May of 2008 when I will have paid off all of their summer camps to go to Ackers. Besides which, I promised myself I would try my very best to exercise restraint when I went. Just promise me that the two of you will start slapping my hands and re-shelving plants if it starts looking as if I've got too much in my boxes.


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## goldenrose (Aug 18, 2007)

oke: remember you're talking to Enablers 1 & 2!


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## TheLorax (Aug 18, 2007)

Thank you for reminding me. I keep forgetting you are the reason why I learned this Ackers existed and am taking the trek up that way! I guess I will have to do my best on my own!


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