Basin's carnivorous plants

schmiggle

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Jesus christ... A carnivorous plant that actually has fangs! Awesome.
Is it hard to keep?
I'd add that if they go above about 28C during the day they like dropping down to 15-19 at night. Otherwise care is identical to a venus flytrap. Mine has probably tripled in diameter over the past year-year and a half, and I don't do anything other than water it nicely and keep it under bright lights. They even tell you when they want water by starting to close their pitchers.

You read all these horror stories about sudden deaths but I would guess that those are mostly people who keep them in terraria and overwater them. They're from Mediterranean climate bogs, they should be kept as close to being in open air as possible.

The only other thing that's helped me has been keeping it in a fairly airy mix--the plantlet I got had been grown in California, where I presume it dries out quickly, but mine had grown straight to the bottom of the substrate and then spread out laterally, implying that it wasn't getting enough air. I've seen much nicer growth in long fiber sphagnum (had been living, but several drying cycles have killed it).
 

basin79

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The biggest killer of carnivorous plants is without doubt tap water being used instead of rainwater.

Of course pitchers shouldn't be stood in water and the monkey cups like various temps depending on if they're high or lowland types. But I'd bet most VFT/sundew/butterworts die due to being given tap water.
 

basin79

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These are all so beautiful! Which would be a good one to start with?
It all depends on you. Personally a VFT is "the" carnivorous plant. I've got 2 new ones I'm just waiting for them to sort themselves out after being in the post. They're honestly beautiful to look at.

Sundews are absolutely beautiful plants too. Plus they're the ones that catch the most house flies for me in summer. They get the little annoying ones as well as the bigger blue bottles.

Butterworts are good for little flies. They have large flat leaves that are like a natural fly paper. Their flowers are quite large too.

Monkey cups can be more demanding with regards to their temps (here in the UK) but really are a show stopper.

Trumpet pitchers are easy and come in loads of different looks.
 

The Seraph

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It all depends on you. Personally a VFT is "the" carnivorous plant. I've got 2 new ones I'm just waiting for them to sort themselves out after being in the post. They're honestly beautiful to look at.

Sundews are absolutely beautiful plants too. Plus they're the ones that catch the most house flies for me in summer. They get the little annoying ones as well as the bigger blue bottles.

Butterworts are good for little flies. They have large flat leaves that are like a natural fly paper. Their flowers are quite large too.

Monkey cups can be more demanding with regards to their temps (here in the UK) but really are a show stopper.

Trumpet pitchers are easy and come in loads of different looks.
I have been considering getting a sundew since I live in Mosquito Mecca. What temperatures can they survive in? How often do they need to feed?
 

basin79

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I have been considering getting a sundew since I live in Mosquito Mecca. What temperatures can they survive in? How often do they need to feed?
Well they thrive in my house. I don't have the heating on. They just need a sunny windowsill. I just put mine out on a sunny day a few times over summer. Doesn't take them long to snag flies.
 

schmiggle

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The biggest killer of carnivorous plants is without doubt tap water being used instead of rainwater.
Depends on the plant and the water. Cephalotus and Nepenthes mind less than others, and soft water is fine in the short term, as long as you wash out with distilled or rain water every so often. Hard water will quickly kill most CPs; the exceptions are certain butterworts and nepenthes, which are adapted to limestone.

The water in my area is quite soft, but I have never had a problem watering with tap water and then washing out thoroughly with distilled water every two weeks.
 

basin79

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Depends on the plant and the water. Cephalotus and Nepenthes mind less than others, and soft water is fine in the short term, as long as you wash out with distilled or rain water every so often. Hard water will quickly kill most CPs; the exceptions are certain butterworts and nepenthes, which are adapted to limestone.

The water in my area is quite soft, but I have never had a problem watering with tap water and then washing out thoroughly with distilled water every two weeks.
Intresting. Thanks.

So the flushing saves them or at the very least stops them coming to any harm.

I'd still sooner just use rain water though all the time. It's not hard to come by here in the UK.
 

basin79

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Sundews may not have the impact of a VFT or pitcher plant but they're beautiful up close.


 

basin79

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1 of my sundews has caught a fly.




Trigger hairs that set off the trap on a VFT.

 

pannaking22

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I had some random sundews growing in with my pitcher plants, but they haven't tried coming up this year so I may have lost them. Kind of a bummer, but they were basically freebies. I'll just have to get some sundews of my own in the future :) I'd like to try one or many of the pygmy sundews.
 

basin79

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I had some random sundews growing in with my pitcher plants, but they haven't tried coming up this year so I may have lost them. Kind of a bummer, but they were basically freebies. I'll just have to get some sundews of my own in the future :) I'd like to try one or many of the pygmy sundews.
I got 4 in with 1 of my VFT's. Got a trumpet type pitcher in another that's just about to flower too.
 
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