When I first got carnivorous plants, I wasn't sure how to take care of them. I figured it out for the most part and the pitcher plants in the "Lowes Death Cubes" lived through the first winter. During the early summer, I was researching the best way to keep them moist without being high maintenance I even took a trip to Trident Tech horticulture department's pond and carnivorous bog garden. I believe their's is planted in a hole with a liner to retain moisture. After all of the research I came up with my own idea.I took a shallow - about six inches - barrel liner, drilled holes in the bottom and lined it with landscape fabric. I filled it with moist sphagnum peat moss and planted my pitcher plants and sunk it in the pea gravel bog. The holes make sure it stays wet, but the landscape fabric keeps the peat from washing out.
I was looking at how crowded they've become in that container in the past year and I've decided to repot them. I've got a larger container that will fit in the bog that I can modify the same way I did the original one. I just need a little more peat and some time - maybe later this summer.
This past summer I was reading a book on carnivorous plants when I noticed a photo of ae blooming pitcher plant. At the time I had no idea this kind of plant would do that - although in hindsight, everything must flower to reproduce, I suppose. After that, all I wanted was for mine to do the same thing. I forgot about it over the winter, but recently I've noticed they've started growing again, producing more pitchers. Robin and I were in the yard last night when she noticed what looked like a flower bud. I was so surprised - it did look like it could be a flower. I went back outside with the camera to take photos of a few things and as I was taking photos of the flower bud on the pitcher plant, I noticed another and another and another. I'm pretty sure that's what this is. Right now I'm holding my breath a little - I can't wait to see this flower I have only seen in books. Look for the photo slideshow soon. I'll also update it as I get more pictures.
3 comments:
Very cool. I haven't had that specific kind of carnivorous plant, but I do have some VFTs. I recently ordered some pygmy sundew gemmae (like seeds but actually tiny live plantlets) in the hopes of finally successfully growing sundews. I'll be coming back here often!
I think I mostly responded to this post while writing about the other one. I will say good luck on the plantlets. I have some CP seeds but once I found out how long it might take to get a decent size plant, I didn't bother germinating them.
I wrote more about VFTs in my other response, but I will add that I'm considering getting some more and putting them in a pot seperately - doing the whole double pot thing - the pot the VFTs are in sits in a pot full of water.
Good luck and visit again soon.
I am so proud of all your hard work in the yard and garden and on your blog. Love you!
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