Ignoring them

[steveo]

I've discovered that my plants do best when I ignore them. They adjust to conditions and go on quite nicely--they only get in trouble when I try to help them along with "improvements" or "feeding." VFTs, neps, sundews--it's all the same. I've taken a very hands-off, low-maintenance approach as a result, and it's worked out.

Anyone else had this experience? Or am I just a plant-killer who shouldn't own any green thing?

Steve

[sarracenia]

I can only speak for Sarracenias, but yeah, I pretty much leave them alone, especially during summer. All I do is water them when they need it and check for any problems. They get a little more attention in the winter - fungicide, clip off brown pitchers, divide/repot, but that's pretty much it.

[wickedthistle]

My N.ventricosa likes the laissez-fair approach, but my VFTs love it when I rotate the pot so that the new traps grow in a nice rosette fashion instead of leaning one way towards the sun. Drosera don't seem to mind either way. http://www.**********.com/iBhtml/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[BigCarnivourKid]

I've always (well once I got over the initial novelty) had a hands off approach to my VFTs. Otherwise I go to the other extreme and "fiddle" them to death. So between killing them with kindness and leaving them be, I tend to leave mine be.

[Linda]

I agree,not just for CP's but it goes for all of my houseplants also. They seem to do much better with neglect. I pretty much limit myself to the daily one or two or twelve cruises to each plant to look at them; but each time tell myself to keep my hands off http://www.**********.com/iBhtml/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif . It is very easy to kill a plant with kindness, especially seedlings.

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

This works well for many CP, but there are exceptions, usually a result of inadequate growing conditions for a particular species, and then compensation by observation is the only thing that will allow them to grow. Give them what they need, (or don't give them what they don't need&#33http://www.**********.com/iBhtml/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif and they will do their thing very well.

[dodecatheon]

With my utrics, I need to pay close attention to moss and algal slime, so I'm constantly picking at and spraying things. Most of the other stuff seems to take care of itself. My nep is in a hanging basket by the window and requires less attention than an african violet.