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Creating my first habitat

Hello everyone!

I need some help figuring out what I need to start growing some CPs. I am a college student who is finally moving out of the dorms and into a house :boogie: so I figured I needed something cool to fill all the extra room I'll have! I have been doing some research but I need help with a few specific things.

I am mostly interested in Venus Flytraps and Sundews, but I am open to any that would be a better fit. I live in Spokane, WA which is hot in the summers (80-100 F) and cold in the winters. The plants would be inside (un-air-conditioned but heated) so I think temperature should be fine. I'm not sure about humidity though. Browsing some weather history shows that it can drop to around 30% in summer. Will I need to buy a terrarium/aquarium in order to control humidity?

Another question is lighting. Everything I've read seems to assume at least partial sunlight during the day, but my plants will be in a basement with basically no sunlight. My plan is to get those clamp-on metal work lights and put in them good compact fluorescents. I'm not sure how many I'll need or how powerful bulbs I'll need.

Final question, does the "tray method" mean filling a tray with water and then placing the pots in it so the water is drawn up through the drainage holes in the pots? Does this completely replace "normal" watering methods?

Thanks for your patience.
 
Just be careful if yo're getting sundews, to get 'temperate' ones. There are different types of sundews, and not all can take a cold winter. If you're using artificial lighting, fluorescent tubes is best, but your suggested plan may work. I would also suggest growing Sarracenia with that weather, but they do not grow particularly well under lights.

And yes, the tray method is exactly that, a tray full of water. It is the preferred watering method for the plants you've suggested, but some other Carnivorous plants prefer to be top watered, like normal plants.

Also, you do not need to buy a whole aquarium, just putting a clear plastic container with suitbale ventilation over the top would do the trick.
 
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How cool does the basement get? You might be able to grow highland neps.
 
I'm not really sure yet. I move in May 16 so I will find out then.
 
Welcome to TF! You'll need to create a whole artificial environment for them. I had two storage "trays" in a closet for a year and had fluorescent light over them. They were also at "room temperature", so I didn't need to worry about heating the tropical plants.
 
being a novice I completely understand if you shy away from the 4' tubed floures. that most experienced people are going to point you to. I myself actually started with just a couple vft's and a sundew as most have and I used those clip metal shop lights with compact floures. it worked really well actually. but the problem is that your going to catch CP fever and your going to need more space... and that shop light plus compact bulb is going to cost as much as a 4' tube set up with two tubes... I wou'dnt worry about buying a tank but if you do their very cheap at wallyworld ( walmart ) like ten bucks. so no biggy.... but vft's wont require that humidity anyways just get some plants and start growing and see if the hobby is really for you... before any big investments :)
 
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