Hi! I just joined this weekend. I'm very new to carnivorous plants, but my journey with them started years ago. I have a koi pond, and while shopping for bog plants years ago I discovered this crazy looking thing labeled "pitcher plant." The only thing the label said was keep moist and give lots of sun. I put the pot in a place where it would get the most sun in the pond and left it alone for the summer. I honestly don't remember what happened to it except it died. My mom (the gardener) claimed it died because it was a tropical plant, and I accepted that for a while.
I'm also an aquarist and recently wondered what to do with my empty 20 gal that was previously a quarantine tank. I didn't want to do fish because I know I will be moving in the next year; by the time the tank is getting established I'd be moving it. Carnivorous plants came up in my brainstorming because I believed them all to be tropicals that would need a terrarium. And what cooler plant could I put in a terrarium?
I started researching as was blown away! I had no clue venus fly traps or Sarracenia (which I believe to be the plant I put in my pond years ago) were NOT tropical and were actually from a location just hours from me! And then I found the kicker: only use pure water and don't fertilize. The high TDS and nutrient content of the koi pond are what killed them before. NOT the cold weather like we thought.
So armed with this new knowledge I've started in the the world of carnivorous plants again. I am growing all of my plants outside. I have VFT, Sarracenia, and Drosera. I was lucky enough to find a local nursery that carries CP's in great condition. I'm also lucky enough to right next to North Carolina and within driving distance of some amazing nurseries down there. I'm growing all of these plants outside right now, but I want to pull the Drosera in for the winter, so I still have some carnivorous beauties when the Sars and VFT go dormant. :3 The Sars I currently have are purpurea, flava, leucophylla 'Tarnok', x catesbaei, 'mardi gras', and 'doodle bug.' And I just have two D. spatulata. I also have a couple orchid and a lithops for fun.
My other major hobbies include writing, photography (although I lack a good camera), and fishkeeping. I also enjoy kayaking, hiking, and rock climbing.
I'm also an aquarist and recently wondered what to do with my empty 20 gal that was previously a quarantine tank. I didn't want to do fish because I know I will be moving in the next year; by the time the tank is getting established I'd be moving it. Carnivorous plants came up in my brainstorming because I believed them all to be tropicals that would need a terrarium. And what cooler plant could I put in a terrarium?
I started researching as was blown away! I had no clue venus fly traps or Sarracenia (which I believe to be the plant I put in my pond years ago) were NOT tropical and were actually from a location just hours from me! And then I found the kicker: only use pure water and don't fertilize. The high TDS and nutrient content of the koi pond are what killed them before. NOT the cold weather like we thought.
So armed with this new knowledge I've started in the the world of carnivorous plants again. I am growing all of my plants outside. I have VFT, Sarracenia, and Drosera. I was lucky enough to find a local nursery that carries CP's in great condition. I'm also lucky enough to right next to North Carolina and within driving distance of some amazing nurseries down there. I'm growing all of these plants outside right now, but I want to pull the Drosera in for the winter, so I still have some carnivorous beauties when the Sars and VFT go dormant. :3 The Sars I currently have are purpurea, flava, leucophylla 'Tarnok', x catesbaei, 'mardi gras', and 'doodle bug.' And I just have two D. spatulata. I also have a couple orchid and a lithops for fun.
My other major hobbies include writing, photography (although I lack a good camera), and fishkeeping. I also enjoy kayaking, hiking, and rock climbing.