TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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Good plants for beginners
- Thread starter cockatielmother
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jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Hi cockatielmother and welcome to the discussion forums!
I'd say it is safe to assume, that many of us have travelled this route. As a matter of fact, in a freshly initiated topic by one of our teens, and to not "re-invent the wheel", here is a quote from what I wrote:
Hey Kirk, I did this as an essay for ya, way back when!
I got my first VFT as a pre-teen and promptly killed it. The summer before freshman year in college I got another. My buddy accidently knocked it to the floor and it was toast. Years later, while working at a tropical fish wholesaler, I got another and put it in a plant tank, growing it terrarium style. It seemed to be doing well - until it flowered. It immediately died. Years later, I bought another, along with a "Purple Pitcher Plant" & "Tropical Pitcher Plant". It took me 3 months to kill them - first the VFT, of course!
I swore off CP's as being too difficult for me, until 2 summers ago, when I saw an array of VFT's at Home Depot. I made an impulse purchase and a vow to do whatever it took to keep it alive for more than 3 months - which I did. This time my well-documented stream experiment killed it and others.
I unwittingly violated every rule about CP cultivation possible - water, air circulation, dormancy....
Anyways, 2 years.
Here are some of the plants that are easy to grow - so long as one uses appropriate water (distilled or rain or RO or Deionized), peat, long-fibred sphagnum moss (LFS), and sand (pool supply places).
VFT's really ARE easy. Drosera: spatulata, capensis, scorpiodes, binata, filiformis, adelae.....
Sarracenia: purpurea, flava, rubra, leucophylla, alata....
Pinguicula: moranensis, 'Sethos', John Rizzi, George Sargeant, potosciensis. luscitanica, ehleresiae, esseriana, primuliflora....
Nepenthes: ventricosa, ventrata, sanguinea, cochinea, miranda....
Utricularia: sandersonni, livida, bisquamata, subluata, praelonga, prehenselis, paulinae, .....
Access? Some are available at garden centers. Many are available from us'ns! We'd be happy to palm off, ahem, share with you!
Environment writer? Hmmm.... interesting. I'm an Environmental Scientist.
I'd say it is safe to assume, that many of us have travelled this route. As a matter of fact, in a freshly initiated topic by one of our teens, and to not "re-invent the wheel", here is a quote from what I wrote:
Hey Kirk, I did this as an essay for ya, way back when!
I got my first VFT as a pre-teen and promptly killed it. The summer before freshman year in college I got another. My buddy accidently knocked it to the floor and it was toast. Years later, while working at a tropical fish wholesaler, I got another and put it in a plant tank, growing it terrarium style. It seemed to be doing well - until it flowered. It immediately died. Years later, I bought another, along with a "Purple Pitcher Plant" & "Tropical Pitcher Plant". It took me 3 months to kill them - first the VFT, of course!
I swore off CP's as being too difficult for me, until 2 summers ago, when I saw an array of VFT's at Home Depot. I made an impulse purchase and a vow to do whatever it took to keep it alive for more than 3 months - which I did. This time my well-documented stream experiment killed it and others.
I unwittingly violated every rule about CP cultivation possible - water, air circulation, dormancy....
Anyways, 2 years.
Here are some of the plants that are easy to grow - so long as one uses appropriate water (distilled or rain or RO or Deionized), peat, long-fibred sphagnum moss (LFS), and sand (pool supply places).
VFT's really ARE easy. Drosera: spatulata, capensis, scorpiodes, binata, filiformis, adelae.....
Sarracenia: purpurea, flava, rubra, leucophylla, alata....
Pinguicula: moranensis, 'Sethos', John Rizzi, George Sargeant, potosciensis. luscitanica, ehleresiae, esseriana, primuliflora....
Nepenthes: ventricosa, ventrata, sanguinea, cochinea, miranda....
Utricularia: sandersonni, livida, bisquamata, subluata, praelonga, prehenselis, paulinae, .....
Access? Some are available at garden centers. Many are available from us'ns! We'd be happy to palm off, ahem, share with you!
Environment writer? Hmmm.... interesting. I'm an Environmental Scientist.
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
Explanation of My growing conditions for CPs:
I will have to keep whatever cps I acquire in covered terrariums under lights. I have to protect them from my very inquisitive free flying pet cockatiels (two) who check out anything that is green in color! I also want to protect them from the cps if the cps happen to have any poisonous substances in them.
My first terrarium will be a 10 gallon fish tank sitting on a table in front of my western facing livingroom window. This window gets LOTS of sunlight in afternoon and evenings. I'll also take light measurements to make sure the plants have enough lights.
i'll be using new zealand peat and "play sand" for my growing media unless I am told something else.
I will have to keep whatever cps I acquire in covered terrariums under lights. I have to protect them from my very inquisitive free flying pet cockatiels (two) who check out anything that is green in color! I also want to protect them from the cps if the cps happen to have any poisonous substances in them.
My first terrarium will be a 10 gallon fish tank sitting on a table in front of my western facing livingroom window. This window gets LOTS of sunlight in afternoon and evenings. I'll also take light measurements to make sure the plants have enough lights.
i'll be using new zealand peat and "play sand" for my growing media unless I am told something else.
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
well, you need larger then a ten gallon aquarium if you want to grow Nepenthes. all sarracenia, dionaea, can and need to go outside. tropical drosera can go outside when it's warm and in the terrarium when it's not.
a small tank like that will heat up quickly in a window, and it can in fact cook the plants with the greenhouse effect. you'll also need an opening of some kind in the top or install a PC fan for air circulation. almost all cp's require high light levels, but since the sun will cook them in an aquarium you'll need artificial lights. for a ten gallon i suggest Compact Fluorescents.
you can grow utricularia, tropical drosera (most stay pretty small), mexican Pinguicula, Nepenthes if you choos Very small species and keep them pruned. you can even grow Cephalotus but you might want to wait awhile before that one.
i really suggest getting a larger aquarium and putting plants that belong outside outside. dont forget to water with pure water.
hope i helped
a small tank like that will heat up quickly in a window, and it can in fact cook the plants with the greenhouse effect. you'll also need an opening of some kind in the top or install a PC fan for air circulation. almost all cp's require high light levels, but since the sun will cook them in an aquarium you'll need artificial lights. for a ten gallon i suggest Compact Fluorescents.
you can grow utricularia, tropical drosera (most stay pretty small), mexican Pinguicula, Nepenthes if you choos Very small species and keep them pruned. you can even grow Cephalotus but you might want to wait awhile before that one.
i really suggest getting a larger aquarium and putting plants that belong outside outside. dont forget to water with pure water.
hope i helped
seedjar
Let's positive thinking!
Western windows are a no-no, in general. The evening air is drier and warmer, making evening light (western light) hot and dessicating. Don't be surprised if you have a few plants go crispy in the afternoon sun, especially in a little terrarium. Many CPs will grow just fine under lights if you don't have an east or south facing window. Also, most play sands are inappropriate. You need silica sand, ideally (I use quartz sand, it's essentially the same if I understand correctly.) Pool filter sand is usually silica. If you aren't sure if your sand is appropriate, put some vinegar on a lump of the sand and see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, the sand contains minerals that are inappropriate for CP culture.
As for your birds, I wouldn't worry too much about the plants being poisonous, but I do know that birds have a lot of dietary intolerances that other animals don't, so keeping them away from the plants couldn't hurt. And if they're anywhere near as inquisitive as the birds I've known, then it would definitely make your plants safer.
Barry Rice's CP FAQ has a list of reputable vendors near the bottom of the page.
Good luck, and welcome to the forums.
~Joe
As for your birds, I wouldn't worry too much about the plants being poisonous, but I do know that birds have a lot of dietary intolerances that other animals don't, so keeping them away from the plants couldn't hurt. And if they're anywhere near as inquisitive as the birds I've known, then it would definitely make your plants safer.
Barry Rice's CP FAQ has a list of reputable vendors near the bottom of the page.
Good luck, and welcome to the forums.
~Joe
