Sarracenia purpurea at lowe's

[seaecho]

How sad - there were about a dozen left. Most were Sarracenia purpureas, but there were also a couple Drosera and Nepenthes left. I think they'd been there for weeks, since a lot of them were dried up and dead or dying. I'm assuming this was from lack of water. I picked up the best looking purpurea, but now don't know what to do with it! I put a "dome" over it (glass) that I found in a closet and watered it thoroughly this morning with distilled water, as I noticied it was approaching total dryness. Now what? Do I also put it on a pebble tray, or would this be too much humidity? I have set it up so the bottom of the dome lets some air in. Is this right? Its very dry here - 15-20% humidity is normal. I have it in a bright spot, but no direct sunlight. Any tips would really be appreciated!

Randi

 

[FlytrapGurl]

I'm betting it came in a square plastic pot with no drainage holes, yes? Okay, get a regular, round plastic pot with drainage holes and some Canadian sphagnum peat and some perlite, mix them 2:1, dampen the mixture with distilled, RO, deionized or pure rain water, plant the purp in that, put a tray of some sort underneath it (clean plastic or glass, no metal), make sure the soil is always damp with one of the four waters listed above, and try to get it somewhere in direct sunlight most of the day. Mist it with the same water you water it with often to keep it humid, maybe keeping your dome over it, but only at night, because if you have it over the plant during the day, it will do like sunlight through a magnifying glass aimed at a bug and fry it. Make sure then pitchers are always at least half-filled with water so it can digest any bugs it catches. During the winter months (mid-November to January or February), gradually give it less and less sunlight until it only gets a little a day, same with the water and misting, and this is called dormancy, which many CPs need at this time of year. Towards the end of the dormancy period, gradually increase it's sunlight, water and misting until those levels are back to normal, and repeat the cycle the next winter.

TIP: Before putting soil mixture in pot, get a coffee filter, trim it to just larger in circumference than the pot, then put it in the bottom of the pot. This keeps the soil from coming out the drainage holes.

Good luck, and welcome to the forums! Embrace the Insanity!!!

 

[seaecho]

Thanks for the quick reply! Actually, it came in a ROUND pot, and yes. . . it has drainage holes. Can it be on a pebble tray during the day? I took the dome off, and its getting some afternoon sun right now. Does it need to sit in water constantly, or can I just make sure it doesn't dry out? One more question - I was disappointed to read online that Sarracenias are best grown outdoors. I thought I could keep it as a houseplant, but from what I hear, Drosera and Nepenthes are happier indoors. I guess my next purchase will probably be a Drosera capensis. Boy. . . and I thought ORCHIDS were addicting!

Randi

 

[FlytrapGurl]

A normal pot from Lowe's?! What is this phenomenon you speak of? LOL!

Pebble tray should be okay.. just make sure the pebbles are clean. And no, it doesn't necessarily need to be in water constantly, just as long as it is moist and doesn't dry out. Yeah, they do tend to grow better outdoors, but with the right conditions, it can be done indoors.

 

[Wesley]

Quote[/b] ]A normal pot from Lowe's?! What is this phenomenon you speak of? LOL!

Actually until just recently my lowes used the "ordinary" 3'' round pots. I wish they still did, they were great for when I got new plants. But anyway, you don't even really need the pebbles, just stick the pot in the water reccomend by FTG. Also, no it doesn't have to always be in water but you can until dormancy when you decrease the light and water and such.

FTG, a coffee filter! GENIOUS! why didn't I ever think of that?

seacho, with what you say you are giving you plant, you should have a pretty happy plant. If you change anything you may want to give it a little more light but otherwise you sound fine.

 

[seaecho]

Thank you for the confidence booster! Maybe it'll do OK for me after all.

Randi

 

[SarraceniaScott]

Quote[/b] (FlytrapGurl @ Feb. 05 2005,4:49)]I'm betting it came in a square plastic pot with no drainage holes, yes? Okay, get a regular, round plastic pot with drainage holes and some Canadian sphagnum peat and some perlite, mix them 2:1, dampen the mixture with distilled, RO, deionized or pure rain water, plant the purp in that, put a tray of some sort underneath it (clean plastic or glass, no metal), make sure the soil is always damp with one of the four waters listed above, and try to get it somewhere in direct sunlight most of the day. Mist it with the same water you water it with often to keep it humid, maybe keeping your dome over it, but only at night, because if you have it over the plant during the day, it will do like sunlight through a magnifying glass aimed at a bug and fry it. Make sure then pitchers are always at least half-filled with water so it can digest any bugs it catches. During the winter months (mid-November to January or February), gradually give it less and less sunlight until it only gets a little a day, same with the water and misting, and this is called dormancy, which many CPs need at this time of year. Towards the end of the dormancy period, gradually increase it's sunlight, water and misting until those levels are back to normal, and repeat the cycle the next winter.

TIP: Before putting soil mixture in pot, get a coffee filter, trim it to just larger in circumference than the pot, then put it in the bottom of the pot. This keeps the soil from coming out the drainage holes.

Good luck, and welcome to the forums! Embrace the Insanity!!!

FTG gave you good advice.

I generally use LFS instead of a coffee filter to line the bottom of the pot... I imagine the filter would either clog over time, or break down completely.

I have a S purpurea rescued from Lowe's (every time I see a display with those little plastic plant prisons, I have to rescue one or two of them...) sitting on my desk at work. The air at work is air conditioned and fairly dry, but the plant is doing great despite that, and I use no dome. I do keep it in a tray of water, which certainly boosts the local humidity.

The desk is a great place for me to bring ailing plants; 24-hr bright lights.

http://webpages.charter.net/txlib/300D%20013.jpg

There is a picture of my purp at work; the foreground plant is U livida.

 

[Starman]

Quote[/b] (FlytrapGurl @ Feb. 05 2005,6:28)]A normal pot from Lowe's?! What is this phenomenon you speak of? LOL!

.

I shall never see this strange phanomenon because we dont have lowes here and every single CP I have seen for sale is sold in normal, plain pots wiht draninage holes and no cover or dome(I did see a few with a dome on though)

 

[buster1]

It would be worth taking a trip to the US sometime just to stand in awe of the splendor that is Lowes and Home Depot, not to mention you can also see a superwalmart every quarter mile.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

buster, LMFAO!!

Quote[/b] ]I imagine the filter would either clog over time, or break down completely.

Yeah, but by that time, the roots of the plant have established themselves in the soil enough to keep the soil from seeping out the bottom. Until then, the filter will prevent the loose, unestablished soil from seeping out the bottom.

 

[Kirkscoastalcarnivores]

Quote[/b] (SarraceniaScott @ Feb. 06 2005,9:36)]

Quote[/b] (FlytrapGurl @ Feb. 05 2005,4:49)]I'm betting it came in a square plastic pot with no drainage holes, yes? Okay, get a regular, round plastic pot with drainage holes and some Canadian sphagnum peat and some perlite, mix them 2:1, dampen the mixture with distilled, RO, deionized or pure rain water, plant the purp in that, put a tray of some sort underneath it (clean plastic or glass, no metal), make sure the soil is always damp with one of the four waters listed above, and try to get it somewhere in direct sunlight most of the day. Mist it with the same water you water it with often to keep it humid, maybe keeping your dome over it, but only at night, because if you have it over the plant during the day, it will do like sunlight through a magnifying glass aimed at a bug and fry it. Make sure then pitchers are always at least half-filled with water so it can digest any bugs it catches. During the winter months (mid-November to January or February), gradually give it less and less sunlight until it only gets a little a day, same with the water and misting, and this is called dormancy, which many CPs need at this time of year. Towards the end of the dormancy period, gradually increase it's sunlight, water and misting until those levels are back to normal, and repeat the cycle the next winter.

TIP: Before putting soil mixture in pot, get a coffee filter, trim it to just larger in circumference than the pot, then put it in the bottom of the pot. This keeps the soil from coming out the drainage holes.

Good luck, and welcome to the forums! Embrace the Insanity!!!

FTG gave you good advice.

I generally use LFS instead of a coffee filter to line the bottom of the pot... I imagine the filter would either clog over time, or break down completely.

I have a S purpurea rescued from Lowe's (every time I see a display with those little plastic plant prisons, I have to rescue one or two of them...) sitting on my desk at work.  The air at work is air conditioned and fairly dry, but the plant is doing great despite that, and I use no dome.  I do keep it in a tray of water, which certainly boosts the local humidity.

The desk is a great place for me to bring ailing plants; 24-hr bright lights.

http://webpages.charter.net/txlib/300D%20013.jpg

There is a picture of my purp at work; the foreground plant is U livida.

boy people must think you;re wierd

*to himslef* I wonder if I can get lights setup in my Locker?