Utricularia and Genlisea

[Wolfn]

Well, I'm looking to buy my first terrestrial Utricularia and Genlisea soon. I have some quick questions:

1) What would be the best method to view the traps? I'm thinking about growing them in a clear plastic cup so the traps would be visible.

2) undrained container is best, correct?

3) how much light would be best? I would like to grow them outside.

 

[rattler]

clear plastic only works if yah also place it in something to block light otherwise algae grows and you wont see them anyway.....

undrained.....drained in a tray done both.....i preferred drained in a tray though Utrics seem to live in a "grass is greener in the other pot" type of existence and are constantly trying to go visit their neighbors via the drain holes

light....never grown them in full sun but they defiantly like light....

 

[Clue]

Genlisea Tips

1) I grow them in a couple of different types of pots, namely ceramic, clear plastic, and green plastic. All are drained.

2) My Genlisea clone likes it on the moist side, not waterlogged or dry.

3) Genlisea are tropical plants, so use with caution outdoors. They like lots of light.

I use a mixture of pure peat and keep them sitting in about 1/8 inch of water.


Off of careful experimentation, I've gotten a whole lot of plants this way.

 

[Capensis]

For terrestrial utrics:

1. I would use tubberware. Or if you really want to, a glass container. This is what I have for my utrics (This is when I first repotting them, the traps have infested the tubberware now).

2. Undrained or drained is fine. I prefer drained because the traps and leaves can slip out of the holes than just crowd up.

3. They like light. I have some U. bisquamata in full Florida sun in some Sarracenia pots.

 

[rattler]

i forgot to add one thing......most utrics dont care much about temps so long as they fall in the normal 65-85 range....granted some like it on the cooler end and some like it a lil warmer but i have usually noticed a growth spurt and flowering when the Genliseas hit the warmer end....infact i only flowered G. filliformis after i put a heating pad under the tank it was in and kept it at 95-98 day and in the 80's at night for a few weeks......had it for several years and it didnt flower until after a couple weeks of heat treatment....the other Genlisias i had didnt require it near that warm but i noticed they did slow their growth quite a bit when the house temps stayed in the 70's.....

 

[Pyro]

Here is what I found worked best for me after growing these for years.

The vast majority of terrestrial Utrics prefer either a pure peat media or a media of peat and a larger grade grit. My final mix was peat/APS in a 1/1 ratio. I grew them in tall style pots (6cm x 6cm x 10cm) in a 10 gallon tank. I would water to the point that the water was just over the top of the pots and then I would not water again until the water was gone. Depending on the time of year that could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. I had this tank out on my deck (under about 50% shade) in the warmer months and in my sunroom (under twin tubes) during winter. Temps were basically whatever the outside temps were except I would heat my sunroom just enough to keep it from hitting freezing. Because they are so low growing and usually shaded by taller plants, most terrestrial Utrics do better without full on sun. They can condition up to it but it is best to start them at something like 50-70% shade and then slowly work up to brighter conditions. Only 2 species did not grow well for me under these conditions: U. tricolor and U. fulva.

For Genlisea. With one exception I found these would grow best under highland conditions. Preferred media was LFS. Potting and watering were basically the same as the terrestrial Utrics... Pot in 10g tanks, fill and let dry... Genlisea do not like really strong light so if you are growing outside you will need 50% shade. The one exception to my typical conditions was, like rattler said, G. filiformis. It likes it hot so it grows in my hot box tank where I grow petiolaris Drosera.

If you want to see traps your best bet is to use those net type pots they use for orchids/water lilies. This technique is better for Genlisea than Utrics, mostly just cause Genlisea have large traps and grow in a definite outward pattern where as Utrics just do whatever they want. I would put these pots in the same conditions as my others and in 3-12 months I would see traps growing out.