Growing conditions

[peter]

Here it goes again-
What are your growing conditions?
Anserw the following

-Soil Media
-Watering
-Inside or Outside
-Feeding
-Biggest trap this season
-What size Pot
-How many VFT's you own

For soil Media I use 25/25/50 Sand/Perlite/Peat but I'm finding that 50/50 sand and peat produces bigger faster growing plants
Watering- for big gallon pots I let the rain take care of it unless it dries out, for my potted plants I water them just to keep them moist. They usually don't sit in water unless there is a major rain when I just let the water evaporate naturally.
I grow all my plants outside
I feed all my plants when ever there is an available trap that looks hungry
Biggest trap occured in fall measuring alittle over 1.5"
The minimum size pots are 4" pots and range up to gallon pots.
I probably own about 50 VFT's not including seedlings.

 

[BobZ]

-Soil Media: Over the past 50 years, I have tried all sorts of stuff, but tend to return to 100% Canadian sphagnum peat.

-Watering: tap water for those in the greenhouse; rainfall in the winter and tap water during the 6-month summer drought for those outside.

-Inside or Outside: Both. The outdoor plants do much better than those in my unheated greenhouse, but the outdoor "pot" is much larger (see below). It seldom freezes where I live on the Pacific coast in northern California.

-Feeding: whatever they catch naturally (mostly spiders and pill bugs)

-Biggest trap this season: about 1.75 inches

-What size Pot: The outside plants are in a 4 ft x 8 ft x 1.5 ft deep plastic-lined box filled with 100% Canadian sphagnum peat. The greenhouse plants are in 4-inch plastic pots.

-How many VFT's you own: several hundred.

 

[Bugweed]

Bob Z., Bugweed. 2 great minds that think alike. But Bugweed has all the looks!! LOL!!! I agree with Bob Z. Pure Canadian Sphagnum has been excellent media for 42 years, and the plants love it. Small traps this year--1.25/1.50 inches. Cooler summer Straight peat works with many CP without added stuff.

 

[peter]

So is the sand and all that stuff just a myth of some sort? Because I've noticed that the plants with perlite grow a little slower then the ones w/o.

 

[Bugweed]

Peter, I have always grown my plants as close to the conditions they face in nature as possible. I never found perlite anywhere out there, and have never trusted it. Not one bog I visited had one grain of perlite anywhere, so I never used it. In some CP bogs, there is a really fine grained sand mixed in the soil, but it seems very fine grained as opposed to what some say to do with your plants. Many suggestions, and many mixes come and go, but Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss is what many healthy plants need and want, and have been a main base for these plants to grow in for who knows how long? I'll stick with nature, she seems to do a better job than we do.

 

[scottychaos]

-Soil Media
pure LFS for individual pots.
also have some VFT's in a minibog with a pure peat base, with LFS top dressing.

-Watering
tray method.
they only get top-watered when it rains.

-Inside or Outside
Outside, always.

-Feeding
they feed themselves like crazy.

-Biggest trap this season
didnt measure! over an inch probably.

-What size Pot
one "group pot" 8" across, contains about 6 plants.
some in individual 4" pots.
(one plant per 4" pot)
and some in a minibog.

-How many VFT's you own.
not sure, havent counted in several years.
probably about 40.

Scot

 

[vft guy in SJ]

<span style='color:black'>-Soil Media...</span> 50/50 Peat/Sand

<span style='color:black'>-Watering...</span> Top water and tray method

<span style='color:black'>-Inside or Outside...</span> Outside

<span style='color:black'>-Feeding...</span> They feed themselves

<span style='color:black'>-Biggest trap this season...</span> about 1.5 inches

<span style='color:black'>-What size Pot...</span> Mature plants 4" pots, seedlings 3" pots

<span style='color:black'>-How many VFT's you own...</span> 7

Cheers
Steve

 

[jimscott]

Mine is almost identical to vft guy in South Jersey, except that I have ten plants and topdress with LFS.

 

[Bugweed]

SOUTH JERSEY? LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!

 

[jimscott]

Okay, okay... I know where he's really from. But you know me - any chance I get... He's probably too young to know the Petula Clark song.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

-Soil Media: Canadian Sphagnum peat moss mixed with a small amount of perlite.
-Watering: Distilled/rain water.
-Inside or Outside- Outside, among my other CPs in a 5'6''x2'x2'5'' metal/plastic, rolling, 4-shelf greenhouse from Lowe's (looks like the one in the background of Nick's pic in his profile, but it's orange). It has a zip-up clear vinyl covering, but A: the zippers broke off and 2: I just rarely use it, since it's a pain taking it off and putting it back on every time they're in/out of the sun.
-Feeding: I sometimes give them mosquitoes or those annoying, painful half-inch long, skinny little ants that dart around hyperactively, but I usually just let them catch their own food.
-Biggest trap this season: About an inch.
-What size Pot: Depends on the size of the plant, but right now I've got them in pots about 3'' or 4'' wide.
-How many VFT's you own: Hmmm.. *counts in head* About five, with one of the pots containing two.. I know two are Dente, but the rest are fairly unidentified, theoriezed to be either Green Dragon or Common (gosh I feel scientific today..).

I know, you're probably thinking, why trust the VFT care of a person who's had crappy luck with them for two years? Well, rest assured, they're doing MUCH better now that they get alot more sun then they've had before. Thanks to Tamlin again for that advice!

 

[NepenthesMaster]

Soil- 1/2 Peat, 1/2 perlite
Watering - distilled, tray method
Inside/outside - windowsill
Feeding - It's on it's own, but i sometimes give it a pillbug.
Trap size - about 1/2 inch
Pot size - Chili Can
Just two VFTs

The chili can has a little sign that says: I claim this land for North Carolina!