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How to Care for
Carnivorous Plants
Carnivorous Plants offer Fun and Beauty in and
around the Home
By
Mark J. Donovan
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What may be surprising to many is the fact that there are many types of
carnivorous plants that are indigenous to every continent in the world, with
the exception of Antarctica. Besides rain forests and other exotic types of
places, carnivorous plants can also be found in many familiar countries,
including the United States and Canada as well, as many countries in Europe
and Asia. In the United States carnivorous plants can be found in nearly
every state. So just because carnivorous plants may seem rare doesn’t mean
they don’t exist or can’t be grown in your local region of the country. |
It’s just a matter of selecting the right ones for your local climate and
learning what you need to do to keep them healthy and alive.
When buying a carnivorous plant make sure that it includes information about its
species and recommendations on how to take care of it. This way you can provide
it with the proper sunlight, water and food to keep it growing healthy and
looking great. In general most carnivorous plants require lots of sunlight, so
make sure that you have a place within your home that has plenty of natural
light. If you are planning to plant it outside make sure that it gets plenty of
southern and western exposure will minimal shade.
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Venus Flytraps, Sundews, and North American Pitcher plants, for example, all
require typically 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day during their growing season. If
they receive less than this amount of sunlight they will become stressed and
most likely die.
There are only a few carnivorous plants that can live without direct sunlight
and they include Butterworts, Asian Pitchers, and some Sundew variants. All of
these types of plants prefer indirect sunlight. |
If you plan to grow your carnivorous plants indoors and question the amount
of natural lighting that you can provide to them, supplement their lighting
needs with florescent lighting. Typically a 25 to 50 watt florescent light bulb
works great. If you plan to grow your carnivorous plants indoors without any
natural light, then plan to run the florescent light bulb 12 or so hours a day.
The bulb should be positioned 8 to 12 inches over the top of the plant.
Alternatively you can use compact florescent light bulbs to save on cost. Do not
use incandescent light bulbs as they give off to much heat, not to mention they
are more expensive to operate.
In regards to watering carnivorous plants, most are indigenous to bogs. As a
result, they are use to having a very wet soil. For best success water your
carnivorous plants so that the bottom of the plant container sits in a small
pool or container of water. Also, use pure or distilled water. Chlorinated water
can stress or kill a carnivorous plant. It’s important, however, to follow the
directions for your particular carnivorous plant for watering. Some carnivorous
plants, such as Asian pitcher plants prefer less water and should be watered
only a couple of times a week.
To maximize the beauty and growth of your carnivorous plants repot them every
year at the end of their growing season, which is typically in March. By
repotting your plants you give them room to grow and aerate their root systems,
both of which are key for ensuring healthy and beautiful looking plants. Also,
prune off any dead or dying leaves to prevent the risk of fungus growth and to
ensure adequate sunlight to the base of the plants.
When repotting the plants use a 50/50 mixture of peat moss and perlite. Perlite
provides drainage and the peat moss provides acidity and helps to retain
moisture. Do not add fertilizer to the soil. Carnivorous plants get all of their
nutrition from the insects they catch in their leaves.
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Related
Articles
Carnivorous Plant Information from Amazon.com
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