Grower's Q&A - Page 4 - Sarracenia Northwest

Not Enough Light

Q/A #138 - Venus Flytraps in San Diego

QUESTION: I live in San Diego (USDA zone 10) and growing some Venus Flytraps. If my plants are in a greenhouse, is it still considered “Full Sun” (based on your pdf)? I also winterized my previous VFTs by keeping them in the fridge from December through February. Is this necessary? Or is it fine to leave the

Sarracenia

Q/A #137 - Wind Blowing over Sarracenia

QUESTION: Do you have issues with your sarracenia’s blowing over from wind? Anything I can do to keep the plant upright? (Submitted in July 2022.) RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS: Sometimes, but usually the pot tips over. We haven't had the type of issue in which pitchers bend over like in your photo.

Soil Health

Q/A #136 - Algae on Soil Surface

QUESTION: This concerns green slime algae on soil surfaces. I have this growing on soil mix (peat and pearlite) on seedlings I am starting. The pots are sitting in trays of water under grow lights. The soil is kept moist from tray watering. My question is how do you control this type of algae? I've read some a

Not Enough Light

Q/A #135 - My Sundew Has No Tentacles

QUESTION:Why is the Drosera capensis not fully developing it's tentacles? The plant starts to grow it's leaves then start to wilt away. I suspect low humidity might be the cause, but I wanted to confirm the issues. How do I fix this? I had my Drosera for 7 months. The plant is situated at the kitchen sink window f

Dividing Rhizomes

Q/A #134 - Can I Divide Sarracenia in Summer?

QUESTION: Can I trim and divide my Sarracenia rubra? It’s getting very large and has spindly pitchers. I know early spring is preferred but it’s getting very crowded. Maybe just a major trim until trim? I’m in USDA zone 8b. My plants are outdoors in full sun, watered only with collected rainwater, never fertil

Darlingtonia

Q/A #133 - Will a Darlingtonia Grow in My Indoor Setup?

QUESTION: I am interested in growing a Darlingtonia but want to make sure I put it in the right environment. If I were to purchase one, it would be in my basement on the second level of the plant shelf. I have attached a picture for your reference. It would be under a 20 watt Sansi Grow light and temperatures

Water Quality

Q/A #132 - Is Rainwater Collected from a Roof OK to Use?

QUESTION: If I collect rainwater that has run over my asphalt shingle roof, will it harm my carnivorous plants? Are there any chemicals in the shingles that will leech into the rainwater and harm my plants? (Submitted in July 2021.) RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS: It's fine to collect from a composition

Nepenthes

Q/A #131 - Nepenthes Seems to Be Dying

QUESTION: I’ve had this Nepenthes Gaya for just a few months. I repotted it into a mix of peat moss and perlite, equal parts. It was doing really well until about a week ago. It seems to be dying. I try to keep the soil moist and mist with distilled water. My other 3 Nepenthes are doing well. not making many

Darlingtonia

Q/A #130 - Can I Grow Darlingtonia Indoors?

QUESTION: I was looking at the Darlingtonia to grow in Southern California, but I'm concerned with lack of cold dormancy. Temperatures sometimes get to 45°F (7°C) at night but not for very many weeks. I live on the Newport coast so humidity is pretty decent and it’s sunny but hardly ever hotter than 85°F (30°C

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