alexa Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 I’ve been growing Sarracenia for about 10 years (I think!) and all has been great so far with some very nice plants, great blooms and very little problems, however, I have always looked at other grower’s plants with a touch of envy. My plants always seem a little on the weedy side, nice, but not the organ pipes that I see from other growers. I struggle to get the really tall plants that a great grower would see. My greenhouse is a bit enclosed by the house and some trees at the end of the garden, it still gets lots of sunlight but maybe this could be part of the reason. I was wondering if anyone uses or could recommend a fertilizer that would be suitable to give my Sarracenia a boost? I was thinking of something that I could mix into the medium at the beginning of the year that would slow release throughout the year after the plant has been repotted. Any ideas? Thanks Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prized Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 What about Osmocote?? I use it on my seedlings, and they are 10cm tall after one year. The only problem is that (someone thinks that) colours could be affected by it, and the plants stays green, and doesn't reach full colouration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntsmanshorn Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 I grew some S. purpurea seedlings inside and used Osmocote with great results. They grew incredibly fast and after only three years I'm seeing flowers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 Alex, I know what you mean. As Yuri says,osmacote does work well,but it has its draw backs.It can make some plants more susceptable to botrytis over the autumn/winter.Only use the six month stuff. The best way to grow them is with warmth,continual warmth when they start to grow if you can. Very difficult up in the north where i live,unless you have heating. We northern growers always get frosts when they start to grow and this stops some plants in their tracks,they never recover and open small. If you can keep the growing area warm they will grow much bigger,also if you remove the flower after a week or so after flowering. Some plants i have given/swapped with Mike King are almost unrecognisable when i see them in his greenhouses,we have talked on the subject and this is one of the main reasons for the size,also good clones help. Hope this helps a bit. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexa Posted May 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Thanks Ada, Good point with the heat, I agree totally. I'm going to see Mikes plants on his open day, and I think I'm going to see a massive difference. I know that Alistair uses osmacote on his VFT's and has seen his plants grow in size, but I haven't had a go yet, but maybe I'll pick some up for next year's repotting. Cheers Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petesredtraps Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 I have some Osmocote, how many pellets would be recommendable for each plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 It did a good job of killing a psittacina I experimented on a couple of years back! Remember sometimes they can take a while to bed in. I've had so-so plants that have suddenly exploded in size in their second or third years when undisturbed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nélio Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 I think that the use of orchid leaf fertilizer in a Sarracenia is verry helpful, since you avoid the contact of it whith the soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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