Stu

In my unheated greenhouse I grow... P.emarginata, P. graniflora, P.esseriana, P.vulgaris, P. 'fake Weser', P.cyclosecta. All thrive in these conditions.

Hi Ben, It is quite common for traps to close when transplanting due to soil media, fingers or other traps setting off the triggers! Don't worry too much about it, the traps will reopen again in a day or two. Only brown dead leaves should be removed. Even if the trap itself is nearing the end of it's life, all green parts of the plant will still photosynthesis and help the whole plant grow. To avoid unnecessary trap closure in future, it is best to hold the plant in one hand by the white bulb and have the leaves together in the same hand, as displayed in this guide.. Flytrap Care.

I obtained a second hand water butt and discovered it had a leak coming from a crack (near the bottom, close to the tap). I managed to fix it with glass fibre repair filler (Isopon - used for car bodywork repairs). First attempt didn't adhere properly and water seeped through the edge of the patch a few weeks later. After giving the entire area a good 'key' by scratching it up with a sharp knife and sandpaper, the second attempt worked a treat and has held perfectly for almost two years so far! I haven't noticed any problems with contamination (even tested with a TDS meter) as the resin sets hard and becomes impermeable.

C. japonica, as long as you get the ratio correct of water volume to number of shrimps, are excellent at cleaning a tank. However, I would not put one in something as small as a jar! I have also heard many reports of them having a penchant for escaping! One or two of the smaller snails will be ok for the jar. They might try to escape still; some just do whenever you leave the top open. You could keep a breeding colony alive in a separate covered pot if you wish.

It depends on the size of the water body for practicality. Water changing with RO water would remove and dilute nutrients, but obviously completely ridiculous if we're talking anything larger than a few gallons! Chemical treatments are usually copper based (due to it's toxicity) and rely on precise measured amounts with little margin for error. Copper is toxic to all life in higher doses, and you will quite likely damage the utrics. I completely agree with Valentin; algae is a good indicator that something is not right.

...or place them in the fridge for 15 minutes. The cold temperature dramatically reduces their metabolic rate, making them very sluggish.

Martin, I'm still thinking that it is lateriflora. Click the thumbnail image below for a closer pic of the flower stem if this helps you. I do want to give my utrics more light, and am currently thinking of the best setup, so perhaps in the near future I can give it the right conditions! Would a photo of the trap (if I can get one!) help with ID, or are the two very similar?

Thanks for the input guys. This is the first time a flower has appeared for me. There are three stems as shown below, and each one has many bracts up the stem. The tallest (with flower) is 7.3cm. I grow my indoor utrics under artifical light (plant moved to take pictures) which is probably a little weak. Complete plant setup:

I've believed this to be U.chrysantha but after flowering, it clearly isn't. Can anyone give me an idea of species ID? The flower is very small (3.2mm) and has a twin pointed spur. My guess (being no expert) is U.lateriflora. Flower (above): Flower (side): Stolons:

Rob summarised it basically.. grow it as a house plant. Mine flowered profusely last year (picture). I have also read that they are best as an annual, as they tend to get 'leggy' after a years growth and difficult to keep. However I have kept mine alive and after cutting it back last winter (it did become very leggy!), it's sent up new shoots, and it's first flower is emerging. Last year the flowers came around August/September time, I'm not sure if this species is always a late bloomer or whether it's just mine! I shall see if I can continue to keep it alive year after year. I did manage to get seed from one of last year's flowers which I have yet to sow. Best Regards,

Quite a difference! I noticed the same thing when I moved a pot of U. livida from under a growlight into strong natural sunlight. The white flowers suddenly became flushed with mauve and purple.

That's quite low light for vegetative growth. It might just work if you have the light tube literally an inch or two from the soil surface just to germinate and grow seedlings, but you'd want to move them to stronger light as soon as possible. For heating you can use heat mats/pads under the tank, substrate heat cables (either in the substrate or under the tank), specialist 'reptile' heat ornaments (rocks etc) or an aquarium heater submerged in a jar of water.

Correct. It is an extrema form of variety multifida.. Drosera binata var. multifida f. extrema