rwharold

Thanks Richard, It's good to know that I made the right choice. I hope to learn a lot from reading it.

Although many of you are already experts in the cultivation of carnivorous plants, I would like to share a highly recommended reference on this subject that is available on Amazon. Out of 177 customer reviews this reference received a 4.9 out of 5 stars rating. This is the highest rating that I have ever seen on Amazon. The title is "The Savage Garden, Revised: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants" by Peter D'Amato of California Carnivores. I just placed an order and I can't wait to read it. Has anyone else heard of this book? Comments???

Yossu, While I am not quite sure how much sphagnum moss you have, I keep my medium sized supply in a large 10 inch saucer with a little distilled water in the bottom and I have it placed indoors on a bright sunny window sill and it is doing quite well. I also use a spray bottle filled with distilled water to mist the moss each day. It stays moist that way and has a nice healthy bright green colour.

Thanks a lot Fred. Absolutely spectacular!!!

Is that for BOTH VFTs AND Sphagnum moss? Applied at what frequency? I have my supply of sphagnum moss growing in a plastic saucer with water in the bottom to keep the moss moist at all times. Can that saucer bottom water also contain the diluted Maxsea water? I am assuming that I should NOT apply the Maxsea water to the VFT growing medium, just the leaves. Correct? Thanks!

Thank you Richard. (BTW, you have a great first name!!!) Once my plant arrives, I'll take a photo and send it to you. Best regards, Richard

Fred, I can't say that the 'Ginormous' is the "BEST", but it was what the owner recommended after hearing of my desires for a beautiful large sized reddish VFT. Do you not agree? Richard

Thanks so much to all those of you that have offered such great advice in a timely manner. As you can probably tell, I reside in the United States, and I have tried getting advice from the FlytrapStore.com and their Forums, but I haven't had a single reply from the Forums and the owner Matt told me that he didn't have the time to answer my questions. So I most certainly won't use that company as a future source for my orders. I have found California Carnivores to be friendly and most helpful with my first order: http://www.californiacarnivores.com/dionaeamuscipulaginormousdivision.aspx. The owner Damon even called me to help me select the best choice that he had in stock. To summarize, I had to go all the way to the U.K. for friendly helpful advice. CPUK it by far the absolute BEST in providing advice to new comers to this fascinating hobby!

Which variety of pot is the best for growing the 'Ginormous'? I have ordered the following one from California Carnivores: http://www.californiacarnivores.com/dionaeamuscipulaginormousdivision.aspx. I understand from Damon, the owner, that it should be repotted early next spring. I have head that a "fiber" pot is better than plastic. In your opinion, which is the better choice? Should the pot be placed in a saucer with 1 to 2 inches of water in the bottom? Can it be grown indoors on a very sunny window sill which receives direct very bright sunshine? What is the best re-potting medium? Sorry for so many questions, but I want to give this expensive plant the best care that I can give. I plan to feed it regularly with dried flies that have been soaked in distilled water over night. Thank in advance for your professional advice!

I have heard that a fertilizer named Maxsea 16-16-16 ALL PURPOSE Plant Food-Water Soluble Seaweed nutrient fertilizer can be used to promote the growth of live sphagnum moss and Venus Fly Traps. Does anyone have experience in using this product for my two applications? What is the recommended dilution rate? Thank you very much for your advice for a "newbie". Richard