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This is my FIRST proper attempt at growing carnivorous plants outdoors.
I have spent years with them on the windowsills and i finally decided it would be nice to try and create one outdoors which i have put off ever since my expensive cobra lily died the second it went outside (I now believe this was because he was in the full sun!) :(
 
The Sarracenia traps were already brown in their pots and due to the size they grew, decided these must be first to go outside, along the troth i have also added in another type of Sarracenia and also a Venus Fly Trap and a Sundew which wasn't 'thriving' indoors.
 

My only problem is i don't have a tray beneath this trough so i am relying on memory to keep the soil very moist each day, luckily the location of this there is plenty of sun, and when it does rain it gets nice coverage.

 

Before planting i mixed some of the 'E-coco Carnivorous Plant Fertilizer' which is made from worms or something and mixed with water. 

Day 1

 

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I don't know, to be honest i know nothing about it but ordered it as thought it may help them flourish.

This is it:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MIV100S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430064744&sr=8-1&keywords=carnivorous+plant+fertilizer

 

Seems to have good reviews, not sure what others think?

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Don't know how easy it would be to plug the holes in the bottom of the trough and drill a small hole in the side for drainage but that would be better, or if that's too much of a faff, clean the polythene bag its standing on and turn the sides up the planter to create a reservoir.

 

Use 'Natures Gift' on something that needs it. Nature will indeed provide for those plants, in the form of arthropods and the like.

 

Cheers

steve

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UPDATE:

 

1 week on and out of the four plants, i have noticed new growth on both the end pitchers and while some of the leaves of the sundew are dying off i notice a new rosette/bud growing which means new growth.

 

The only one not doing too good is the venus fly trap, i cut the flower off to avoid drainage of resources but it seems a very shrivelled plant, but to be honest it was a weak specimen anyway.

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My VFTs havent started doing anything outside yet, apart from last years leaves dying off,  its still a little cool for them, it will kick into action in a couple of weeks (assuming the weather stays warmish). If its shriveling that could be an effect of acclimation.

Cheers

Steve

Edited by billynomates666
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Hang in there,  I had about 40 7cm pots with nothing happening,  put them under the shelving to re-use later,  having a tidy up over the bank holiday and. all except 1 have green growth after being neglected and kept in near darkness.  Needless to say they have now been put in a sunny position and given them over diluted orchid feed. Good luck.

Ian.

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As said its still very early in the growing season , even more so for outside plants so give them more time to settle.

Some carnivorous plants can benefit from a very diluted fertilising so I've read but to be on the safe side I wouldn't use it.

The review on your product ( and there is only one) said it was added to the pitcher, I guess this could be a boost if the plant is being kept in an insect free environment .

Now your plants are outside they'll catch more than enough. If I happen to " swat" a fly I will drop it in a pitcher but no more than that.

Put plants in full sun, keep compost moist (rain or distilled water) that's about it!.

Maybe add more perlite to your compost , doesn't look like there's much in your mix, most growers use up to a 50/50 compost-perlite mix.

Cheers Blocky

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My VFTs havent started doing anything outside yet, apart from last years leaves dying off,  its still a little cool for them, it will kick into action in a couple of weeks (assuming the weather stays warmish). If its shriveling that could be an effect of acclimation.

Cheers

Steve

 

Oh good, i'm glad mine isn't the only one and yes i did think about acclimation.

 

 

Hang in there,  I had about 40 7cm pots with nothing happening,  put them under the shelving to re-use later,  having a tidy up over the bank holiday and. all except 1 have green growth after being neglected and kept in near darkness.  Needless to say they have now been put in a sunny position and given them over diluted orchid feed. Good luck.

Ian.

 

Glad you have managed to place them in a sunny position, i did not know CPS benefit from orchard feed? Is this something you recommend as is available in my local shop? :)

 

 

As said its still very early in the growing season , even more so for outside plants so give them more time to settle.

Some carnivorous plants can benefit from a very diluted fertilising so I've read but to be on the safe side I wouldn't use it.

The review on your product ( and there is only one) said it was added to the pitcher, I guess this could be a boost if the plant is being kept in an insect free environment .

Now your plants are outside they'll catch more than enough. If I happen to " swat" a fly I will drop it in a pitcher but no more than that.

Put plants in full sun, keep compost moist (rain or distilled water) that's about it!.

Maybe add more perlite to your compost , doesn't look like there's much in your mix, most growers use up to a 50/50 compost-perlite mix.

Cheers Blocky

 

I didn't realise it was early, so i am relieved.

Funny how you said that, i have just come in from outside now having mixed in some more perlite!!! :)!

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I do have two more questions i was wondering if anyone could shed some light on?

 

1. The brown pitcher tops (as you can see from the pictures), i have noticed there is white fluffy stuff starting to grow, if this is fungi would you recommend me cutting off the tops (up to the green like on most normal plants) OR does it not grow back and masewell cut off the whole pitcher?

Thanks

 

2. The flowers have grown VERY high (to the extent where it's half snapped off from the wind!), on the pitchers are these like VFT where i might as well remove these as it is taking strength/resources from the traps? I am not 'advanced' enough to do any fertilization or anything yet, so should i cut them off the pitchers like i did on the VFT?

 

Thanks and really appreciate the help :)

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The pitchers with the brown tops are last seasons and are basically done and won't re grow.

You can cut down to the green tissue or cut right down at the base, doesn't seem to make much difference but looks neater is all.

There's conflicting views on the flower stalks.

On vft's I let them get about 4 inches tall then I cut them at the base and cut into inch long bits, these I then push into sphagnum moss and keep fingers crossed for new plantlets.

On the sarras I let them flower as they have nice blooms then I cut the stalks as it's the seed production that saps the plants energy or so I believe...

Ceph's I let flower and I pollinate them, hoping to get viable seed but with limited success so far.

Basically a healthy plant should have no issues flowering and setting seed, if the plants a bit weedy/weak then I'd remove flower stalks.

Cheers Blocky

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks JMHoff, i notice your from Stockholm. Sweden my fave country!! :) What's it like out there CP-wise?

 

The fertilizer i won't bother buying again, nothing special. As for the orchid fertilizer it certainly hasn't done any harm so whether or not it's any good it's hard to tell.

 

UPDATE:

 

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All doing well except for the one drosera :( 

In the green tub i did plant butterworts in between them because i am so limited for room :(

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Hi Owen!

 

Sadly here in Sweden the CP community is almost non-existent. There is only one specialized online store/nursery and it is over priced. Most of the CP's here come from hardware stores with a limited sortiment (I guess due to the climate).

 

Have you been here in Sweden?

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Hi Owen!

 

Sadly here in Sweden the CP community is almost non-existent. There is only one specialized online store/nursery and it is over priced. Most of the CP's here come from hardware stores with a limited sortiment (I guess due to the climate).

 

Have you been here in Sweden?

 

That is a great shame, i bet it can be difficult to source specific plants if that is the case, at least on here there are lots of access to plants and online plant stores links i recently bought some from Poland.

 

I havn't but i was due to go 3 weeks ago on holiday (to Stockholm, then Malmo) but couldn't go due to personal circumstance, however i do wish to live there which (at 21 years of age) on my own would be a huge step, but i love the people, i want swedish friends, and love the culture.

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